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 illustrates the destinations of Anthropology graduates from one university after completing their undergraduate degrees, while the table compares the salary distributions of those employed in three different sectors after five years.

Overall, the majority of graduates entered full-time employment, while relatively few combined part-time work with postgraduate studies. Regarding salaries, government employees were the most likely to earn $100,000 or more, whereas private-sector employees were more concentrated in the $50,000–$74,999 income bracket, while freelance mostly earn $75,000 t0 100,000+.

According to the pie chart, 52% of Anthropology graduates secured full-time employment, making it the most common destination. A further 15% worked part-time, while 5% combined part-time employment with postgraduate study. Meanwhile, 8% pursued full-time postgraduate education. The proportion of unemployed graduates stood at 12%, and the destination of the remaining 8% was unknown.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response: Band 5.5

The response partially addresses the task requirements by summarizing the main features of both the pie chart and the table, but it falls short of the required 150-word minimum, containing only 136 words. While the student provides a clear overview and correctly reports several key data points—such as 52% entering full-time work and identifying government employees as most likely to earn $100,000 or more—the coverage of the table's salary distributions is somewhat brief and incomplete. Specifically, the third sector regarding freelance consultants is awkwardly phrased ('freelance mostly earn $75,000 t0 100,000+') with a typo in the range, missing the full depth of comparison needed. To reach a higher band, the writer must ensure the word count requirement is fully met and provide a more thorough, balanced selection and comparison of data across both graphics.

Coherence and Cohesion: Band 7.0

The response demonstrates a clear logical organization and progression throughout. Information is coherently arranged, starting with an introductory paraphrase and an overall summary, followed by specific details from the charts. The writer makes effective use of cohesive devices such as 'Overall', 'Regarding salaries', 'According to the pie chart', and 'Meanwhile' to guide the reader smoothly between different sections of the data. Paragraphing is also used appropriately to separate the introduction, overview, and body details. To achieve an even higher band, cohesion could be made slightly more seamless and varied, avoiding any mechanical transitions and ensuring that referencing within and between sentences is handled with absolute precision.

Lexical Resource: Band 7.0

The vocabulary used is generally adequate and demonstrates a sufficient range for some flexibility and precision. The student successfully incorporates less common and topic-specific vocabulary such as 'destinations', 'undergraduate degrees', 'salary distributions', and 'postgraduate education'. However, there are occasional lexical shortcomings, such as the awkward phrase 'freelance mostly earn' instead of 'freelance consultants mostly earned' and a typo in the numerical range ('t0'). Despite these minor inaccuracies, the lexical choice does not impede communication. To move up further, the writer should use a wider variety of precise phrasing and collocation with consistent accuracy, avoiding informal slips in formal academic writing.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 7.0

The response features a good variety of complex structures and frequent error-free sentences, demonstrating a strong overall control of grammar and punctuation. The student successfully constructs multi-clause sentences, such as 'The pie chart illustrates the destinations... while the table compares...', and manages verb tenses and relative clauses well. A few minor errors persist, such as the spelling/typographical slip in 't0' and slight awkwardness in phrasing, but these do not impede comprehension and punctuation is handled correctly throughout. To maintain or improve this level, the writer should ensure that all complex structures remain fully polished and entirely free of minor keyboard or grammatical slips.

See this exact question answered at other band scores. The same prompt compared across bands.

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