Band 6.5 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 6.5 · Cambridge IELTS 15 · 2026-10-05

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 shows what Anthropology graduates did after completing their undergraduate degree from one university. The table provides data on the salaries of the anthropologists after five years in three different type of sectors. Overall, most of the graduates were working full-time, while only a small proportion of graduates worked part-time, along with postgraduate studies. The government sector had the highest percentage of graduates in high-income bracket, while private companies had the lowest percentage of high-income graduates and the highest proportion of graduates in low-income bracket.

The data reveals, that more than half of the graduates were working full-time, compared to 15% of the graduates working part-time. The destination of 8% of the graduates were unknown, while 12% were unemplyed. About 12% of the graduates got enrolled in full-time postgraduate degree, while only 5% worked part-time, along with their post graduate degree.

Turning to the table, Government sector had the highest percentage of graduates in high-income bracket, at 50%, while 40% graduates working as freelance consultants were in high-income bracket, compared to just 30% of graduates working in private companies. Freelance consultants had the highest percentage of graduates in $75,000-$99,999 income range, at 40%, followed by 30% of graduates working in the Government sector. Private companies had the highest percentage of graduates in low

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response: Band 6.5

The response successfully addresses all parts of the prompt by presenting an overview of the pie chart and the table, and reporting key features and comparisons. For instance, the overview accurately highlights that most graduates worked full-time and points out the salary trends across the sectors. The main features are selected well, such as noting that 52% of graduates entered full-time work and that the government sector had the highest percentage in the top income bracket. However, some parts of the response are slightly under-developed or contain minor inaccuracies compared to the raw data—for instance, stating that 12% enrolled in a full-time postgraduate degree whereas the chart indicates 8%. Additionally, the response cuts off abruptly at the end, leaving the final point incomplete. This balance between addressing all task requirements adequately while showing minor omissions and under-developed detail reflects the expected standard for this level.

Coherence and Cohesion: Band 6.5

The response maintains a coherent overall arrangement and logical progression, guiding the reader clearly from the pie chart data to the table data using transitional phrases such as "Turning to the table". Paragraphing is utilised to separate the introduction and overview from the body details. However, cohesion is sometimes mechanical or slightly faulty, such as the abrupt transition in the second paragraph ("The data reveals, that more than half...") where the comma is unnecessary and interrupts the flow. Reference words and cohesive devices are generally functional, but the lack of a proper concluding sentence due to the text cutting off prevents the organisation from achieving a more fluid structure. These traits align with a clearly structured response that manages cohesion adequately despite occasional lapses.

Lexical Resource: Band 6.5

An adequate range of vocabulary is deployed for the task, successfully attempting less common items and sector-specific terms such as "freelance consultants", "government sector", and "postgraduate studies". There are, however, some lexical inaccuracies and spelling errors, such as writing "type of sectors" instead of "types of sectors" and misspelling "unemployed" as "unemplyed". Word choices are generally clear enough to communicate the intended message without impeding the reader, though they lack the precision and natural flexibility characteristic of higher bands. The attempt to use varied reporting language shows promise, but slips in word form and minor typos prevent a higher lexical evaluation.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 6.5

The writer demonstrates a mix of simple and complex sentence forms, incorporating relative clauses and comparative structures effectively, such as in "while 40% graduates working as freelance consultants were in high-income bracket". There are several grammatical errors and punctuation lapses present throughout the text, including missing articles ("in high-income bracket", "in government sector"), an unnecessary comma after reporting verbs ("reveals, that"), and prepositions inside patterns. Despite these errors, the structures used do not impede communication, and the meaning remains clear throughout. This combination of a reasonable structural mix alongside noticeable grammatical inaccuracies is typical of this performance level.

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

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