Band 5.0 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 5.0 · Cambridge IELTS 15 · 2026-10-22

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 bar chart illustrates the subsequent career paths of Anthropology undergraduates from a specific university upon completion of their bachelor's degree. Additionally, the accompanying table presents the salary ranges for those employed in the field after a five-year period.

Overall, more than a half part of the chart demonstrate the data of who choose full-time woker after their anthropology graduation which is 52% and only 5% maintaining their part time job+ postgrad study both.

On the one hand, students who completed their graduation in anthropology they switched to full time work. In addittion some of the student choose part time job their ratio is 15%. Furthermore 5% of student balancing their part time job and postgrad study.

On the other hand, 8% of students continuing their study, a large poportion of students being unknown which is 15%. More over, 12% of the student being unemployed.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response: Band 3.5

You identify the main destination, full-time work at 52%, and mention several other categories, so the response is recognisably about the chart. However, coverage is very incomplete: the salary table is not reported at all, despite being a major part of the task. There is also a factual error: “not known” is given as 15%, whereas it is 8%; 15% is the share in part-time work. The overview is limited and does not summarise the salary pattern or compare employment outcomes. The response is also five words below the required minimum. To improve, include the table’s key contrasts—for example, the government sector’s 50% in the highest salary band—and check each figure against the visual.

Coherence and Cohesion: Band 5.0

The response has paragraph breaks and a basic sequence: an introduction, an overview, and two sections describing destinations. This gives the reader some organisation. However, there is no clear progression through all the task information because the salary table is omitted, and the final two paragraphs repeat the same destination figures rather than developing a fuller comparison. Linking phrases such as “On the one hand” and “On the other hand” are used, but the contrast they signal is not clearly established. Improve cohesion by grouping the destination figures together, then presenting the salary comparisons in a separate paragraph, with transitions that show actual similarities or contrasts.

Lexical Resource: Band 5.5

You use some relevant task vocabulary, including “career paths,” “salary ranges,” “full-time work,” and “postgrad study,” and the meaning is generally recoverable. There is also an attempt at more formal phrasing, such as “upon completion” and “accompanying table.” However, several inaccurate or awkward choices reduce precision: “full-time woker” is misspelled, “a large poportion” is misspelled, and “a half part” and “maintaining their part time job+ postgrad study both” are unnatural. “Unknown” should be expressed as “not known” or “not reported” to match the chart category. Aim for accurate collocations and proofread spelling; use concise phrases such as “more than half entered full-time employment.”

Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 5.0

You attempt both simple and more extended sentence forms, and the opening sentence is mostly controlled. However, errors are frequent enough to make several statements awkward or unclear. For example, “more than a half part of the chart demonstrate” has problems with article use, subject–verb agreement, and sentence construction; “students who completed their graduation … they switched” has an unnecessary repeated subject; and “8% of students continuing their study” lacks a finite verb. There are also inconsistent singular and plural forms in “some of the student” and “12% of the student being unemployed.” Practise building complete clauses with a clear subject and verb, and check agreement and articles. A wider range of accurate sentence patterns would make the comparisons easier to follow.

See this exact question answered at other band scores. The same prompt compared across bands.

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