Band 6.5 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer
Overall Band Score: 6.5 · Cambridge IELTS 11 · 2026-08-04
IELTS Writing Task 1 question
You recently received a letter from a friend asking for advice about whether to go to college or to try to get a job. You think he/she should get a job.
Write a letter to this friend. In your letter
- say why he/she would not enjoy going to college
- explain why getting a job is a good idea for him/her
- suggest types of job that would be suitable for him/her
You do NOT need to write any addresses.
Begin your letter as follows:
Dear ................. ,
Student answer (Band 6.5)
Dear Nisha,
I hope you are doing good. I just received your letter and found that you are a little confused about getting a jog or starting a new course in the college. Well, at this point in your life I feel having this kind of confusion is obvious. But don't worry, I am always there to help you out.
From my perspective, I feel starting with a job is a good idea. I think when you will put your knowledge into the physical world you will get a better idea of what to improve. Doing a job will give you skills that are not taught in school. When working with people and interacting with them will give a better idea of what is actually helpful in real life. I think skills like communication, leadership, and teamwork comes better from a job then that of in college.
Well now the question is, what type of job to focus on? It's not that difficult to figure out what to target? You can try focusing on jobs that is related to course that you have studied. I think you can also try getting job in tech industry. You can focus on some job that include computer work at the beginning level. Working as a data analyst or a data operator is also a good option as by this you will get an idea on how computers are involved in different jobs. Also, if at beginning you want, you can also try working as a cashier to get some work experience.
hope you will think on mu advice. If you need any further help or advice let me know anytime.
It was nice receiving your letter.
All the best for your future.
Veda
AI examiner evaluation
| Criterion | Band |
|---|---|
| Task Achievement / Task Response | 6.5 |
| Coherence and Cohesion | 6.5 |
| Lexical Resource | 6.0 |
| Grammatical Range and Accuracy | 6.0 |
| Overall | 6.5 |
Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 6.5
You have addressed all three bullet points in the prompt: explaining why college might not be enjoyable, why a job is a better option, and suggesting specific roles. Your tone is appropriate for a letter to a friend, and your position is clear throughout. However, the first bullet point—why she would not enjoy college—is somewhat underdeveloped. You mention that a job provides skills 'not taught in school,' but you do not explicitly discuss the potential downsides of college (such as cost, time, or academic pressure) to fully support your argument. Expanding on these specific drawbacks would have provided a more balanced and comprehensive response.
Coherence and Cohesion — Band 6.5
The letter is logically organized, with a clear introduction, body paragraphs for each point, and a closing. You use some cohesive devices such as 'From my perspective,' 'Well now the question is,' and 'Also.' However, the flow between sentences is occasionally mechanical. For example, the transition between discussing communication skills and moving to the next paragraph about job types feels a bit abrupt. Additionally, some referencing is slightly repetitive. Improving the variety of linking words and ensuring smoother transitions between ideas would help elevate the coherence of your writing.
Lexical Resource — Band 6.0
You demonstrate an adequate range of vocabulary for this task, using terms like 'physical world,' 'leadership,' and 'data analyst.' However, there are some minor inaccuracies in word choice and collocation, such as 'getting a jog' (likely a typo for 'job') and 'comes better from a job then that of in college.' The phrasing 'at the beginning level' is also slightly unnatural. To reach a higher band, focus on using more precise collocations and ensuring that your vocabulary choices are consistently natural and accurate in the context of professional advice.
Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 6.0
You use a mix of simple and complex sentence structures, which is appropriate for this task. However, there are several grammatical errors that occur throughout the text. Examples include subject-verb agreement issues ('skills... comes better'), incorrect preposition usage ('job in tech industry' should be 'a job in the tech industry'), and minor punctuation errors. While these errors do not impede communication, they are frequent enough to prevent a higher score. Focusing on proofreading for articles (a/an/the) and subject-verb agreement will significantly improve your accuracy.
See this exact question answered at other band scores — the same prompt compared across bands.
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