The graphs below show the percentage of math graduates and other graduates who got full-time job after graduating from a university in Australia, and also show the average salary of both these types of graduates, from 2004 to 2012.

Percentage of math graduates and other graduates who obtained a full-time job and their average salary in Australia from 2004 to 2012 - 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 7 · 179 words.

The graph compares the percentage of math graduates and other graduates who found full-time work in Australia between 2004 and 2012, and the table gives their average salaries.

Overall, salaries rose for both groups, but math graduates earned more in the later years. Their employment rate was also steadier, whereas the rate for other graduates changed sharply.

Math graduates' employment rate changed little. It stood at 80% in 2004, peaked at about 85% in 2008, and then fell to about 76% in 2012. The rate for other graduates was much less stable. It began lower, at about 65%, jumped to about 87% in 2006, overtaking the math figure, and then fell steadily to about 65% again in 2012.

Average salaries began at the same level for both groups: $41,000 in 2004 and $43,000 in 2006. After that, math graduates pulled ahead. Their salary reached $50,000 in 2008 and $56,000 in 2012, whereas the salary of other graduates rose more slowly, to $45,000 in 2008 and $51,000 in 2012. The gap between the groups therefore reached $5,000 by the end.

Examiner feedback

This is a clear, well-organised report that identifies the main trends in both employment and salaries and supports them with accurate figures. The main limitations are a slightly inaccurate characterisation of math employment as 'changed little', and incomplete data for other graduates' salaries in the early years, which weakens the claim that salaries began at the same level.

Task Achievement - 7

- Covers both required elements (employment rates and average salaries) and the 2004–2012 period, with a clear overview placed before the detail. - Key features are well selected: the peak and fall for math graduates, the sharp 2006 crossover for other graduates, and the widening salary gap, supported by specific figures. - The overview is sound but slightly incomplete: it does not mention that other graduates' employment was the more volatile series. The claim that math employment 'changed little' sits uneasily with a swing from 80% to 85% to 76%. Other graduates' salaries for 2004 and 2006 are not given, so the 'same level' claim is only partly supported.

Coherence & Cohesion - 7

- Four paragraphs in a logical order: introduction, overview, employment detail, salary detail. Paragraphing is clear and appropriate. - Contrast and sequence are handled well with 'whereas', 'after that', and 'overtaking', so the reader can follow the comparison easily. - 'Therefore' in the final sentence does not follow from the preceding clause, since the gap is a calculated result rather than a consequence. 'Also' in 'Their employment rate was also steadier' is also not needed, as no similar point has just been made.

Lexical Resource - 7

- Good range of task-appropriate verbs and phrases: 'stood at', 'peaked', 'overtaking', 'pulled ahead', 'rose more slowly'. - Trend language is varied and precise, with suitable use of 'about' to hedge approximate figures. - 'Math' is acceptable but Australian usage would prefer 'maths'. 'Steadier' and 'changed sharply' are useful, but 'steadily' applied to a fall is slightly less precise than it could be. Collocations are generally natural.

Grammatical Range & Accuracy - 7

- Good variety of structures, including complex sentences with 'whereas', 'after that', and participial clauses, alongside simple sentences for key figures. - Grammar is largely accurate, with no errors that affect meaning. Tense use is consistent for past data. - Punctuation is well controlled, though the colon before the 2004 and 2006 figures is slightly awkward in context.

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