IELTS Academic Writing Task 1: Dance Classes Pie & Bar Chart (Band 9 Sample)
This Academic Task 1 combines a pie chart showing where dance classes are held with a bar chart showing how many students of two age groups take each type of dance. A band-9 response gives an overview drawing both charts together, then reports the key figures with comparisons. Below is a model answer of roughly 195 words, followed by why it scores 9 on all four criteria.
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01 · The task
The pie chart below shows where a town's dance classes are held, and the bar chart shows the number of students in two age groups taking three types of dance class. Summarise the information by selecting and reporting the main features, and make comparisons where relevant.
02 · Band 9 sample answer
196 words · Band 9The pie chart shows where a town's dance classes take place, while the bar chart compares the number of students in two age groups — under 11 and 11 to 16 — enrolled in three types of dance.
Overall, private studios host by far the greatest proportion of classes. In terms of the dances themselves, ballet is overwhelmingly the choice of younger children, whereas older students lean towards modern dance.
According to the pie chart, private studios account for almost half of all classes, at 48%. After-school classes in school halls make up a further 24%, followed by community halls and other venues at 18%, while college-based studios host the fewest, at just 10%.
The bar chart reveals a striking split by age. Ballet is hugely popular with under-11s, with around 600 students, but this figure roughly halves to 300 among 11-to-16-year-olds. Modern dance shows the reverse, rising from about 300 younger students to 520 older ones. Tap, by contrast, attracts broadly similar numbers in both age groups, at roughly 450 and 420 respectively.
03 · Why this scores Band 9
The response integrates both charts, opens with an overview capturing the two headline points (private studios dominate; ballet is for the young while modern dance suits older students), and then reports the key figures for each chart with clear comparisons. It selects the significant features — especially the age-group reversal — rather than listing every value.
The report is logically split — overview, then one paragraph per chart, signposted with "According to the pie chart..." and "The bar chart reveals...". Comparisons are linked naturally: "followed by...", "while... host the fewest", "shows the reverse", "by contrast".
Data vocabulary is precise and varied — "host the greatest proportion", "account for almost half", "make up a further 24%", "roughly halves", "shows the reverse", "attracts broadly similar numbers" — describing proportions and quantities without repetition.
A range of structures presents the figures accurately: a "whereas" contrast ("whereas older students lean towards modern dance"), participle add-ons ("followed by community halls... at 18%"), and a comparative reversal ("rising from about 300 younger students to 520 older ones"). The figures are reported without error.
04 · Useful collocations for this task
Tap a phrase to see what it means and how to use it. Natural collocations like these lift your Lexical Resource score.
05 · Frequently asked questions
How do I combine a pie chart and a bar chart in one answer?
Give a single overview that names the headline from each, then take one paragraph per chart. Here the overview flags the dominant venue and the age split, and the body deals with the pie and the bar separately — the clearest structure for mixed charts.
The bar chart has two age groups — how do I report it?
Compare the groups within each dance type and highlight the pattern: ballet favours the young, modern dance favours older students, tap is even. Reporting the contrast, not just the numbers, is what earns Task Achievement.
What tense should I use?
The present simple, since the data describes a general situation rather than a change over time ("private studios account for 48%", "ballet is popular with under-11s"). Keep it consistent.
How long should a Task 1 answer be?
At least 150 words; a band-9 answer is usually 170–200. This model is 196 words, enough for an overview plus the key features of both charts. Spend about 20 minutes on Task 1.
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