Cambridge 15 Writing Task 1 Test 4 - Sample Answers (Band 9 to 4-5)

Real band 9, 8, 7 and 6.5 sample answers for this prompt, plus a genuine band 4-5 answer so you can see exactly what pulls a score down. Every sample comes with examiner-style notes on Task Achievement, Coherence & Cohesion, Lexical Resource and Grammatical Range & Accuracy.

The Prompt

Anthropology Graduates - Destinations and Salaries

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.

Summarise the information by selecting and reporting the main features, and make comparisons where relevant.

Write at least 150 words.

The Data

Destination of Anthropology graduates

Full-time work: 52%

Full-time postgraduate study: 16%

Part-time work: 10%

Part-time work + postgrad study: 8%

Unemployed: 7%

Not known: 7%

Salaries after 5 years, by employment type

Freelance consultants: $25-49k: 5%, $50-74k: 15%, $75-99k: 35%, $100k+: 45%

Government sector: $25-49k: 30%, $50-74k: 40%, $75-99k: 20%, $100k+: 10%

Private companies: $25-49k: 10%, $50-74k: 35%, $75-99k: 30%, $100k+: 25%

Want feedback like this on your own writing?

Band 9

197 words

Combines individual salary bands into a genuinely useful summary statistic (80% of freelancers earning $75,000+) rather than just repeating each figure.

The pie chart and table show what Anthropology graduates from one university did after finishing their degree, and the salaries earned by those in different types of employment five years later.

Overall, the majority of graduates entered full-time work immediately after graduating, and among those working five years later, freelance consultants earned considerably more than those in government or private-sector roles, with government employees earning distinctly the least.

According to the pie chart, just over half of graduates, 52%, moved directly into full-time work, while smaller proportions pursued full-time postgraduate study, 16%, part-time work alone, 10%, or a combination of part-time work and postgraduate study, 8%. The remaining graduates were either unemployed or had an unknown destination, at 7% each.

The salary table reveals a clear hierarchy among the three employment types after five years. Freelance consultants were by far the highest earners, with 45% earning $100,000 or more and 35% earning between $75,000 and $99,999, meaning 80% of freelancers earned at least $75,000. Private companies produced a more even spread across salary bands, while government sector employees were concentrated at the lower end, with 70% earning below $75,000, the weakest earnings profile of the three groups.

Examiner Notes

Task Achievement: Covers both the pie chart and the salary table with a precise overview identifying the genuinely notable feature: freelance consultants' clear earnings advantage over both government and private-sector employees.

Coherence & Cohesion: A clear overview precedes detail organised by chart, with cohesive devices ("meaning that", "while") linking the comparison naturally.

Lexical Resource: Precise, varied language ("a clear hierarchy", "concentrated at the lower end", "weakest earnings profile") used accurately throughout.

Grammatical Range & Accuracy: Wide range of accurate structures, including comparatives and passive forms, used with full control.

Band 8

172 words

Accurate and clearly organised, just slightly less analytically framed than a band 9 answer.

The pie chart and table give information about what Anthropology graduates from one university did after completing their degree, and the salaries of those working five years later.

Overall, most graduates went straight into full-time work after finishing their studies, and among those working five years later, freelance consultants earned much more than people working in government or private companies, with government workers earning the least.

According to the pie chart, 52% of graduates went into full-time work, while smaller groups went into full-time postgraduate study (16%), part-time work only (10%), or a mix of part-time work and postgraduate study (8%). The remaining graduates were either unemployed or their destination was not known, both at 7%.

The salary table shows a clear difference between the three types of employment. Freelance consultants earned the most, with 45% earning $100,000 or more, while private companies had a more balanced spread of salaries across the different bands. Government sector workers earned the least, with 70% earning under $75,000, much lower than the other two groups.

Examiner Notes

Task Achievement: Covers both charts accurately with a clear overview, including the salary hierarchy, though it is described a little more simply than in the band 9 answer.

