Band 5.5 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 5.5 · Cambridge IELTS 15 · 2026-10-30

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 given chart represents what Anthropology graduates from one university did after finishing their undergraduate degree course. Whereas the table illustrates the salaries of the anthropologist after five years of working in government sector, freelance consultant or as private company employees

Overall, most of the graduates secured themselves a full time work, while some got part time work. A small number of students enrolled for futher studies and and few secured part timework along their higher education. While after 5 years of work those in government sector had a higher salary band then the others. Private company employees earned the least.

The destination of the anthropologist graduates from one university is unpredictable. High number of graduates secured a full time work making 52% of overall graduates. While 15% of graduates applied for part time work. After graduation 12% of graduates are unemployed. Same number of graduates are enrolled n full time postgrad studies and are unknown at 8%. Whereas 5% of graduates are enrolled in postgrad studies and are working part time concurrently.

According to the table given, 50% of graduates in Government sector are securing salaries above 100,000$, while 40% of free lance consultants and 30% in private companies earn above 100,000$. Those in government sector having salaries ranging from 75,000$ upto 100k$ are at 40%.Employees in private company that secure salary above 50,000$ are at 30%. 15% of employees earn fro 50,000$ to 75,000$ and 5% earn from 25,000$ to 50,000$ in government sectors and freelance consultants.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response: Band 6.0

You cover both visuals and identify the main destination clearly: full-time work is the largest category at 52%, while unemployment is 12%. You also compare the top salary band, correctly noting that government employees lead at 50%, followed by freelance consultants at 40% and private-company employees at 30%. However, some details are inaccurate or unclear. The overview says private-company employees “earned the least,” although their distribution is mixed rather than uniformly lowest; for example, 35% are in the $50,000–$74,999 band. You also report 40% of government employees in the $75,000–$99,999 band, but the table gives 30%. The salary comparisons are not fully developed across all bands. A more precise overview and careful checking of figures would strengthen the report.

Coherence and Cohesion: Band 5.5

The response has a recognisable structure, with an introduction, an overview, and separate paragraphs for the chart and table. This helps the reader distinguish the two sets of information. However, progression within paragraphs is sometimes difficult to follow, and linking words are often used mechanically or in sentence fragments. For example, “While 15% of graduates applied for part time work” is not a complete sentence, and repeated “Whereas” and “While” openings interrupt the flow. The overview also combines several points without clearly prioritising the main comparisons. Grouping related figures—for example, the destination categories from largest to smallest, then salary bands by employment type—and using clearer links between complete sentences would make the organisation more coherent.

Lexical Resource: Band 5.5

You use relevant task vocabulary, including “full time work,” “unemployed,” “postgrad studies,” and “salary band,” so the main information is generally understandable. There is also some attempt at varied phrasing, such as “secured” and “enrolled.” However, word choice and collocation are often imprecise or repetitive: “The destination … is unpredictable” does not describe the chart’s findings, and “applied for part time work” is not the natural expression here. Spelling and form errors such as “futher,” “free lance,” and “part timework” also reduce accuracy. Use standard forms such as “full-time” and “part-time,” and choose precise reporting verbs like “worked,” “undertook,” or “were employed.”

Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 5.0

You attempt both simple and more complex sentence forms, including clauses introduced by “while” and “whereas,” and the main message is usually recoverable. However, several sentences are incomplete or contain errors in tense, agreement, articles, and punctuation. “While 15% of graduates applied for part time work” is a dependent clause without a main clause, while “those in government sector had a higher salary band then the others” has an incorrect comparison structure. In “Same number of graduates are enrolled,” the article is missing and the tense does not fit the past-graduation context. Comma splices and missing spaces after full stops also affect readability. Build complete sentences, keep tense consistent, and check articles and sentence boundaries.

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

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