Band 5.5 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 5.5 · Cambridge IELTS 15 · 2026-10-26

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 that the type of work doing by anthropologists after completing their subject studies, while the table depicts the wages of anthropology graduates after working of five years. Wages are measured in dollars.

Overall, it can be seen that more than half students went for full-time work. Students who did part-time work along with postgraduate studies were the least in total.

52% of graduates selected full-time work after graduation, while 15% of students choose part-time work. 12% of graduates were unemployed. Only 5% of students opted part-time work along with postgraduate study which are the least in total. Just 8% of students selected full-time postgraduate studies and 8% remained unknown.

After 5 years, 5% of freelance consultants and government sector employees earned 25,000-49,999 while 10% employees of private companies earned similar wage. 35% of private companies employees earned 50,000 to 74,999. 40% of Freelancers earned 75,000 to 99,999 while 50% of government

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response: Band 5.0

You identify the main destination, correctly noting that full-time work was the largest category at 52%, and you include several other accurate figures. The overview also recognises that part-time work combined with postgraduate study was the smallest group. However, the salary section is incomplete: the response stops during the government-sector comparison and omits several important figures, including the highest salary bands and the private-company distribution beyond one band. The overview also focuses only on graduate destinations, rather than summarising the key salary pattern. As a result, the task is only partly covered and the main features of both visuals are not sufficiently selected and reported. Include a concise overview of the salary table and compare the employment sectors across the bands.

Coherence and Cohesion: Band 5.5

The response has a recognisable structure: an introduction, an overview, a paragraph on destinations and a final paragraph beginning the salary comparisons. This gives the information some organisation, and phrases such as “while” and “After 5 years” help signal relationships. However, the progression is weakened because the final paragraph ends abruptly at “50% of government”, leaving the comparison unfinished. The salary figures are also presented one by one rather than grouped to show similarities or contrasts, and “Overall” introduces an overview that covers only the pie chart. To improve cohesion, complete the table discussion, group figures by salary band or employment type, and use clear references such as “this proportion” where appropriate.

Lexical Resource: Band 6.0

You use an adequate range of task-related vocabulary, including “graduates”, “unemployed”, “postgraduate studies”, “freelance consultants” and “wage”. These terms make the subject matter clear, and “depicts” and “opted” show some variety beyond basic wording. There are, however, several awkward or imprecise expressions, such as “the type of work doing by anthropologists”, “went for full-time work” and “earned similar wage”. Capitalisation is inconsistent in “Freelancers”, and “wages” is repeated where “salary” or “income” could add variety. Aim for more natural collocations, for example “employment destinations” and “earned between…”, while keeping the wording precise and avoiding unnecessary repetition.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 5.5

The response attempts both simple and more complex sentence forms, including the opening contrast with “while” and the comparison beginning “while 15%…”. Most of the intended meaning is understandable, but some grammatical errors remain. For example, “the type of work doing by anthropologists” lacks a correct passive construction; “more than half students” needs an article or possessive; and “which are the least” does not agree with the singular category. There are also tense inconsistencies in “students choose” among past-tense reporting, and the final sentence is incomplete. Use consistent past-tense forms, check articles and agreement, and ensure each sentence is complete. These corrections would make the range of structures more controlled.

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

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