Band 6.5 IELTS Writing Task 2 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 6.5 · Cambridge IELTS 15 · 2026-09-05

IELTS Writing Task 2 question

In many countries, paying for things using mobile phone (cellphone) apps is becoming increasingly common. Does this development have more advantages or more disadvantages?

Give reasons for your answer and include any relevant examples from your own knowledge or experience.

Student answer (Band 6.5)

Nowadays, it is increasingly common for people to make payments with the mobile payment apps as it gives them the convenience of speedy payment, access to all financial details at one place and safety of not having to carry cash. However, the possibility of getting the device hacked due to digital advances is an aspect that can't be ignored. In my view, the advantages of this trend far outweigh its drawbacks.

To begin with, it is evident that due to the convenience of paying with a click on the mobile and not having to carry too much cash or change the mobile payment apps have gained popularity. This is largely because the mobile apps give user an experience that ensures they can make payment quickly with all their financial details stored at a click on a button. For example, features like Gpay Lite gives user the flexibility to make payment without pin for the amount of balance they have in the Lite wallet.

While the payment apps have all the security features like two-step verification, Pin to use the app and OTP for big amounts there is a drawback of this app that they are easy targets for cybercrimes like hacking the mobile and stealing the money or personal details to impersonate for other crimes. For instance, There are people who replaces the actual payment QR with an QR which scanned gives all the users information to the hacker.

To summarize, although with digitalisation the cybercrime like hacking has increased, the primary benefit of payment apps remains clear and if used with some caution are advantages to the society.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 6.5

The response addresses all parts of the prompt, clearly stating a position that the advantages outweigh the disadvantages. The ideas are relevant, such as convenience and security concerns, and are supported with examples like Gpay Lite and QR code fraud. However, the development of these ideas is somewhat limited; the discussion on security could be more nuanced to fully explore the 'disadvantages' side of the argument. While the position is clear throughout, the conclusion is a bit brief and could have better synthesised the main points to provide a more robust final argument.

Coherence and Cohesion — Band 6.5

The essay is logically organised with a clear introduction, body paragraphs, and a conclusion. Cohesive devices are used, such as 'To begin with', 'While', and 'To summarize', which help guide the reader. However, some transitions are slightly mechanical, and the referencing is occasionally repetitive. For example, the phrase 'the mobile payment apps' is used frequently where pronouns or synonyms could improve the flow. Paragraphing is used appropriately, and the progression of ideas is generally easy to follow, though some sentences within paragraphs could be linked more fluidly.

Lexical Resource — Band 6.5

The vocabulary is generally adequate for the task, with some attempts at topic-specific terminology like 'digitalisation', 'cybercrimes', and 'two-step verification'. There are some minor inaccuracies in word choice and collocation, such as 'impersonate for other crimes' (which should be 'impersonate others to commit crimes') and 'are advantages to the society' (which should be 'are advantageous to society'). While the range is sufficient to convey meaning clearly, it lacks the sophistication and precision required for a higher band score.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 6.0

The response uses a mix of simple and complex sentence structures. There are several grammatical errors, such as 'gives user an experience' (missing article 'a'), 'There are people who replaces' (subject-verb agreement error), and 'an QR' (incorrect article). Punctuation is generally functional, though some sentences are slightly clunky. Despite these errors, the meaning remains clear throughout, and the mistakes do not significantly impede communication. To reach a higher band, the student should focus on article usage, subject-verb agreement, and refining complex sentence structures.

See this exact question answered at other band scores — the same prompt compared across bands.

Browse more IELTS Writing model answers or get your own writing scored by the same AI examiner.