Read the total
Confirm that the segments add up to 100% and identify the population or budget represented.
IELTS Academic Writing Task 1
Task 1 lesson map
Move between response structure, visual analysis and full-task practice without losing your place.
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Build the response
Read the visual
Strengthen and apply
IELTS Academic Writing Task 1
Pie charts en IELTS Writing Task 1
Learn to describe pie charts without turning your response into a list of percentages: identify dominant proportions, group small segments and compare categories with purpose.
The practice includes explained answers for proportions and grouping, plus an annotated Task 1 model.
Official format versus WeLearn strategy
Official format: IELTS Academic Writing Task 1 asks you to describe visual information. A pie chart belongs to this family, but we do not treat it as a separate official task.
WeLearn strategy: we practise it separately because it requires summarising proportions, combining small segments and avoiding a percentage list.
Workflow for a pie chart
Locate the extremes
Identify the largest and smallest portions before writing.
Group segments
Combine small or similar categories to avoid a mechanical list.
Compare proportions
Use approximate fractions: nearly half, over a third, about twice as much.
Guided exercise: overview and percentage grouping
The pie chart below shows how young professionals in Northbridge allocated their monthly household spending in 2025.
Original WeLearn practice data
Monthly spending by young professionals in Northbridge, 2025
Figures show the percentage of total household spending. Group dominant, middle and minor shares before writing the overview.
Pie chart
Rent36%
Food22%
Transport15%
Leisure14%
Savings8%
Other5%
Step 1: choose the strongest overview
Step 2: select the strongest grouping decisions
Choose the decisions that help you write a more analytical and less repetitive response.
Explained model response
Introduction
The pie chart shows how young professionals in Northbridge allocated their monthly household spending in 2025 across six categories.
Why it works: Paraphrase the prompt and preserve the population, place, period and spending topic.
Overview
Overall, rent represented by far the largest share of expenditure, while savings and other costs accounted for the smallest proportions. Food was the second largest item, whereas transport and leisure were almost equal.
Why it works: Summarise relative size, extremes and one important comparison without listing every percentage.
Body 1
Rent took up 36% of monthly spending, making it the dominant category. Food was also substantial at 22%, meaning that these two essential expenses together accounted for well over half of the total budget.
Why it works: Group the largest categories and add a useful aggregate observation.
Body 2
Transport and leisure were much smaller and very similar, at 15% and 14% respectively. The remaining categories were savings, at 8%, and other expenses, at just 5%, making them the least significant parts of the budget.
Why it works: Compare medium-sized categories and group the smaller ones to avoid a mechanical list.
Keep practising Task 1
Frequently asked questions
Is a pie chart an independent official IELTS Writing Task 1 task?
It should not be presented as a separate official task. IELTS Academic Writing Task 1 asks you to describe visual information, and a pie chart is one possible form. WeLearn separates it as a practice route because it requires proportion comparisons and percentage grouping.
What should I mention first in a pie chart?
Start with the overview: the largest and smallest slices and any dominant contrast between categories. Exact percentages should support those patterns, not replace them.
How can I avoid repeating percentages in a pie chart response?
Group small categories, compare related categories and mention only figures that explain a clear difference. Do not describe every segment as an isolated list.