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 piechart delineates the employment position of students graduates after finishing their pre-graduate degree course. Additionally, the given table describes graduates salaries after 5 years of their employment divided in terms of their position.

From the piechart, majority of graduates are interested in full-time job role. While other students like to choose part-time job role as per their time convinence. Moreover, the rest of students are in both part-time job as well as postgrad.

The below table elaborates more in a larger extent by dividing employment status into three categories. We can see a gradual incline in field of freelance consultants from 5% to 40% of margin. Furthermore, a steady inclination similar to government sector has seen by graduates. At last, in field of private companies we observe a steady growth with fluctuation at the end.

To wrap up, the given diagrams gives an overview of employment status after graduating from university and after 5 years of tenure.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response: Band 4.5

The response identifies the broad subject of both visuals and correctly notes that full-time work is the largest destination, but it reports very little of the data accurately or completely. It omits the key percentages for all graduate destinations and overlooks unemployment, full-time postgraduate study and the “not known” group. The table discussion is especially unclear: the figures are described as a “gradual incline” from 5% to 40%, although these are salary-band proportions, not a trend over time. It also misses important comparisons, such as government employment having the highest share earning $100,000 or more (50%). To improve, give a clear overview of the main patterns and support it with accurate figures from both visuals.

Coherence and Cohesion: Band 6.0

The response has a recognisable structure: an introduction, a paragraph for each visual, and a concluding sentence. This makes the overall arrangement understandable, and linking expressions such as “Additionally,” “Furthermore,” and “At last” help signal movement between points. However, progression within the body is limited because the chart details are not organised around clear comparisons, and the table paragraph moves from one employment type to another without explaining the salary bands. Some transitions feel mechanical, while “The below table” does not clearly connect to the preceding discussion. Grouping related figures and using comparisons to guide the reader would make the information flow more logically and the referencing clearer.

Lexical Resource: Band 5.5

There is some task-related vocabulary, including “full-time,” “part-time,” “postgrad,” “employment status,” and “private companies,” so the topic is generally clear. The response also attempts more formal wording, such as “delineates” and “elaborates,” but several choices are inaccurate or unnatural: “students graduates,” “time convinence,” “in a larger extent,” and “steady growth with fluctuation” do not express the intended data clearly. “Incline” is also an imprecise way to describe proportions across salary bands. Spelling errors such as “piechart” and “convinence” further reduce control. Aim for precise chart language—such as “accounted for,” “proportion,” and “salary bracket”—and use familiar words accurately rather than forcing formal alternatives.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 5.5

The response includes both simple sentences and attempts at more complex forms, for example, “While other students like to choose part-time job role as per their time convinence.” However, this subordinate clause is a fragment, and several sentences have problems with articles, agreement, or sentence construction. In “The given table describes graduates salaries,” the possessive form is needed; “the given diagrams gives” has a subject–verb agreement error; and “a steady inclination similar to government sector has seen by graduates” is not correctly formed. The final sentence is grammatically more controlled, but the range remains limited and errors recur. Practise complete clauses and straightforward comparison structures, checking agreement and articles before adding more complex phrasing.

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.