Scorify.uzThe question
The bar chart shows the number of students (in thousands) enrolled in five subjects at a university in 2010 and 2020.
Summarise the information by selecting and reporting the main features, and make comparisons where relevant. Write at least 150 words.
What to notice before you write
Compare each subject across the two years. Four subjects increased and only Arts decreased. Engineering shows the largest rise (40 thousand), and Business is the largest subject in both years. Group the increases and then the one decrease.
Band 7 sample report
The bar chart compares enrolment in five university subjects in 2010 and 2020, measured in thousands of students.
Overall, enrolment rose in four of the five subjects, with Arts being the only subject that lost students. Business remained the most popular subject in both years.
Business enrolment grew from 120 thousand to 150 thousand, while Engineering saw the biggest increase, from 90 thousand to 130 thousand. Medicine and Science also expanded, rising from 60 thousand to 85 thousand and from 70 thousand to 95 thousand respectively.
In contrast, the number of Arts students fell from 80 thousand in 2010 to 60 thousand in 2020. As a result, Arts changed from the third most popular subject to the least popular one.
In total, the number of students in these five subjects increased from 420 thousand in 2010 to 520 thousand in 2020, which means that the overall growth was largely a result of the increases in Business and Engineering.
158 words.
Useful language for this chart type
- enrolment — the number of students registered
- saw the biggest increase — grew the most
- expand — grow in size
- lose students — have a decrease in numbers
- remain the most popular — stay at the top
- in contrast — introducing an opposite change
- change from … to … — describe a change in position
Common mistakes
- Describing 2010 and 2020 in separate paragraphs and not comparing.
- Missing that Arts is the only decrease.
- Using “people” instead of “students”.
Study guides
Computer-Delivered IELTS: What Changes and What Stays the Same
Thinking about taking IELTS on a computer? Here is what stays the same, what feels different in Writing, Reading and Listening, and how to prepare for the screen.
IELTS Writing Task 1 Vocabulary for Graphs, Charts and Processes
Useful verbs, nouns, adverbs and sentence patterns for describing line graphs, bar charts, tables and processes in IELTS Task 1, with more than twelve example sentences.
Linking Words for IELTS and How to Use Them Correctly
A practical list of IELTS linking words grouped by function, with correct and incorrect examples, punctuation rules and a warning about overusing connectors.
Frequently asked questions
How many words should an IELTS Task 1 report be?
Write at least 150 words. Strong reports are usually 160–190 words and take about 20 minutes, leaving a minute or two to check.
What is an overview in Task 1?
The overview is a short paragraph, written without detailed numbers, that states the main trends or the most important features of the data. Reports without a clear overview are limited to a lower band.
Should I give my opinion in Task 1?
No. Describe and compare only what the data shows. Do not explain reasons or add information that is not in the chart.