Practice › Task 1
IELTS Writing Task 1: Pie chart
How to recognise it
Circles split into shares of a whole (percentages), often two pies to compare.
The overview
Name the largest and smallest shares, and with two pies the biggest change between them.
Plan (20 minutes)
| Paragraph | What to write |
|---|---|
| Introduction (1 sentence) | Paraphrase what the whole represents, the place and year(s). |
| Overview (2 sentences) | Dominant category, smallest, and main change if there are two pies. |
| Body 1 | The biggest shares with exact percentages and comparisons. |
| Body 2 | Smaller shares, and changes between the pies. |
Think before you write
- What does the visual show, in what units, and over what time or in what places?
- Find the 2-3 key features (biggest, smallest, main trend, biggest change, exception).
- Write the overview sentence first in your head; it decides how you group the body paragraphs.
- Choose only the figures that support those features. Don't describe everything.
Useful language
- accounted for…
- made up…
- constituted…
- the largest share went to…
- a quarter (25%)
- just under a third (31%)
- roughly half
- a tiny fraction
- …grew from … to …
- …shrank to…
- …remained unchanged at…
- three times as large as…
- the same proportion as…
Mistakes that cost bands
- Saying 'increased' for a single pie: one pie shows no change over time.
- Repeating 'percent' in every sentence: vary with fractions and 'proportion'.
- Shares that don't add up because of misreading.
10 practice questions
Original questions written for upband.ai in the style of the exam. Write your answer in 20 minutes, then score it.
The pie charts show how a typical university student in one country spent their monthly budget in 2015 and 2025.
Summarise the information by selecting and reporting the main features, and make comparisons where relevant. Write at least 150 words.
| Category | 2015 | 2025 |
|---|---|---|
| Rent | 40 | 50 |
| Food | 25 | 20 |
| Transport | 10 | 8 |
| Study materials | 10 | 5 |
| Leisure | 15 | 17 |
Units: % of budget
Practise this question →The pie charts show the sources of electricity in one country in 2005 and 2025.
Summarise the information by selecting and reporting the main features, and make comparisons where relevant. Write at least 150 words.
| Source | 2005 | 2025 |
|---|---|---|
| Coal | 45 | 10 |
| Gas | 30 | 35 |
| Nuclear | 15 | 15 |
| Wind | 5 | 28 |
| Solar | 5 | 12 |
Units: % of electricity
Practise this question →The pie chart shows the reasons people gave for moving to a new city in 2024.
Summarise the information by selecting and reporting the main features, and make comparisons where relevant. Write at least 150 words.
| Reason | Share |
|---|---|
| New job | 38 |
| Study | 22 |
| Family | 18 |
| Lower cost of living | 12 |
| Lifestyle | 10 |
Units: % of movers
Practise this question →The pie charts show how adults in one country spent their free time in 2000 and 2025.
Summarise the information by selecting and reporting the main features, and make comparisons where relevant. Write at least 150 words.
| Activity | 2000 | 2025 |
|---|---|---|
| Watching TV | 40 | 20 |
| Online activities | 5 | 35 |
| Sport | 15 | 15 |
| Socialising | 25 | 18 |
| Reading | 15 | 12 |
Units: % of free time
Practise this question →The pie chart shows the composition of household waste in one city in 2025.
Summarise the information by selecting and reporting the main features, and make comparisons where relevant. Write at least 150 words.
| Material | Share |
|---|---|
| Food waste | 35 |
| Paper and card | 20 |
| Plastic | 18 |
| Glass | 10 |
| Metal | 7 |
| Other | 10 |
Units: % of waste
Practise this question →The pie charts show the age profile of the population of one country in 1975 and 2025.
Summarise the information by selecting and reporting the main features, and make comparisons where relevant. Write at least 150 words.
| Age group | 1975 | 2025 |
|---|---|---|
| 0-14 | 30 | 16 |
| 15-29 | 25 | 18 |
| 30-64 | 37 | 44 |
| 65+ | 8 | 22 |
Units: % of population
Practise this question →The pie charts show how a company's revenue was divided between its products in 2020 and 2025.
Summarise the information by selecting and reporting the main features, and make comparisons where relevant. Write at least 150 words.
| Product | 2020 | 2025 |
|---|---|---|
| Laptops | 50 | 35 |
| Phones | 30 | 30 |
| Tablets | 15 | 10 |
| Software services | 5 | 25 |
Units: % of revenue
Practise this question →The pie chart shows how people in one country usually travel on holiday within their own country.
Summarise the information by selecting and reporting the main features, and make comparisons where relevant. Write at least 150 words.
| Transport | Share |
|---|---|
| Car | 58 |
| Train | 18 |
| Coach | 9 |
| Plane | 10 |
| Other | 5 |
Units: % of holiday trips
Practise this question →The pie charts show the main types of jobs held by women in one country in 1985 and 2025.
Summarise the information by selecting and reporting the main features, and make comparisons where relevant. Write at least 150 words.
| Sector | 1985 | 2025 |
|---|---|---|
| Manufacturing | 25 | 8 |
| Retail | 25 | 18 |
| Education and health | 30 | 38 |
| Business and finance | 10 | 24 |
| Other | 10 | 12 |
Units: % of working women
Practise this question →The pie charts show how much water was used for different purposes in a typical home in 2010 and 2025.
Summarise the information by selecting and reporting the main features, and make comparisons where relevant. Write at least 150 words.
| Use | 2010 | 2025 |
|---|---|---|
| Shower and bath | 35 | 38 |
| Toilet | 30 | 22 |
| Washing clothes | 15 | 12 |
| Kitchen | 12 | 14 |
| Garden | 8 | 14 |
Units: % of water use
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