Band 5.5 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 5.5 · Cambridge IELTS 15 · 2026-10-09

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 5.5)

The chart illustrates employment destination of Anthropolgy graduates in one university while the table depicts their salary band after five years of employment.

Overall, graduates in full-time jobs is by far the highest whereas those that combined part-time job and postgraduate study is the least.

Regarding the job, more than half 52%of the Anthropology graduates took up full-time job, 15% took up a part-time job, 12% unemployed, 5% is unknown while those that went into full-time postgraduate study and those that combined part-time job and postgraduate study are 8% each.

Looking at the table, graduates who worked with the private company were 10% when the salary band was at $25,000-49.999 while those in freelance consultancy and Government work were 5% each. Furthermore, at salary band $50.000-79.999, private job had 35% whereas Government Job and freelance consultancy had 15% each. However, those in private work were 35% at salary band $50.000-74.999

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response: Band 5.0

You identify the main destination pattern accurately: full-time work is the largest category at 52%, and combining part-time work with postgraduate study is the smallest at 5%. However, the overview says this combined group is the least, then the figures paragraph incorrectly gives it as 8%, equal to full-time postgraduate study. The salary discussion is incomplete and includes a repeated, inconsistent band: you first write “$50.000-79.999” and later “$50.000-74.999.” You also stop before reporting the higher salary bands, which contain important comparisons, such as government employment reaching 50% at $100,000+. To improve, give a clear overview of the salary table and accurately compare its main patterns across all employment types.

Coherence and Cohesion: Band 6.0

The response has a recognisable structure, moving from an introduction to an overview, then discussing graduate destinations and salaries. Paragraphing helps the reader distinguish these stages, and transitions such as “Regarding” and “Looking at the table” signal the topic changes. However, the progression becomes unclear in the final paragraph: the salary-band figures are presented selectively, and the last sentence repeats the private-company figure for the $50,000–74,999 band without completing the comparison. “However” does not clearly express a contrast there. Organise the table information by comparing each salary band or employment type consistently, and use linking words only when the relationship between the ideas is clear.

Lexical Resource: Band 6.0

You use an adequate range of task-related vocabulary, including “employment destination,” “salary band,” “postgraduate study,” and “freelance consultancy.” These terms help communicate the subject, and the meaning is generally understandable. Some choices and forms are inaccurate or awkward, however: “employment destination” would be more natural as “employment destinations,” while “private job” and “Government work” are imprecise labels for the categories in the table. There are also spelling and number-formatting slips, including “Anthropolgy” and inconsistent punctuation in salary ranges. Use the chart’s category names consistently, and check spelling and numerical formatting to make the comparisons more precise and professional.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 5.5

You attempt both simple and more complex sentence forms, including the overview clause beginning “whereas” and the comparison introduced by “while.” The main information is usually understandable, but some errors in agreement, articles, and sentence construction remain. For example, “graduates in full-time jobs is” should use a plural verb, and “took up full-time job” needs an article or plural form. The sentence beginning “more than half 52%of” also needs clearer punctuation and spacing. In the final paragraph, the repeated salary comparison creates an incomplete, awkward sentence sequence. Aim for accurate subject–verb agreement and complete comparisons, and proofread articles and punctuation while retaining your attempts at complex sentences.

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

Browse more IELTS Writing model answers or get your own writing scored by the same AI examiner.