IELTS Writing Task 1 pie chart: sample answers and how to write one
IELTS Writing Task 1 pie chart sample answers at band 6.5, 7.5 and 9, with a structure to follow, the language of proportions and the mistakes that cost marks.
A pie chart shows how a whole is divided, so the answer is about proportions: the largest and smallest shares and, when there are two pies, how the division changed. Varying the way you express proportions — 'a quarter', 'just over half', 'the majority' — is as important as reporting them correctly.
4 pie chart sample answers
Each question is answered three times — at about band 6.5, 7.5 and 9 — with commentary on every criterion, so you can see exactly what moves the score.
- Energy use in an older and a newly built houseTwo pie charts with very different totals, where a slice that doubles can stand for the same energy — and only the band 9 answer converts shares into kilowatt-hours consistently.Band 6.5 · 7.5 · 9 — 183 / 204 / 233 words
- How household spending changed over thirty yearsTwo pie charts thirty years apart, where the gains and the losses cancel out exactly — a pattern only one of the three answers notices.Band 6.5 · 7.5 · 9 — 178 / 182 / 211 words
- Office, hybrid and remote working at one companyThree pie charts in which a dramatic middle year turns out to be the least lasting change — the answers differ in whether they see that the real winner grew only afterwards.Band 6.5 · 7.5 · 9 — 167 / 187 / 216 words
- Where a city's household waste ended upTwo pie charts in which landfill loses its lead to recycling, and in which the quiet growth of incineration is the detail only one answer weighs.Band 6.5 · 7.5 · 9 — 168 / 176 / 204 words
How to structure a pie chart answer
- 1Introduction. Paraphrase what is being divided, for whom, and when.
- 2Overview. The dominant share and the biggest change between the pies — for example, which category grew to become the largest.
- 3Body paragraph 1. The categories that grew, with their shares in each pie.
- 4Body paragraph 2. The categories that shrank or stayed the same, with comparisons.
Useful language for a pie chart
Expressing proportions
- just over a quarter
- almost half
- the vast majority
- a small minority
- roughly one in five
Describing change between pies
- its share doubled
- fell from a third to
- overtook
- accounted for a larger proportion
- remained unchanged at
Pointing to the largest and smallest
- the largest share
- the single biggest category
- the smallest segment
- the remainder
Mistakes that cost marks
- Writing 'increased' for a share when the chart shows proportions, not totals — a bigger slice of a smaller pie may be fewer people.
- Describing each pie separately without comparing them.
- Repeating 'per cent' in every sentence instead of using fractions and proportions.
Now write one yourself.
Timed Task 1 practice with an AI band for each criterion.
Common questions
Should I describe each pie chart separately?
No. When there are two or more pies, organise the answer around the changes between them: which shares grew, which shrank and which stayed the same. Describing each pie in isolation is a common reason answers stay at band 6.
Can I say a category 'increased' in a pie chart?
You can say its share or proportion increased. Unless the chart gives totals, you cannot say the number itself rose, because each pie always adds up to 100%.
How do I avoid repeating percentages?
Mix exact figures with proportions: 'a quarter', 'just under half', 'the majority', 'one in ten'. Use the exact percentage where precision matters, such as the largest share or the biggest change.