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 pie chart compares the destinations of Anthropology graduates from one university after graduation. The table shows their salaries after five years of work in three employment types.

Overall, most graduates got full-time jobs. After five years, the majority earned over $75,000, with government sector workers earning the highest.

More than half of the graduates, at 52%, were in full-time work. Part-time work was 15%, while 5% did part-time work plus postgraduate study. 8% went for full-time postgraduate study. 12% were unemployed and the status of 8% was not known.B

After five years, salaries were high. In the government sector, 50% earned $100,000+ and 30% earned $75,000 to $99,999. For freelance consultants, 40% earned $100,000+ and 40% earned $75,000-$99,999. In private companies, salaries were lower and more spread - 35% earned $50,000-$74,999, 25% earned $75,000-$99,999 and 30% earned $100,000+. The lowest salary group was only 5% for freelance and government, but 10% for private companies.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response: Band 6.5

You successfully address all parts of the task by reporting on both the pie chart and the table, selecting key features and making relevant comparisons. Your overview correctly identifies the main trend that most graduates obtained full-time work and higher earners dominated the upper salary brackets after five years. You present accurate data points, such as the 52% in full-time work and the 50% of government sector workers earning $100,000+. However, some parts of the response show a tendency to list figures rather than fully extend comparisons, particularly in the breakdown of the destination percentages. To reach the next level, you need to ensure all selected data points are seamlessly integrated into a more sophisticated comparative narrative rather than relying on sequential listing.

Coherence and Cohesion: Band 6.5

Your response demonstrates a coherent overall arrangement with a logical progression from the general overview of graduate destinations to the specific salary details. You make appropriate use of paragraphs to separate the different visual elements, starting with an introductory overview and following with distinct body paragraphs for destinations and salaries. Cohesive devices are generally well handled, though referencing and transitional phrases can occasionally feel somewhat mechanical. For instance, moving abruptly into the salary data and using simple sentence transitions could be smoothed out to establish a tighter flow. To achieve a higher standard, ensure that every transition between sentences and paragraphs explicitly highlights the relationship between the data sets.

Lexical Resource: Band 6.5

You use an adequate range of vocabulary for the task, successfully incorporating terms such as 'destinations', 'undergraduate degree course', 'freelance consultants', and 'government sector'. You attempt less common vocabulary items with general success, although there are minor limitations in precision and flexibility. Expressions like 'salaries were high' or 'more spread' demonstrate a somewhat basic descriptive approach rather than utilizing more academic collocation. Spelling and word choice are generally accurate and do not impede communication, with only minor stylistic limitations preventing access to a higher band. To improve further, incorporate more sophisticated lexical chunks and precise quantitative phrasing.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 6.5

You demonstrate a workable mix of simple and complex sentence forms, utilizing structures such as 'While 5% did part-time work plus postgraduate study' and participial clauses effectively. There are some errors in grammar and punctuation, such as the stray 'B' character artifact after the third paragraph and occasional awkward phrasings, but these errors rarely impede communication and the majority of your sentences remain clear. You maintain good control over verb tenses when describing past survey data. To reach the next level, you should aim for a higher frequency of error-free complex sentences and display tighter control over punctuation and sentence boundary markers.

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