Band 6.0 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 6.0 · Cambridge IELTS 15 · 2026-10-21

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 chart illustrates what Anthropology graduates from a certain institute did after completing their studies.

Overall, there was a difference in what the students opted after completing their studies. Many chose to work full time while others decided to study further. Working graduates after 5 years made different amount of money in different fields and sectors.

Full-time working graduates were 52 percent which was the most and unemployed individuals amounted to 12 percent. 15 percent alumnis worked part-time and 5 percent of the people managed both work and studies together.

30 percent of graduates working in private companies made over 100 thousand while government sectors paid 50 percent of their workers over 100 thousand. 40 percent of graduates choosing freelance received between 75 to 100 thousand which was the most in this range. Nearly half of private company workers were paid less than 75 thousand. Both freelance and government sectors paid over 75 thousand to 80 percent of their workers.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response: Band 6.0

You cover both the graduates’ destinations and the salary table, and several key figures are accurate: full-time work is the largest destination at 52%, unemployment is 12%, and 15% worked part-time. Your salary comparisons also identify that 50% of government employees and 30% of private-company employees earned $100,000 or more. However, the overview is broad rather than sharply focused, and it says graduates “decided to study further” without distinguishing the two postgraduate categories or noting that 8% were not known. Some salary details are incomplete: for example, the highest freelance share is tied between the $75,000–99,999 and $100,000+ brackets, while the response mentions only the former. A more precise overview and fuller, carefully selected comparisons would strengthen coverage.

Coherence and Cohesion: Band 6.0

The response has a clear overall arrangement: an introduction, a general overview, destination figures, and then salary comparisons. This makes the two visual elements easy to follow. Basic linking is also effective in places, such as “while” to contrast outcomes and “Both” to group the freelance and government sectors. However, the overview does not clearly preview the main patterns, and the shift from graduate destinations to salaries is abrupt. Some references are imprecise: “this range” could refer to more than one salary bracket, and “different fields and sectors” does not clearly identify the table’s employment categories. Use a more explicit transition and organise the salary comparisons around the income bands or employment types to make progression more controlled.

Lexical Resource: Band 5.5

You use relevant task vocabulary, including “graduates,” “unemployed,” “private companies,” and “government sectors,” and the meaning is generally clear. There is also some attempt to vary wording through phrases such as “opted” and “managed both work and studies.” However, several choices are imprecise or unnatural for formal data reporting: “what the students opted” is not a natural construction, “made different amount of money” is awkward, and “graduates choosing freelance” is unclear. “Alumnis” is also an incorrect plural form. Prefer precise terms such as “employment outcomes,” “salary bands,” and “freelance consultants,” and use standard reporting collocations such as “earned” or “received a salary of.” This would improve accuracy and range without making the writing less clear.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 5.5

You use a mixture of simple and more developed sentence forms, and most information remains understandable. For example, the sentence beginning “30 percent of graduates working in private companies” combines a participial phrase with a comparison, while “Both freelance and government sectors paid…” communicates a grouped finding. Some grammatical errors remain. In “what the students opted after completing their studies,” the verb pattern is incomplete; write “what students chose to do.” “Working graduates after 5 years made…” also has an unclear sentence structure, and “different amount” needs plural agreement as “different amounts.” In “40 percent of graduates choosing freelance received…,” the modifier is awkwardly attached. Aim for complete, direct clauses and check agreement, verb patterns, and sentence construction.

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