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IELTS Writing Task 1: Pie Charts

Pie charts are about proportion, not quantity. Where candidates lose marks is with two or more pies: describing each chart separately reads as two half-answers, when the question is asking what changed between them.

What the question looks like

One pie showing how a whole divides, or two or more pies comparing the same categories across dates or places. Segments are usually percentages totalling 100.

The instruction line is the same on every Academic Task 1 question: Summarise the information by selecting and reporting the main features, and make comparisons where relevant. You have about 20 minutes and need at least 150 words.

The overview sentence

Give the largest and smallest segment. With more than one pie, the overview should say what shifted most between them rather than describing either chart.

Overall, clothing and footwear made up the largest share of online sales in both years, although its dominance had fallen noticeably by 2010 as electronics gained ground.
An overview for a pie chart question — note that it contains no figures.

How to structure the answer

  1. 1

    Introduction

    Paraphrase the prompt, keeping the categories and both dates.

  2. 2

    Overview

    The largest and smallest share, or with multiple pies, the biggest shift between them.

  3. 3

    Body 1

    The dominant segments, with percentages, compared across the charts.

  4. 4

    Body 2

    The smaller segments, and any that swapped position between charts.

Language for pie charts

Lexical Resource is a quarter of your Task 1 mark. These are the phrases this question type actually calls for.

Proportion nouns
the proportion ofthe share ofthe percentage ofthe figure for
Verbs
accounted formade uprepresentedconstituted
Fractions, for variety
a quartera thirdjust under halfthree quarters
Approximating
just overjust underalmostapproximatelyroughly
Change between charts
rose by four percentage pointsdoubledhalvedovertook

Mistakes that cost marks

Saying a share 'increased by 10%' when it rose ten percentage points.
A rise from 20% to 30% is ten percentage points, not a 10% increase. They are different claims.
Describing two pies as two separate answers.
Compare them category by category so the reader sees the change.
Giving all seven segments equal weight.
Select. Two or three segments carry the story; group the rest.
Mixing up 'percent' and 'percentage'.
Write '25 percent' but 'the percentage of'.
Assuming both pies represent the same underlying total.
Both total 100%, but the real quantities behind them may differ. Say 'share', not 'amount'.

Pie Charts: sample questions

Real pie chart questions in the exam format. Give yourself 20 minutes and 150 words for each.

Two pie charts comparing online shopping sales by retail sector in Canada in 2005 and 2010

The two pie charts show the online shopping sales for retail sectors in Canada in 2005 and 2010.

Summarise the information by selecting and reporting the main features, and make comparisons where relevant.

Pie charts comparing American household expenses across seven categories in 1966 and 1996

The given pie charts compare the expenses in 7 different categories in 1966 and 1996 by American Citizens.

Summarise the information by selecting and reporting the main features, and make comparisons where relevant.

Find out what your answer would score

Reading about pie charts only takes you so far. Paste an answer in and get a band for Task Achievement, Coherence and Cohesion, Lexical Resource and Grammatical Range, with the corrections that would raise it.