The graphs below show the post-school qualifications held by Canadians in the age groups 25 to 35 and 45 to 55.
Sample Response
These two pie charts compareshow the differences between two groups of Canadians (25- to 35-year-olds and 45- to 55-year-olds)(25 to 35 and 45 to 55 year olds) in theirin terms of their post-school qualifications.
The first point to note is the huge increase in the number of degree holderspeople with qualifications. The younger group is more than twice as largetwo times bigger than the older group (515,600 compared to 213,400).
Comparing the two groups, humanities and nursingHumanities and Nursing were more common among older degree holdershave experienced an increase in popularity with older graduates; Nursing was four percentage points higherrose by 4%. However, the biggest gain was made by engineering, which increased from 9% to 19% of the whole.
By contrast, some fieldsSome subjects were more common amongmore popular with the younger groupyounger age group. The biggest loss in graduate numbers were to Science, Maths and Computers, whichComputers which, as a group, have decreased by 8%. Administration was four percentage points lowerhas declined by 4%.
OverallTo sum up, the graphs show a more than twofold increase in the number of graduates. The most noticeable change in field-of-study sharessubject percentages is the increase in the number of engineering graduates.
Why this response received Band 7.0
The response is well organized and accurately selects the largest differences between the two age groups, supported by relevant figures. Its main limitation is that cohort comparisons are sometimes described as increases or losses, which can suggest change over time; the priority is to frame all figures as direct age-group contrasts and add one or two omitted comparisons to make the coverage more balanced.
IELTS Writing Criteria Scores
Task Achievement
A clear overview and accurate figures highlight the total difference and the largest subject-share contrasts, though some wording implies a temporal trend and several categories are omitted.
Describe the data consistently as differences between age groups and include one or two additional significant contrasts, such as MBA or Education.
Coherence and Cohesion
The response progresses logically from introduction and overview to grouped comparisons, with clear paragraphing and generally natural linking.
Make the final summary less repetitive by using it to synthesize the main contrast rather than restating earlier sentences.
Lexical Resource
Vocabulary is varied and mostly precise for comparison, with occasional awkward collocation such as 'the biggest loss in graduate numbers were to.'
Prefer exact comparative phrasing such as 'the share for Science, Maths and Computers was eight percentage points lower in the older group.'
Grammatical Range and Accuracy
A good range of complex structures is used accurately, with only occasional agreement errors that do not impede meaning.
Proofread subject-verb agreement in sentences such as 'The biggest loss ... was' and ensure pronouns agree with their referents.
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IELTS Academic Writing Task 1
The graphs below show the post-school qualifications held by Canadians in the age groups 25 to 35 and 45 to 55.
Your response
Write the task yourself, then compare your choices with the annotated response.