Band 5.5 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 5.5 · Cambridge IELTS 15 · 2026-10-29

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 chart illustrates what the students of Anthropology from a university did after completing their undergraduate degree.

More than half of students would possibly do full

time job and salaries were expected to higher in government sector. Part-time work with post graduate study group contributed to the smallest group.

Full time work gardautes would account for 50% of the destination. The destination of graduates for Part time work and unemployment would account for 15% and 12% respectively.

Salaries for graduates working in governtment sector would expect to rise from 5% to 50% after 5 years of work.

The graduates doing full time study and those with not known would account for 8% each and in contrast gratuates doing part time work with post graduate study would account for 5%. Salaries of anthropology graduates working in freelance and private companies would expect to have in increased in salaries in next 5 years from 5% to 40% or 5% to 30% respectively.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response: Band 5.5

You identify several relevant features, including full-time work as the largest destination, the small share combining part-time work with postgraduate study, and the government-sector salary distribution. However, the overview is brief and does not clearly summarise the main patterns across both visuals. Some figures are inaccurate: full-time work is 52%, not 50%, and the salary figures are proportions in each employment category, not salaries that “rise” over five years. The table shows that government employees have the largest share in the top salary band (50%), while private-company employees are most concentrated in the $50,000–74,999 band (35%). Reporting these comparisons accurately and covering the table more fully would make the response more complete.

Coherence and Cohesion: Band 5.0

The response has some paragraphing and a broadly sensible movement from the graduate destinations to salary information. However, the progression is not consistently clear: the second paragraph combines an overview with a detail, while the final paragraph returns to destination figures before discussing salaries again. This makes the two visuals harder to follow as separate sets of information. Linking phrases such as “Regarding employment outcomes” and “Turning to salaries” could clarify the organisation, and grouping related figures together would reduce repetition. For example, present all destination percentages in one paragraph, then compare salary bands by employment type in another. The current connections are limited, so the reader must infer how some details relate.

Lexical Resource: Band 5.5

You use relevant task vocabulary such as “undergraduate degree,” “destination,” “government sector” and “freelance,” showing a minimally adequate range for describing the visuals. However, several word choices and collocations are inaccurate or awkward, including “salaries were expected to higher,” “would expect to rise,” and “in increased in salaries.” These expressions make the intended comparisons less clear, particularly because the table reports salary-band distributions rather than changes over time. There are also noticeable spelling errors, such as “gardautes,” “governtment” and “gratuates.” Use precise terms such as “share,” “proportion” and “salary band,” and check spelling carefully to improve clarity and control.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 5.0

You attempt both simple and more extended sentence forms, including comparisons with “in contrast,” but control is inconsistent. Errors in verb forms and sentence construction appear in phrases such as “salaries were expected to higher” and “would expect to rise,” where the structures do not accurately express the chart data. The sentence beginning “Salaries of anthropology graduates working in freelance and private companies…” is also difficult to follow because its construction is incomplete and the comparison is unclear. Articles and number forms are sometimes awkward, as in “the smallest group” and “50% of the destination.” Aim for direct, complete sentences with accurate present-tense reporting, for example, “Government employees had the highest proportion in the top salary band.”

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

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