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)

This Pie Chart illustrates that what the graduates did right after finishing their degrees and how many salary they get according to their employment after working for five years.

It is seen that the percentage of people doing Full-time work is more compared to others.

The people doing part time work consists of 15 % of the pie chart.

The Full-time work and part time work ratio covers more than half of the pie chart.

However, 12% of people are unemployed and 8% are not known.

The Rest of the people are pursuing theur full-time postgraduate study while rest half of the people are pursuing postgraduate study alongwith part-time work.

The Table below compares the salary of the graduates after 5 years of working.

After working for 5 years as a freelance consultants 5% of people earns 25-50k dollars while 15% earns 50-75k dollars and rest earns 75-99k dollars and above.

If we see the government sector it has the same salary as freelance consultants , the key difference is that 50% of people earns more than 100k+ dollars.

Private companies have 35% of people earning 50-75k dollars which is apparently more percentage of people compare to freelance consultant and government sector.

Whereas, only 30% of people earns 100k+ dollars in private companies which is lesser than compared to other type of employment.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response: Band 5.0

You identify the main destination pattern: full-time work is the largest category, and you note unemployment and the unknown group. You also make relevant comparisons in the salary table, including the government sector’s 50% in the highest band and private companies’ 35% in the $50,000–74,999 band. However, the account is only partly accurate and the overview is limited. The statement that the “rest half” pursue postgraduate study with part-time work misreports the 5% figure; 8% undertake full-time postgraduate study. In the table, you say freelance consultants’ remaining workers earn in the top two bands without giving their separate proportions, and “same salary” obscures the differences between government and freelance distributions. Select the key figures accurately and summarise the overall salary pattern.

Coherence and Cohesion: Band 5.0

The response is divided into chart and table sections, which helps readers distinguish the two visuals, and basic linking words such as “However” and “Whereas” signal contrast. Nevertheless, progression within the sections is uneven: several short statements repeat the chart’s information, while the salary discussion moves between categories without a consistent comparison structure. Phrases such as “The Rest of the people” and “the rest half” also make the relationship between groups unclear. Organise the response into a brief overview followed by focused paragraphs, grouping related figures—for example, first comparing destinations, then comparing salary bands across employment types. Use references and transitions precisely so each comparison follows clearly from the previous one.

Lexical Resource: Band 5.5

You use relevant task vocabulary, including “graduates,” “unemployed,” “postgraduate study,” “salary,” and “government sector,” so the topic is generally clear. There is some variety in comparison language, such as “key difference” and “whereas.” However, several word choices and collocations are awkward or imprecise, including “how many salary they get,” “the percentage of people doing,” and “earns 100k+ dollars.” “Pie chart” is also less suitable than “pie chart” only if the visual is named accurately alongside the table; a more formal description such as “the chart” would be safer. Aim for precise reporting phrases such as “accounted for” and “fell into the salary band,” and check spelling, including “their” rather than “theur.”

Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 5.5

You attempt both simple and more extended sentence forms, including a contrast with “Whereas,” and most of the intended meaning can be followed. However, control is inconsistent, particularly with agreement, articles, and sentence construction. For example, “how many salary they get” has an incorrect noun form and structure, while “5% of people earns” should use a plural verb. “The Full-time work and part time work ratio covers” is also an awkwardly formed subject, and the sentence beginning “The Rest of the people” does not clearly express the intended relationship. Use accurate plural subjects and verbs, and build comparisons with clear patterns such as “X% earned…” or “The proportion in X was higher than in Y.” Proofread punctuation and capitalisation as well.

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

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