Band 5.5 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 5.5 · Cambridge IELTS 15 · 2026-10-13

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 and table shows the information about Anthropology graduates from one university. While chart provides th data about what anthropology students did after their graduation, table displays the salaries of the anthropologists in work after five years.

Overall, most of the graduate students doing full-time work, whereas only few members are chosen to complete their PG while doing part-time job. Additionally, anthropology graduates have more salaries in freelance consultants as well as least salaries.

To begin with, 52% of graduates doing full-time work and only 8% of the graduates preferred to do full-time post graduation. Meanwhile, 15% of students doing part-time job and 5% of anthropology graduate students are doing part-time work and postgraduation study respectively. 12% of students are unemployed and remaining 8% of students are unknown of their current proffession.

In freelance consultants, 5% of graduates took $[redacted phone]9 reaching 40% of students has more than 1lakh+ salaries. Moreover, in government sector 50% of students have salaries for their work with $[redacted phone]+ and 5% with $[redacted phone]9. By contrast, In private companies graduates have salaries students of 10% with $[redacted phone]9, 35% with $[redacted phone]9, 25% with $[redacted phone]9 and 30% with more than 1lakh salaries.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response: Band 6.0

You cover both visuals and include several accurate figures, such as 52% in full-time work, 12% unemployed, and the salary distributions for all three employment types. The overview identifies full-time work as the main destination, but its second point is unclear: “graduates have more salaries in freelance consultants” does not accurately summarise the table. A stronger overview would note that the $100,000+ band is the largest category in government and freelance work, while private-company salaries are most commonly in the $50,000–74,999 range. Some details are also imprecise: the table reports salary bands, not the number of graduates who “took” a salary, and the 15% and 5% salary groups for freelance consultants are omitted. The response addresses the task, though some features are less fully and clearly reported than others.

Coherence and Cohesion: Band 6.0

The response has a clear overall arrangement: an introduction, an overview, a paragraph on graduate destinations, and a final paragraph on salaries. This makes the two visuals easy to distinguish. You also use linking expressions such as “Meanwhile,” “Moreover,” and “By contrast” to connect information. However, some links are mechanical or do not express the relationship precisely; for example, “By contrast” introduces a list of private-company figures without a clear comparison. The overview’s second sentence is difficult to follow, and the final paragraph moves through salary categories without consistently presenting them in a clear order. Use topic sentences and parallel comparisons to make the progression more controlled, and ensure each linking phrase accurately signals the connection between ideas.

Lexical Resource: Band 5.0

You use relevant task vocabulary, including “full-time work,” “unemployed,” “government sector,” and “private companies,” so the reader can generally understand the subject. However, the range and control are limited, with several noticeable word-choice and collocation problems. “More salaries in freelance consultants” is unclear, while “students took $25000-49999” does not naturally describe a salary band. “Unknown of their current proffession” is also an inaccurate expression, and “1lakh+” is informal and unsuitable for this report. Spelling errors such as “proffession” further reduce accuracy. Aim for precise reporting language such as “the proportion earning,” “salary band,” and “the highest income category,” and use consistent currency formatting.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 5.0

You attempt both simple and more complex sentence forms, including the contrast structure “While the chart provides…, the table displays…” and the sentence beginning “Although” is not needed to communicate the data. However, some errors in sentence structure and agreement remain. The opening says “The pie chart and table shows,” where the plural subject requires “show”; “most of the graduate students doing full-time work” is missing a finite verb; and “only few members are chosen” has an incorrect article and an unsuitable passive construction. In the salary paragraph, “reaching 40% of students has more than…” is grammatically unclear. These errors do not prevent the reader from following the main information, but they limit control. Check that every clause has a clear subject and verb, and use consistent present-tense reporting structures.

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