Band 5.0 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 5.0 · Cambridge IELTS 15 · 2026-10-14

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 5.0)

The pie charts illustrate the Anthropology graduates from one university did after finishing their undergraduate degree course, while the table shows the salaries of the anthropologists in work after five years.

Overall, after graduates from university, full-time work accounts for the largest proportion compared with other types of categories. In contrast, the government sector provides higher salaries compared with other jobs.

In detail, the students who graduated in anthropology from one university are doing full-time work, which is 52%, while part-time jobs account for 15%, and many students are unemployed and do not have any jobs. Furthermore, there is no information about 8%, while just 5% of hardworking students manage their part-time jobs with postgraduate study.

In contrast, there are three types of employment, and after five years of work experience, their salaries are divided into four categories. The lowest salaries of freelance consultants and the government sector account for 5% of people, while 15% of individuals have 15%, and the highest income of more than 100,000 dollars accounts for 40% to 50% of students. Moreover, private companies have a starting salary of $25,000–$49,999, which is received by only 10% of workers, while most people's salaries are between $50,000 and $75,000.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response: Band 5.0

You identify the two visuals and give a broad overview, correctly noting that full-time work is the largest destination (52%) and that government employees have the highest share in the top salary band (50%). However, the response only partially reports the data: unemployment is described without its 12% figure, and the salary discussion contains unclear or inaccurate comparisons. For example, “15% of individuals have 15%” does not identify the relevant salary band, while “most people's salaries are between $50,000 and $75,000” is not true across all employment types. The table’s strongest contrasts—such as 40% of freelance consultants and 50% of government workers earning $100,000 or more—could be stated precisely. Select key figures and compare them clearly.

Coherence and Cohesion: Band 5.0

The response has a recognisable structure: an introduction, an overview, and separate paragraphs for the graduate destinations and salary table. This gives the reader some organisation. However, progression within paragraphs is uneven, and several links are vague or misleading. “In contrast” is used to introduce the salary information even though it is a new visual rather than a clear contrast; “Furthermore” and “Moreover” do not always show the relationship between the figures that follow. The salary paragraph moves from low earnings to high earnings and then to private companies without a clear comparison framework. Grouping the table by salary bands or employment type, and using precise references such as “by comparison” or “whereas,” would make the information easier to follow.

Lexical Resource: Band 5.5

You use relevant task vocabulary, including “proportion,” “postgraduate study,” “employment,” and “salary categories,” and the meaning is generally understandable. However, some wording is imprecise or unnatural for describing statistical data. “The students … are doing full-time work” is less suitable than a neutral description of graduates’ destinations, and “hardworking students” adds an unsupported judgement. The phrase “have 15%” is also unclear, while “highest income” does not precisely describe a salary band. Repeated use of “students,” “people,” and “salaries” limits the range. Aim for accurate terms such as “graduates,” “workers,” “share,” and “earnings,” and use them consistently to describe proportions and categories.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 5.0

You attempt a mixture of simple and complex sentences, including clauses linked with “while” and “which,” and the main message can usually be understood. However, errors occur frequently enough to make some sentences awkward or unclear. The opening says “illustrate the Anthropology graduates … did,” missing “what,” and the overview’s “after graduates from university” is an incomplete or faulty construction. In “the students … are doing full-time work,” the present progressive is not well suited to reporting the chart’s graduate destinations. The sentence “15% of individuals have 15%” also lacks a clear grammatical relationship between the figure and its category. Use complete, direct structures—for example, “The chart shows what graduates did after completing their degrees”—and check clause construction and tense.

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.