Band 6.5 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 6.5 · Cambridge IELTS 11 · 2026-09-29

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 Smith,

I hope you are doing well. I am glad that you are looking for an advice regarding rather attending college or directly getting job. I think you should go for a job.

First of all, there are several reasons that you might not enjoy going to university. In college students have to study for long period of time in a day, which might be frustrating certain time. In addition to that, college usually have several deadlines to submit assignments which can be stressful at times.

I believe getting a job is a good for you because you were always interested more in practical knowledge compare to conventional studies. Secondly, getting job will help you to become independent at a young age.

You could look for a job in customer service or sales because you are good at communication with people. These job will allow you to develop communicate and problem-solving skills while also gaining valuable experience.

I hope this advice helps you to make a right decision. Let me know what you decide, I hope everything goes well.

Best wishes,

John

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response: Band 7.0

The response successfully covers all parts of the task prompt. You clearly explain why your friend might not enjoy college by mentioning long study hours and stressful assignment deadlines. You also explain why getting a job is a good idea, pointing out a preference for practical knowledge and the benefit of early independence. Finally, you suggest suitable jobs in customer service or sales and explain how these roles help develop communication and problem-solving skills. The tone is appropriate for a friendly letter, and all bullet points are well-addressed and fully developed. Therefore, this response meets all requirements for Task Achievement at a solid band score level.

Coherence and Cohesion: Band 6.5

The letter is logically organised with a clear beginning, middle, and end. Each paragraph serves a distinct purpose corresponding to the bullet points in the prompt. You use appropriate paragraphing and basic cohesive devices such as 'First of all', 'In addition to that', and 'Secondly' to guide the reader through your arguments. However, some transitions feel slightly mechanical, and referencing could be smoother in places, such as when referring back to your friend's preferences. Overall, the message flows well and communication is never hindered by structural issues, reflecting standard band 6 performance with some features of band 7.

Lexical Resource: Band 6.0

You demonstrate an adequate range of vocabulary for the task, successfully using terms such as 'practical knowledge', 'conventional studies', 'independent', and 'problem-solving skills'. However, there are a few lexical and grammatical word choice inaccuracies, such as 'looking for an advice regarding rather attending college' instead of 'advice regarding whether to attend', and 'getting job' missing the article 'a'. While you attempt some less common vocabulary, these minor errors prevent a higher score, though your meaning remains completely clear throughout the letter.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 6.0

The response features a mix of simple and complex sentence forms. You successfully construct complex sentences using subordinate clauses, such as 'which might be frustrating certain time' and 'because you are good at communication with people'. However, there are noticeable grammatical errors throughout the text, including article omissions ('getting job', 'make a right decision'), preposition errors ('good for you' instead of 'good for your future', or 'good at communication' instead of 'good at communicating'), and tense inconsistencies. These errors occasionally disrupt the natural flow of the grammar, but they do not impede overall communication.

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

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