Band 5.5 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 5.5 · Cambridge IELTS 15 · 2026-10-31

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 compares the destination of anthropology graduates from one university after completing the degree, and the table illustrates the salaries of three types of anthropologists after working 5 years.

It is clear that, most of the anthropology graduates joined at full-time job and the least number of graduates started part-time work besides their postgraduate studies. Anthropologists who worked in the government sector were likely to get more increments after 5 years of working compared to other two types of employment.

According to the pie chart, 52% of Anthropology graduates joined a full-time job, where part-time job accounts for only 15%. The least number of graduates started postgrad study along with a part-time job, which is 5%. Full-time postgrad study represents 8% of the total graduates. However, almost 12% of graduates remained unemployed and there were no data of 8% of Anthropology graduates.

In terms of the table, 5% of anthropologists who worked in government sector and as a freelancer got salary between 25,000 and 49,999 US dollar after 5 yeras, and 10% private emplyees layed in this range. However, after 5 years of work, 40% freelancer anthropologist, 50% anthropologist who work in government sector, and 30% who work in private companies got salary more than 100,000 USD.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response: Band 5.5

You identify the main destination, noting that full-time work is the largest category at 52%, and correctly report the smaller categories, including 5% combining part-time work with postgraduate study. You also give a useful overview that government employees are most likely to reach the top salary band. However, the salary discussion is selective: it reports the lowest and highest brackets but omits the substantial middle-band figures, such as 40% of freelance consultants earning $75,000–$99,999 and 35% of private-company employees earning $50,000–$74,999. The overview’s claim about “more increments” is not shown by the table, which reports salary distributions rather than pay rises. Describe the comparisons the data supports and cover more of the table’s key pattern.

Coherence and Cohesion: Band 6.0

The response has a clear overall arrangement: an introduction, an overview, then separate paragraphs for the pie chart and salary table. This makes the two sources easy to distinguish, and transitions such as “According to the pie chart” and “In terms of the table” help guide the reader. The progression is less effective within the table paragraph, where the lowest and highest salary bands are presented without a clear comparison of the middle ranges. Some linking is also mechanical, particularly the repeated use of “However,” which does not always signal a genuine contrast. Organise the salary details by comparing the employment groups across the bands, and use a wider range of precise links to show similarities and contrasts.

Lexical Resource: Band 5.5

You use relevant task vocabulary, including “destination,” “unemployed,” “postgrad study,” and “salary,” so the main information is generally understandable. There is some variety in how you refer to the groups, but several word choices and collocations are inaccurate or awkward: graduates “joined at full-time job,” employees “got more increments,” and “freelancer anthropologist” do not express the intended meanings naturally. Spelling errors such as “yeras” and “emplyees” also reduce accuracy. Aim for standard chart-reporting phrases and check word forms and spelling. For example, describe graduates as “entered full-time employment” and say that a group “earned” a particular salary, rather than saying they “got” it.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 5.5

You attempt a mix of simple and more complex sentences, including the overview sentence beginning “It is clear that” and the contrast introduced by “However.” Most of the intended meaning can be followed, but some grammatical errors recur. For example, “It is clear that, most…” has unnecessary punctuation and an awkward clause structure; “the least number … started” has a singular/plural mismatch; and “5% of anthropologists who worked in government sector” is missing an article. The final salary sentence also shifts between past and present forms (“worked,” “work,” “got”). Use consistent past-tense reporting, check subject–verb agreement, and review articles and sentence boundaries. More accurate control of these patterns would make your comparisons clearer.

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

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