Band 6.0 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 6.0 · 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 6.0)

The pie chart illustrates what Antropology students after completeing their undergraduate degree course from an university ended up doing. The table displays how much the anthropologists are earning from their job after five years.

Overall, more than half of Antropology graduates ended doing a full-time job and a third of graduates.

After graduating, 52% of students secured a full-time job, whereas 15% graduates started doing part-time work. While 8% of the graduates continued to pursue full-time postgrad study, 5% decided to work part-time along with post-grad study. 12% of the graduates remained unemployed and for the remaining (8%) there is no data available.

Most anthropologists ended up working as a freelance consultants or in government sector and private companies. 40% of freelance consultants earned either between $75k to $99k or $100k plus, while 15% earned between $50,000 and 74,999 and 5% from $25,000 to 49,999. In government sectors 50% anthropologists earned more than $100k, while the percentage is 30 in private sectors.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response: Band 5.5

You report the main destination figures accurately, including the 52% in full-time work and the smaller study and unemployment groups. You also identify the highest salary band for government employees and compare it with private-company employees. However, the overview is incomplete and unclear: “more than half … and a third of graduates” does not state what the third refers to, and it omits the broad salary pattern. The salary discussion also leaves out several useful comparisons, particularly the private-company distribution and the fact that government workers most commonly earn $100,000 or more. Develop a clearer overview and select a few comparisons across all three employment types to make the report more complete.

Coherence and Cohesion: Band 6.0

The response has a recognisable structure: an introduction, an overview, details about graduate destinations, and a paragraph on salaries. The destination figures are presented in a generally logical sequence, and contrast markers such as “whereas” and “while” help connect comparisons. However, the overview sentence is unfinished in meaning, so the reader cannot tell what “a third” describes. The salary paragraph moves quickly from a broad statement about employment types to freelance and government figures, then ends with only one private-sector comparison. Use clearer topic sentences and organise the salary information consistently by employment type or salary band. This would make the progression more complete and reduce the impression of a list.

Lexical Resource: Band 6.0

You use an adequate range of task-related vocabulary, including “secured,” “remained unemployed,” “pursue,” and “percentage,” and the meaning is generally clear. There are, however, some inaccurate or awkward choices and spelling slips. “Antropology” is misspelled repeatedly, while “ended doing” and “ended up working as a freelance consultants” are not natural collocations. “How much … are earning” is also less precise for describing the table than language such as salary distribution. Aim for accurate subject terminology and concise reporting phrases, and avoid repeating “graduates” and “earned” where alternatives such as “employees,” “received,” or “fell into a salary band” fit. These refinements would make the description more precise and natural.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 6.0

You use a mix of simple and complex sentence forms, including subordinate clauses with “whereas” and “while,” and most of the data remains understandable. Some grammatical errors are present, particularly in the introduction and overview. “What Antropology students after completeing … ended up doing” lacks a correctly formed clause, and “from an university” has an incorrect article. The overview, “more than half … and a third of graduates,” is also incomplete as a sentence of meaning. There are agreement and number issues in “15% graduates” and “a freelance consultants.” Check that each percentage phrase has an appropriate noun phrase, and proofread articles, plurals, and sentence completeness. More consistently controlled complex sentences would improve accuracy.

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