Band 6.5 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 6.5 · Cambridge IELTS 15 · 2026-10-01

IELTS Writing Task 1 question

The chart below shows what Anthropology graduates from one university did after finishing their undergraduate degree course. The table shows the salaries of the anthropologists in work after five years.

Summarize the information by selecting and reporting the main features and make comparison where relevant.

Student answer (Band 6.5)

The chart illustrates what Anthropology graduates from one university did after finishing their undergraduate degree course. The table shows the salaries of Anthropology graduates in work after five years.

Overall, the most striking trend in the chart is that, after graduating from this university, full-time work was the most common destination, at 52%. While in the table, most Anthropology graduates working for private companies earned the highest salaries after 5 years.

Regarding the chart, full-time work was the most common destination for Anthropology graduates from this university, at 52%. Full-time postgraduate study and not known destinations were equal, at 8% each. Part-time work accounted for 15% of graduates. Part-time work combined with postgraduate study accounted for 5%, and 12% of graduates were unemployed.

Furthermore, in the table of salaries of Anthropology graduates after 5 years, for the salary range of $25,000 to $49,999, 5% worked in the government sector, 5% were freelance consultants, and this rose to 10% for those in private companies. For the salary range of $50,000 to $74,999, 15% worked in the government sector and 15% were freelance consultants, and this rose to 35% for private companies. For the salary range of $75,000 to $99,999, 30% worked in the government sector, this increased to 40% for freelance consultants, and decreased to 25% for private companies. Finally, for salaries of $100,000 and above, 40% of freelance consultants earned this amount, which increased to 50% for the government sector and decreased to 30% for private companies.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response: Band 6.0

The response addresses all parts of the prompt by selecting and reporting the main features of both the chart and the table. It successfully presents an overview and highlights key data, such as full-time work being the most common destination at 52%. However, the selection of details is occasionally mechanical rather than fully integrated, as seen in the exhaustive listing of percentages across salary bands in the final paragraph. Some ideas are more fully developed than others, which prevents the response from achieving a higher band. To reach the next level, the writer should synthesise the data more effectively by grouping related trends rather than listing every single numerical data point from the table sequentially.

Coherence and Cohesion: Band 6.5

The response demonstrates a clear overall progression and coherent arrangement of ideas, moving logically from an introduction and overview into detailed body paragraphs for each visual. Paragraphing is used appropriately to separate the chart data from the table data. Cohesive devices are generally handled well, such as 'Regarding the chart' and 'Furthermore', though referencing and transitions can occasionally feel slightly formulaic or mechanical. The half-band achievement is reflected in the clear logical flow throughout the essay, while the minor limitation in flexible, sophisticated cohesion keeps it from reaching the higher band. Better integration of inter-paragraph links would enhance the overall flow.

Lexical Resource: Band 6.5

The student uses an adequate range of vocabulary for the task, successfully incorporating terms related to employment, salaries, and data representation, such as 'destination', 'postgraduate study', 'freelance consultants', and 'salary range'. There are some successful attempts to use less common vocabulary, and word choices generally convey the intended meaning clearly without impeding communication. Occasional minor inaccuracies in lexical selection or phrasing occur, but they do not disrupt the reader's understanding. To move towards a higher band, the writer should incorporate a wider variety of sophisticated synonyms and more precise collocations to describe statistical trends and financial increments.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 6.5

The response exhibits a satisfactory mix of simple and complex sentence forms, demonstrating control over basic structures and attempting more intricate clauses when comparing data percentages. There are some grammatical errors and awkward phrasing present, such as in the opening overview sentence where the clause structure becomes slightly clumsy, but these errors rarely impede communication and meaning remains clear throughout. Punctuation is generally handled correctly. Meeting the criteria for the current band involves maintaining good control over simple sentences while incorporating a higher frequency of error-free complex structures to improve overall grammatical flexibility.

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