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 their undergraduate degree, and the table presents data regarding their salary after 5 years' work.

Overall, over half of the graduated students started to work at a full-time contract. After working 5 years, the most common salary ranges from $75,000 to over $100,000 for Freelancers cunsultants and government sector, while private companies tend to offer wider range of salary.

It is possible to note that a great part of the students (52%) started a full time job after finishing university. The second most common choice was to start a part-time work (15%). Additionally, 8% started a postgraduate degree white working full-time, and 5% while working part-time. Those who did not answer the survey or were unemployed represented 20% of the total, 8% and 12% respectively.

Regarding their salary, the government sector pays the better wage after 5 years' work, with 50% of their workers earning over $100,000. Freelancers consultants also showed the better salaries ranges between $75,000 to over $100,000, with 80% of the workers in this range. In comparison, the private sector pays their 35% of their employers from $50,000 to 74,999. That is the highest percentage between the three cathegories for this range of salary.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response: Band 7.0

The response successfully addresses all parts of the prompt by presenting an overview and reporting the key features of both the destination chart and the salary table. The student accurately highlights that over half of the graduates secured full-time work and notes significant data points from the salary table, such as the high earnings in the government sector and the distribution among freelance consultants. However, there is a tendency to slightly over-generalize or select a few details without extending them fully, which prevents the response from reaching a higher level. For instance, the discussion of private companies mentions that 35% earn between $50,000 and $74,999, but this comparison could have been more fully integrated. Overall, the main trends and relevant comparisons are clearly laid out and supported by figures from the prompt.

Coherence and Cohesion: Band 7.0

The writing demonstrates a clear logical organization and progression throughout. The student makes effective use of paragraphing, separating the introduction, an overview of the main trends, the destination data, and the salary breakdown. Cohesive devices are employed with reasonable flexibility, such as transitional phrases like 'Additionally', 'Regarding their salary', and 'In comparison'. While referencing is generally clear and information flows logically from the charts to the table, a few transitions feel slightly mechanical. Nevertheless, the overall arrangement is coherent, guiding the reader smoothly from the general overview to specific details without causing confusion.

Lexical Resource: Band 6.0

The vocabulary used is adequate for the task, demonstrating an attempt to use less common items and precise reporting language such as 'graduates', 'postgraduate degree', and 'unemployed'. However, there are noticeable lexical and spelling inaccuracies that prevent the response from achieving a higher band. For example, the student writes 'Freelancers cunsultants' instead of 'Freelance consultants' and uses 'cathegories' instead of 'categories'. Additionally, phrases like 'pays the better wage' and 'wider range of salary' show awkward collocations or minor word choice issues, though these errors do not impede overall communication.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 6.5

The response displays a mix of simple and complex sentence forms, demonstrating good control over basic structures and attempting more intricate clauses, such as 'Those who did not answer the survey or were unemployed represented 20% of the total...'. There are some grammatical and punctuation errors present, including preposition and article issues (e.g., 'started to work at a full-time contract', 'pays their 35% of their employers'), and a tense slip with 'white working' instead of 'while working'. However, these errors occur alongside error-free sentences and rarely impede communication, reflecting solid control while still allowing room for improved accuracy in complex structures.

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

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