Band 5.5 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 5.5 · Cambridge IELTS 15 · 2026-10-12

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 pie chart illustrates the employment sectors of Anthropoloy graduates from one university after they had finished undergraduate course, whereas the table represents the salaries of graduate anthropologist in work after five years.

Overall, it can be observed that, in employment, full-time work holds the largest proportion of anthropologist and part-time work with postgrad study individuals keep the smallest share of that university.

In detail, it can be observed that all the anthropologist of that university start different types of job after finishing their undergraduation. The largest share is held by full time work at 52%, followed by part-time work, unemployed, full- time postgrad study, not known and part-time+ postgrad study at 15%, 12%, 8%, 8% and 5% respectively.

The salary range of different sectors have different criteria. In freelance consultants sector, 80% employee get the higest salaries ($75,[redacted phone],000), whereas only 5% individuals have the lowest salaries ($25,000-49,999).Similar proportion have been found in government sector. Only 55% people get the highest salaries in private companies, while 10% have the smallest salaries.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response: Band 5.5

You identify the main destination pattern accurately: full-time work is the largest category at 52%, while part-time work combined with postgraduate study is the smallest at 5%. You also include the salary table and make some relevant comparisons. However, the overview is incomplete because it does not summarise the main salary pattern, and the final comparison contains a significant data error: in private companies, 55% earn $50,000–$99,999, not in the highest salary band; 30% earn $100,000 or more. The statement that all graduates start different types of jobs is also unsupported, since some are studying, unemployed, or have an unknown destination. Select and report the salary bands more precisely to make the coverage more complete.

Coherence and Cohesion: Band 5.5

The response has a recognisable structure, moving from an introduction and overview to details about graduate destinations and then salaries. This makes the two visual elements reasonably easy to follow. However, progression is limited within the salary discussion: the figures for each salary band are not consistently compared, and “Similar proportion have been found” does not clearly identify which proportions or categories are being compared. Repeated openings such as “Overall, it can be observed” and “In detail, it can be observed” make the linking feel mechanical. Use a concise overview, then organise the body into clear comparisons—for example, contrast the two employment types with the private-company distribution—and use explicit references to the relevant salary bands.

Lexical Resource: Band 5.5

You use relevant task vocabulary, including “proportion,” “salary range,” “freelance consultants,” and “government sector,” so the reader can generally understand the subject. However, the range is limited and several word choices or forms are inaccurate or awkward: “employment sectors” is not quite the same as graduate destinations, “undergraduation” is unnatural, and “higest” is misspelled. Phrases such as “different criteria” and “smallest salaries” are also imprecise for describing salary distributions. Aim for standard chart language and accurate collocations, such as “share of graduates,” “salary bands,” and “the lowest-paid category.” Check spelling and use “graduates” or “employees” consistently rather than shifting between unclear labels.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 5.5

You attempt a mixture of simple and more complex sentences, including a contrast clause with “whereas” and a relative clause in the introduction. Meaning is usually recoverable, but errors recur in agreement, articles, and sentence construction. For example, “The salary range of different sectors have” has a singular subject with a plural verb, while “the largest proportion of anthropologist” needs a plural noun and a clearer grammatical relationship. “after they had finished undergraduate course” is missing an article, and “Similar proportion have been found” has an agreement problem. Punctuation is also inconsistent, including the missing space after the full stop before “Similar.” Practise checking subject–verb agreement and articles, and make comparisons in complete, clearly controlled sentences.

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