Academic Writing Task 1 · pie chart

Proportions of Brighton University graduates entering various employment sectors in 2019

The chart below shows the proportions of graduates from Brighton University in 2019 entering different employment sectors.

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

Employment sectors of graduates from Brighton University, 2019 (%)

Sport: 0.1%
Transportation and warehousing: 7.8%
Service industries: 33%
Manufacturing industry: 16.3%
Politics & government: 12.1%
Education: 14.7%
Civil service: 5.6%
Other: 2.8%
Charity: 0.3%
Science & technology: 7.3%

View the data

Category	Value (%)
Sport	0.1
Transportation and warehousing	7.8
Service industries	33
Manufacturing industry	16.3
Politics & government	12.1
Education	14.7
Civil service	5.6
Other	2.8
Charity	0.3
Science & technology	7.3

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 pie chart illustrates the distribution of Brighton University graduates across ten distinct employment sectors in 2019. Overall, it is evident that the service industries dominated the employment landscape, whereas roles in sport and charity were notably rare.

Service industries accounted for exactly one-third of all graduates at 33.0%. This was followed by the manufacturing industry and education, which attracted 16.3% and 14.7% of graduates, respectively. Politics and government also represented a significant portion, employing 12.1% of the cohort. In contrast, the combined figures for transportation and warehousing (7.8%) and science and technology (7.3%) were roughly equivalent to the proportion entering education.

Smaller sectors included the civil service at 5.6% and the 'other' category at 2.8%. The least popular career paths were in the charity sector and sport, which comprised a marginal 0.3% and 0.1% of graduates, respectively. In summary, while a wide variety of sectors absorbed the university's graduates, there was a clear preference for service-oriented and industrial roles, with very few individuals pursuing careers in the charitable or sporting sectors.

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

How to write about pie charts

Name the largest and smallest shares in the overview.
Use proportion language: a quarter, just under half, the majority.
With two pies, compare the same slice across both.

accounted for: made up a specific portion of the total
dominated: held the largest or most significant share
respectively: in the order previously mentioned in text
marginal: very small or insignificant in total size
comprised: consisted of or made up a part
distribution: the way in which something is shared out

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Frequently asked questions

What should the overview say?

Service industries were the most popular destination for graduates, while the sport and charity sectors attracted the smallest proportions of the cohort.

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 pie charts?

Name the largest and smallest shares in the overview. Use proportion language: a quarter, just under half, the majority. With two pies, compare the same slice across both.