Academic Writing Task 1 · table

Average consultation time in minutes with family doctors across nine countries

The table shows data about the average length of time (in minutes) that people of different ages spend in consultation with family doctors in several countries. Select and describe the main features, and make comparisons where relevant.

Summarise the information by selecting and reporting the main features, and make comparisons where relevant. Write at least 150 words.

Average consultation time with family doctors by age and country

Age (years)	France	Brazil	Japan	USA	India	Kenya	UK	Italy	Chile
0-10	16	12	14	13	12	15	9	17	32
10-20	18	21	12	17	14	14	12	18	32
20-40	25	23	16	19	20	12	13	23	34
40-60	29	26	15	21	21	12	15	24	36
60-70	34	23	13	27	19	11	15	27	38
70+	38	20	14	31	11	10	21	29	39

Chart redrawn by BandLadder from the data in the original IELTS practice task. Many IELTS practice tasks come from the Cambridge IELTS series (Cambridge University Press & Assessment); all rights in the original tasks remain with their owners.

Band 8 sample answer

The table illustrates the average time in minutes that individuals of various age groups spend with family doctors across nine different countries. Overall, it is evident that consultation times vary significantly by nation, with Chile consistently reporting the highest figures across all age brackets, while Kenya and the UK frequently record the lowest.

Chilean patients spend the most time with doctors, starting at 32 minutes for the youngest group and peaking at 39 minutes for those aged 70 and over. In contrast, the UK reports the lowest consultation time for children aged 0-10 at just 9 minutes. Similarly, Kenya shows a downward trend in consultation duration as patients age, dropping from 15 minutes for the 0-10 group to 10 minutes for those aged 70 plus.

France and Italy show a clear upward trend in consultation length as patients grow older. For instance, French consultation times increase from 16 minutes for the youngest cohort to 38 minutes for the oldest. Japan remains relatively stable, with times fluctuating narrowly between 12 and 16 minutes. Meanwhile, the USA shows a notable increase in time spent with doctors, rising from 13 minutes for children to 31 minutes for the elderly.

196 words. Every figure in the answer comes from the chart above.

How to write about tables

Tables hide the trend: find the highest, lowest and biggest change yourself.
Select; do not list every cell.
Organise paragraphs by row or by column, whichever gives the clearer comparison.

consistently: happening in the same way over a period
fluctuating: changing frequently in size or level of amount
upward trend: a general direction of increasing over time
peak: reaching the highest point or value possible
cohort: a group of people sharing a common characteristic
notable: worthy of attention or striking in appearance

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Frequently asked questions

What should the overview say?

Chile consistently records the longest consultation times across all age groups, whereas Kenya and the UK generally report the shortest durations.

How long should an IELTS Task 1 answer be?

At least 150 words; 170 to 200 is the safe range. Spend about 20 minutes on it and leave 40 for Task 2, which carries twice the marks.

How do I describe tables?

Tables hide the trend: find the highest, lowest and biggest change yourself. Select; do not list every cell. Organise paragraphs by row or by column, whichever gives the clearer comparison.