Task 1 · pie chart · 18 samples

The charts below show the main reasons why students chose a particular university in the UK, in 1997 and 2007.

Data or diagram for the writing questionPractise this task →

Plan your answer

Try your own response before reading the samples.

Ideas to explore

  • Compare the leading reason across both years: suitable degree courses ranked first, rising slightly from 35% to 37%.
  • Highlight the largest increase: choosing a university close to the parental home went from 10% to 22%.
  • Contrast the sharpest decline with the smaller fall: sports and social activities dropped from 19% to 6%, while quality of resources moved from 21% to 17%.

Suggested structure

  1. Paraphrase the chart topic and identify both years.
  2. Give an overview of the top reason and the most notable increases and decreases.
  3. Describe the 1987 figures, grouping the largest and smallest categories.
  4. Compare the 2007 figures with 1987, using exact percentages and clear change language.
Useful vocabulary & examples
accounted for
made up a particular percentage or share

Suitable degree courses accounted for 35% of responses in 1987.

rose slightly
increased by a small amount

The share choosing suitable degree courses rose slightly to 37%.

increased considerably
grew by a noticeable amount

The proportion choosing a university close to home increased considerably, from 10% to 22%.

fell substantially
decreased by a large amount

Good sports and social activities fell substantially, from 19% to 6%.

Sample answers

AI-completed learning example

192 words · Illustrative target band

The provided pie charts illustrate the dominant reasons motivating student choices at a specific UK university in 1987 and 2007. Overall, it can be seen that Suitable degree courses were most factor in importance each year, whereas quality of teaching grew moderately and the figure for quality of resources decreased. Remaining factors such as good sports and social activities and closeness to home also changed notabl…

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AI-completed learning example

169 words · Illustrative target band

The pie charts below provides information about the major reasons why a certain university in the UK were chosen by students in the years 1997 and 2007 respectively. Overall, the suitable degree courses had the highest percentage of the main reasons in both years. as you can see in the charts, good sports and social activities were selected by 19% of students in the first chart, but this figure fell to 6% in 2007. De…

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AI-completed learning example

185 words · Illustrative target band

The charts illustrate how many school leavers chose to study at a certain university in the UK between 1987 and 2007. Overall, there was an increase in the proportion of young people choosing to study at this school because it provided suitable courses and it was close to their home, while the figures for those who chose it for its teaching quality and sports facilities changed in opposite directions. The percentage …

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