IELTS Writing Task 1 Table
A table gives you lots of exact numbers and no picture, which tempts people to copy all of them. Don't. Read the table for its story first: the highest and lowest, the biggest change, and anything that breaks the pattern.
Round numbers where it helps (almost half a million) and compare rows rather than walking through them one by one.
The table below shows the number of international students, in thousands, at universities in five countries in 2015 and 2025. Summarise the information by selecting and reporting the main features, and make comparisons where relevant. Write at least 150 words.
| Country | 2015 | 2025 |
|---|---|---|
| Country A | 430 | 560 |
| Country B | 220 | 480 |
| Country C | 290 | 420 |
| Country D | 210 | 350 |
| Country E | 150 | 230 |
Data invented for practice.
How to structure it
- 1
Introduction
What the table shows: who, which countries, which years.
- 2
Overview
Every country grew; Country A stayed the largest; Country B grew the most.
- 3
Body 1
The leaders: Country A's numbers and Country B's dramatic growth.
- 4
Body 2
The other three countries, compared with each other.
The table shows how many international students were enrolled at universities in five countries in 2015 and 2025.
Overall, the number of international students rose in all five countries over the decade. Country A attracted the most students in both years, but the most dramatic growth occurred in Country B.
Country A had 430,000 international students in 2015, a figure that rose to 560,000 by 2025, keeping it comfortably in first place. Country B, however, saw the largest increase by far: its numbers more than doubled, from 220,000 to 480,000, moving it from third to second position.
The remaining three countries also grew significantly. Numbers in Country C went up by around 45%, from 290,000 to 420,000, while Country D rose from 210,000 to 350,000. Country E had the fewest international students throughout, although its total still increased by just over half, to 230,000. Taken together, the five countries hosted around 2.04 million international students in 2025, compared with roughly 1.3 million a decade earlier.
Why it scores Band 8: Selective, comparative use of the numbers, with rankings, multiples (more than doubled) and percentages calculated accurately. 165 words.
Band is our estimate against the public IELTS Writing band descriptors.
Language that does the work
- more than doubled / almost tripled
- Multiples are a strong way to describe change.
- by far the largest
- For a clear leader.
- moving it from third to second position
- Describes changes in ranking.
- went up by around 45%
- "By" for the size of the change.
- rose to / from… to…
- "To" for the final figure.
- throughout / in both years
- For something true across the whole period.
Mistakes that cost marks
- Copying every number. Pick the ones that support your overview.
- Confusing "by" and "to": "rose by 130,000" vs "rose to 560,000".
- Going row by row without comparing rows to each other.
Practise it: 14 Cambridge tests with a Task 1 like this
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