IELTS Pie Chart Tips and Strategies to Ace in the Writing Task 1

The below example will help you understand how to structure your response step by step. You should aim to write your answer in a structured and logical manner in order to get a higher band score

Source: Cambridge IELTS Practice Test Book

To score high marks in the IELTS pie chart task, you can apply the below 5-step method as illustrated with the given example about police budget data distribution in Britain over the years 2017 and 2018. 

Step 1: Study the graph

Firstly, you should read the question carefully and take time to understand the graph, the data it represents and its features before writing your answer. 

The above graph includes the sources of police budgets (table chart) and how the money was spent (pie chart) over two consecutive years.

Step 2: Identity the major trends/key features

After thoroughly reading the task prompt, spot the key features - highest figure, lowest figure, unchanged trend, or any noticeable change and make comparisons where relevant. 

For example:

• In the table chart, the primary source of the police budget is the national government, rising from 2017 to 2018.
• There was a significant rise in the local tax contributions from 2017 to 2018. 
• Salaries consistently make up the biggest proportion of the budget, though with a slight decrease. 
• There was a sharp rise in budget allocation for technology.

  Step 3: Start with a strong Introduction (Paragraph 1)

By this step, you have a clear outline of which data points/key features you will be including in your answer. When you start writing the report, begin with a strong introduction by rewording the task question. For example: “The table presents the data on the police budget from which the money came, and the two pie charts describe the distribution of the amount of money in the consecutive years 2017 and 2018 in an area of Britain.”

PRO TIP: In the introductory paragraph, always paraphrase the question, that is, say the same things in different words. You can do this by using synonyms and changing the sentence structure.

Step 4: Compose an effective Overview (Paragraph 2)

After writing the introduction, you should aim to write the major trends (highest trend/lowest trend/changed figure/unchanged figure) of the graph. Here, you will only highlight key features and any noticeable comparisons. 

 Example: “Overall, the police budget was primarily funded by the national government, showing an upward trend over the two years. Most of the budget was allocated to salaries, though the percentage allocated to technology saw a notable increase."

  Step 5: Develop Detailed Paragraphs

After highlighting the key features, the following paragraphs (3&4..) will include a detailed analysis of the graph, each will focus on different significant features. For instance:

• Paragraph 3 discusses the funding sources (table chart):

 “Looking into more detail, the highest amount of money on the police budget belonged to the ‘national Government’, 175.5 million pounds in 2017, and it kept rising to 177.8 million pounds. This was followed by ‘Local Taxes’, at 91.2 million pounds in 2017, after one year, it increased significantly to 102.3 million pounds.”

• Paragraph 4 might focus on how the funds were utilised: 

“In terms of how the money was spent, the majority of the police budget goes to salaries which were for officers and staff, dropping slightly from 75% in 2017 to 69% in 2018. Meanwhile, the proportion of ‘Buildings and transport’ remained constant, at 17% each year. An opposite pattern can be seen in the category of technology, its figure rose sharply from 8% in 2017 to 14% in 2018, which was always the lowest rate during the given period.”

By following the above steps, you can write a well-structured response that will cover all aspects of the graph. Here is how you can score high in the IELTS pie chart task.
Read More: How to achieve a band score of 9.0 in IELTS Writing?

• Always highlight the most significant and least significant sections.
• When presented with pie charts in different time frames, ensure that you compare them.
• Use variety of vocabulary to avoid repetition, instead, use its synonyms.
• Consistency in Tense:Your response should be consistent with the data it represents.  If the data is from the past, use the past tense.
• Visual Data Reference: Refer to the visuals with phrases like "As seen in the chart/table...” to maintain a clear connection between the answer and the graphics.
• Check for Accuracy: Always double-check the figures and percentages you mention to ensure accuracy.

You must use a wide and accurate vocabulary to perform well on IELTS Writing Task 1, particularly when explaining pie charts. Having the appropriate vocabulary makes it easier to show that you can effectively describe trends and evaluate data. Key words and phrases that help improve your reaction are listed below. 

1. Describing Proportions

• Accounts for
• Represents
• Makes up
• Constitutes
• Comprises
• Holds

2. Describing Size and Comparison

• Larger/smaller than
• Bigger/smaller proportion
• Significantly higher/lower
• Twice as much as
• Nearly
• Approximately

3. Describing Trends

• Increased
• Decreased
• Dramatically rose/fell
• Remained stable
• Fluctuated

4. Describing Grouped Data

• Together, these account for
• Combined, they make up
• In total, they comprise

5. Describing Minor Changes

• Slightly
• Moderately
• Minimally

6. Describing Proportional Relationships

• Equal to
• In proportion to
• Relative to

Read more : Useful Synonyms & Antonyms For IELTS Writing Test
                     Academic Word List (AWL) for IELTS