Coherence & Cohesion: Clearly organised with an overview followed by grouped detail; cohesive devices are accurate throughout.

Lexical Resource: Good range of vocabulary for comparison, though "much lower" is slightly less precise than the higher-band answer's more analytical phrasing.

Grammatical Range & Accuracy: Accurate throughout, with a good mix of simple and complex sentence structures.

Band 7

167 words

All figures are correct, but the salary comparison stays at the level of individual bands rather than a clearer overall summary.

The pie chart and table give information about what Anthropology graduates from one university did after their degree, and their salaries five years later.

Overall, most graduates went into full-time work right after graduating, and freelance consultants earned much more money than people in government or private company jobs after five years.

According to the pie chart, 52% of graduates went into full-time work, and other smaller groups did full-time postgraduate study (16%), part-time work (10%), or a mix of part-time work and study (8%). The rest were unemployed or their destination was not known, both at 7%.

For salaries, freelance consultants earned the most, with 45% earning $100,000 or more. Private companies had a more mixed range of salaries, and government workers earned the least overall, with most of them earning under $75,000. This suggests that choosing to work independently as a freelance consultant, although potentially less secure, offered far greater earning potential than a traditional job in the public sector over the same five-year period.

Examiner Notes

Task Achievement: Reports both charts' figures accurately with a basic overview, but the overview does not combine the salary bands into a clear summary comparison the way the higher-band answers do.

Coherence & Cohesion: Clearly organised by chart, though figures are listed with fairly plain connecting language throughout.

Lexical Resource: Adequate range for the task; figures are accurate but connecting language stays fairly plain throughout.

Grammatical Range & Accuracy: Generally accurate, mostly simple sentence structures; meaning is always clear.

Band 6.5

162 words

The figures are all correct, but agreement errors appear in almost every sentence.

The pie chart and table give information about what Anthropology graduate from one university do after their degree, and their salary five years later.

Overall, most graduate go into full-time work right after graduating, and freelance consultant earn much more money than people in government or private company job after five year.

According to the pie chart, 52% of graduate go into full-time work, and other smaller group do full-time postgraduate study (16%), part-time work (10%), or mix of part-time work and study (8%). The rest was unemployed or their destination was not know, both at 7%.

For salary, freelance consultant earn the most, with 45% earning $100,000 or more. Private company have more mixed range of salary, and government worker earn the least overall, with most of them earning under $75,000. This suggest that choosing to work independently as freelance consultant, although potentially less secure, offer far greater earning potential than traditional job in public sector over the same five-year period.

Examiner Notes

Task Achievement: Reports both charts' figures accurately, matching the content of the band 7 answer.

Coherence & Cohesion: Clearly organised by chart, following the same structure as the higher-band answers.

Lexical Resource: Limited by "graduate" and "worker" being used without their plural forms throughout.

Grammatical Range & Accuracy: Frequent subject-verb agreement errors ("graduate go into", "freelance consultant earn", "private company have") appear in nearly every sentence.

Band 4-5 - What to Avoid

34 words

Most of the categories and all exact figures are missing, and the salary comparison is stated as an impression rather than the data itself.

This chart show what student do after study Anthropology.

Most student get job. Some do more study.

I think freelance job pay more money than government job, this is my opinion about this topic.

Examiner Notes

Task Achievement: Exact figures are missing for almost every category on both the pie chart and the salary table, several destinations (part-time work, unemployment) are never mentioned, and the closing comment reads as an opinion rather than a reported comparison. At well under 150 words, the response is also underlength.

Coherence & Cohesion: Reads as three short, disconnected remarks rather than an organised comparison across both charts.

Lexical Resource: Vague, repetitive vocabulary ("get job", "more study") used instead of the specific figures given in the chart and table.

Grammatical Range & Accuracy: Frequent errors throughout ("chart show", "Most student get job").

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These sample answers are written independently for Prep IELTS Now to illustrate real band-score differences. They are a study aid, not official Cambridge or IELTS material.