Band 6.5 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 6.5 · Cambridge IELTS 11 · 2026-08-14

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 Vin,

I hope you are doing fine? I received with great excitement the news that you passed your senior secondary school certificate examination and have graduated from high school and also seeking advice on whether to continue applying to the university to further your education or hunting for a job.

While continuing tertiary education could be attractive but I would gladly advice you to try working for some time. Going to college is quite resource consuming as most students in universities run into huge debts due to high tuition fees.

Getting a job would be very beneficial to you as it would help you to sort out basic needs like feeding , comfortable accommodation in addition to helping you cater for your younger siblings who are currently not working.

I would recommend getting a job as a tour guide as it is financially rewarding and has a lot of welfare packages while offering you the opportunity to meet people who might be of help to you in future. Do let me know if you need any further advice on how to get started.

Your friend,

Kenneth.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 7.0

The response successfully addresses all three bullet points of the prompt. You clearly state why college might be unsuitable due to financial burdens, explain the benefits of working, and provide a specific job recommendation. The tone is appropriate for a letter to a friend. To reach a higher band, you could further develop the ideas by providing more specific examples or personal anecdotes to make the advice feel more tailored to your friend's situation. The position is clear throughout, and the response is well-focused on the task requirements.

Coherence and Cohesion — Band 7.0

The letter is logically organized, with a clear introduction, body paragraphs, and a closing. Each paragraph focuses on a specific aspect of the prompt, which aids readability. You use some cohesive devices such as 'While', 'in addition to', and 'as', which help connect ideas. However, the flow between sentences could be improved by using a wider variety of linking words to avoid a slightly mechanical feel. Paragraphing is used appropriately to separate the different points, ensuring the reader can follow your argument without difficulty.

Lexical Resource — Band 6.0

You demonstrate an adequate range of vocabulary for the task, using terms like 'tertiary education', 'resource consuming', and 'financially rewarding'. There are some minor issues with word choice and collocation, such as 'seeking advice' (which should be 'you are seeking advice') and 'cater for your younger siblings'. While these do not impede communication, they show a need for more precise usage. To improve, try to incorporate more idiomatic expressions or collocations that sound more natural in a friendly letter context.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 6.0

You use a mix of simple and complex sentence structures. There are some grammatical errors, such as the punctuation error in the opening question ('I hope you are doing fine?') and the awkward phrasing in the first paragraph ('...and also seeking advice'). Additionally, there are minor issues with article usage and verb agreement. Despite these errors, the meaning is always clear, and the grammar does not prevent the reader from understanding your message. Increasing the frequency of error-free complex sentences would help raise your score in this criterion.

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

Browse more IELTS Writing model answers or get your own writing scored by the same AI examiner.