The chart gives information about the proportion of students choosing different science subjects in a university in 1992 and 2000.

Students Choosing Different Science Subjects University 1992 and 2000 - IELTS Writing Task 1

You should spend about 20 minutes on this task.

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

Write at least 150 words.

A student's answer to this task, and the feedback on it

Written by an IELTSX user under exam conditions and published unedited and anonymously. Band 6 · 209 words.

The bar charts illustrate the percentage of students opting for various science subjects in a university in 1992 and 2012. Overall, the percentage of males consistently surpassed that of females, although the gap between their proportions narrowed over the studied time frame. Notably, biology was the most popular subject, yet its share decreased over time, while the proportion of students choosing computer science saw the largest increase.

Regarding the proportion of students according to their gender, males accounted for the biggest proportion, at around 65%, leaving just over 30% of females in the initial year. However, the figure for the former witnessed a decline in 2012, decreasing to 50%, which coincided with an increase in the percentage of female students whose figure rose to about 45%.

Turning to preferences concerning subjects, biology stood out; the subject attracted the largest proportion of students in both years, despite registering a decline in its figure from approximately 65% to around 42%. This was in stark contrast to computer science, which appealed to more people in 2012, at about 25%, albeit comprising a negligible percentage of students. The proportion of students choosing physics, however, made up nearly 25% of students, a figure that saw a slight decrease, closing the period with roughly 20%.

Examiner feedback

The response successfully addresses the prompt by identifying key trends and data points from the charts, supported by a clear overall summary. However, a noticeable error regarding the target year (2012 instead of 2000) and limitations in lexical and grammatical range keep the score at Band 6.

Task Achievement - 6

- The response covers the main features of the task, though the year 2000 is incorrectly cited as 2012 in the introduction. - An overview is attempted, capturing general trends like the popularity of biology and the rise of computer science. - Data is selectively integrated to support the description, though grouping could be more refined.

Coherence & Cohesion - 6

- Information and ideas are arranged with a clear overall progression and logical paragraphing. - Cohesive devices such as 'Regarding' and 'Turning to' are used to guide the reader. - Reference and substitution are generally well managed throughout the text.

Lexical Resource - 6

- Vocabulary is generally adequate and appropriate for the task, featuring terms like 'opt for' and 'stark contrast'. - Word choice is mostly clear, though some expressions lack absolute precision. - Spelling and word formation are accurate with no major distracting errors.

Grammatical Range & Accuracy - 6

- A mix of simple and complex sentence forms is utilized with adequate control. - Complex structures are attempted, though minor slips occur. - Punctuation is generally well managed to separate clauses effectively.

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