Band 6.5 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 6.5 · Cambridge IELTS 11 · 2026-09-01

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 Ridham,

I hope you are doing well. I recently heard that you completed your degree in Computer Science and now you are confused between further or getting a job. I would say job experience is more important.

I know that if you will take the Masters then it will help you to increase your knowledge but also it is very expensive nowadays. Additionally, if there are repeated subjects you will get in the course then you will just waste your time and energy. Rather then that find a good job based on your current degree which will develop your skills more efficiently. Based on the experience you will able to solve real world problems and understand the corporate background.

There are many options you can find on job boards but the high demanding jobs are for software engineer and developers. These both fields are really good for freshers. Once you will complete a year in this kind of job, you will able get a promotion easily or an opportunity to work with international companies.

Thank you for asking me and you can reach out to me anytime if you need any suggestions.

Best wishes,

Rutu

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 7.0

You have successfully addressed all three bullet points in the prompt. You clearly explain why college might be a waste of time, advocate for the benefits of work experience, and suggest specific roles like software engineer and developer. The tone is appropriate for a letter to a friend, and your position is consistent throughout. To reach a higher band, you could expand slightly on the 'why' regarding the college experience—for instance, by mentioning the opportunity cost of tuition fees or the lack of practical application in academic settings compared to the workplace. Overall, the response is well-focused and meets all requirements of the task.

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 'Additionally', 'Rather than that', and 'Once you will complete'. However, some transitions feel slightly mechanical or repetitive. For example, the phrase 'Rather then that' is used to bridge ideas but is grammatically awkward. Paragraphing is used appropriately to separate the different requirements of the task. To improve, try to vary your linking words and ensure that the flow between sentences feels more natural rather than relying on standard list-like connectors.

Lexical Resource — Band 6.0

You demonstrate an adequate range of vocabulary for this task, using terms like 'corporate background', 'real world problems', and 'freshers'. There are some minor inaccuracies in word choice, such as 'confused between further or getting a job' (should be 'confused about whether to pursue further studies or get a job') and 'high demanding jobs' (should be 'high-demand jobs'). While these errors do not impede communication, they prevent the vocabulary from being considered 'flexible' or 'precise'. Focusing on collocations and more natural phrasing will help elevate your score in this criterion.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 6.0

You use a mix of simple and complex sentence structures. However, there are several grammatical slips that occur throughout the text. For instance, 'if you will take the Masters' should be 'if you take a Master's degree', and 'you will able get' is missing the verb 'be' ('you will be able to get'). Additionally, 'Rather then that' contains a spelling error ('than'). While these errors are frequent, they do not significantly impede the reader's understanding of your message. To improve, pay closer attention to subject-verb agreement and the correct use of modal verbs and infinitives.

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

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