Band 6.0 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 6.0 · 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 6.0)

The pie chart illustrates what Anthropology graduates from one institution did after completing their undergraduate degree, while the table shows the income of those in employment after five years.

Overall, more than half of the graduates entered full-time work, and the highest incomes were earned by those working in the government sector.

According to the pie chart, 52% secured employment full-time work after graduates. Moreover, part-time work accounted for 15%, while 12% were unemployed. In addition, An equal 8% graduates were engaged in full-time postgrad study and not know. Only 5% combined part-time work with postgraduate study.

The table indicates that the freelance consultants and government sector workers were the highest earners. Half of the government sector earned money $100,000, compared to 40% freelancers and 30% of private company workers. In contrast, only 5% freelance and government workers earned the lowest salary $25,000 to 49,999. Most private company employees earned between $50,000 to 74,999.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response: Band 5.5

You identify the main destination clearly: full-time work was the largest category at 52%, and your overview also notes that government employees had the highest top salary share. You include several relevant figures, but coverage of the table is incomplete and some comparisons are underdeveloped. For example, you report the top salary bracket and lowest bracket, but omit the substantial 40% and 30% shares of freelance and government workers earning $75,000–99,999, and the 35% of private-company employees earning $50,000–74,999. The statement that “most” private-company employees earned $50,000–74,999 is inaccurate: 35% is the largest single group, but not a majority. Report the salary bands precisely and compare the distributions more fully.

Coherence and Cohesion: Band 6.5

The response has a clear overall arrangement: an introduction, a brief overview, then separate discussion of the pie chart and table. This gives the reader a sensible route through the information, and linking expressions such as “Moreover,” “In addition,” and “In contrast” help connect details. The progression is generally easy to follow, though some transitions feel mechanical and the table paragraph moves quickly from the highest bracket to the lowest without explaining the middle salary groups. The reference in “An equal 8% graduates” is also unclear, making the relationship between the two categories less smooth. To strengthen the organisation, group figures by meaningful comparisons and use linking language to show how the salary bands relate, rather than listing selected facts.

Lexical Resource: Band 5.5

You use relevant task vocabulary, including “graduates,” “unemployed,” “postgrad study,” “freelance consultants,” and “government sector,” and the meaning is usually recoverable. However, several word choices and collocations are noticeably inaccurate or awkward, which limits precision: “secured employment full-time work” combines two competing expressions, “not know” is not the correct category label, and “earned money $100,000” is unnatural. “The highest incomes” is also less precise than referring to the largest proportion in the top salary band. Aim for accurate, natural reporting phrases such as “were employed full time,” “the figure was not known,” and “earned $100,000 or more.” Greater control of collocation and precise salary terminology would make the vocabulary more effective.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 5.5

You attempt a mix of sentence forms, including a complex opening with “while” and comparison structures such as “compared to.” Several sentences are understandable, but grammatical errors recur and sometimes make the relationships between words unclear. Examples include “52% secured employment full-time work after graduates,” where the sentence structure is faulty, and “An equal 8% graduates were engaged,” which lacks a grammatical link between the percentage and the graduates. In “Half of the government sector earned money,” the subject does not correctly identify the people being discussed. There are also problems with articles and prepositions in phrases such as “earned the lowest salary $25,000 to 49,999.” Practise building accurate subject–verb structures and use complete comparison patterns, for example, “Half of government employees earned $100,000 or more.”

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