Band 5.5 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 5.5 · 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 5.5)

The pie chart illustrates the employment levels of Anthropology graduates after their graduation from a university, while the table illustrates the salaries they recieve after having five years of work experiences.

Overall, after finishing graduation the largest proportion of Anthropology graduates worked as a full timer, whereas students who work and postgrad study accounted for the least proportion. Furthermore, graduates working in a government sector earned the most, while only a least proportion of graduates work in a goverment sector and freelance consultans.

Regarding the destination, 52% Anthropology graduates are employed as a full-timer after finishing their graduation, making it the largest category across all. In contrast, only 5% graduates accounted for doing post study and part time work, making it the least group. Second largest groups after the full-time work are the graduates doing only part-time work, which is 15%, followed by 12% unemployed and 8% full-time postgrad only.

On regards to the salaries

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response: Band 4.5

You identify the main destination pattern accurately: full-time work is the largest category at 52%, and part-time work combined with postgraduate study is the smallest at 5%. You also report several other destination figures correctly. However, the response only begins to address the salary table and gives no salary figures or comparisons, so a major part of the task is missing. The overview also misrepresents the table: it says government-sector graduates earned the most, although the highest salary band is most common in government (50%) and freelance consulting (40%), while the claim that only a small proportion work in government or freelance roles is unsupported by the table. To improve, summarise the salary distributions and give a balanced overview of both visuals.

Coherence and Cohesion: Band 5.0

The response has a recognisable structure, with an introduction, an overview and a paragraph describing graduate destinations. Sequencing within that paragraph is generally clear, and phrases such as “In contrast” and “followed by” help show comparisons. However, the final line, “On regards to the salaries,” is an unfinished transition rather than a developed paragraph, leaving the second visual unintegrated and the response without a complete progression. Some linking is also mechanical or awkward, as in “Second largest groups after the full-time work.” Organise the body into two complete sections—one for destinations and one for salary patterns—and use a concise overview that connects the main features of both.

Lexical Resource: Band 6.0

You use an adequate range of task-related vocabulary, including “largest proportion,” “accounted for,” “category,” and “salary,” and the meaning is generally understandable. There are also attempts at more formal phrasing, such as “Regarding the destination.” However, several choices are inaccurate or unnatural: “employment levels” is less precise than “destinations,” “full timer” is not the appropriate form for a graduate category, and “work experiences” is an awkward collocation here. Spelling errors such as “recieve,” “goverment,” and “consultans” also reduce accuracy. Aim for precise chart language and check spelling; for example, use “full-time employment,” “salary bands,” and “freelance consultants.”

Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 5.5

You attempt a mix of simple and complex sentences, including a contrast clause beginning “whereas” and a sentence using “making it the largest category.” Most of the destination figures remain understandable despite some grammatical inaccuracies. Errors include missing articles or determiners in “52% Anthropology graduates” and “only 5% graduates,” and inconsistent tense in “graduates are employed” after describing what happened after graduation. The phrase “after having five years of work experiences” also shows an awkward grammatical construction, while “On regards to the salaries” is incomplete. Use consistent past-tense reporting, add necessary articles or possessives (“52% of the graduates”), and ensure every paragraph-opening sentence is complete.

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

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