Band 6.5 IELTS Writing Task 2 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 6.5 · Recent IELTS Exams (Canada & India) · 2026-08-04

IELTS Writing Task 2 question

In many countries not enough students are choosing to study science at university. What are the causes of this? What effects does it have on society?

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

Student answer (Band 6.5)

In recent years, universities have witnessed a concerning decline in the number of students enrolling in science-related degree programs. This troubling trend stems primarily from the demanding nature of scientific disciplines and the high cost of advanced education ultimately posing significant risks to the progress of society.

The decreasing enrollment in science is largely driven by two main factors: perceived academic difficulty and financial barriers. Scientific fields such as physics, chemistry, and biology require a rigorous understanding of complex theories and prolonged analytical effort, which can intimidate many students. Furthermore, pursuing a degree in science is notoriously expensive. Laboratory fees, specialized equipment, and extended years of higher education demand a substantial financial investment that many average families simply cannot afford.

This shortage of scientists carries profound negative consequences for global development. Science and technology form the backbone of modern infrastructure, driving advancements in critical sectors like healthcare, renewable energy, and engineering. When the pool of scientific talent shrinks, innovation slows down. Consequently, society faces delayed medical breakthroughs, stalled technological progress, and a diminished capacity to tackle global crises such as climate change or emerging diseases.

In my view, proactive measures must be taken to reverse this trend. Governments and educational institutions should introduce engaging science programs at an early age to understanding of the subject and spark children's curiosity. Additionally, offering heavily mastered tuition, scholarships, and government-backed research grants can make scientific careers financially accessible to top-tier students from all economic backgrounds. This program must be carried by an individual board of directors to maintain proper level of professionalism.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 6.5

You have fully addressed both parts of the prompt, identifying clear causes (academic difficulty and financial burden) and significant societal effects (stalled innovation and delayed progress). Your position is consistent throughout the essay. The ideas are well-developed and supported with logical explanations. To reach a higher band, ensure that your examples are more specific; for instance, instead of mentioning 'global crises' generally, you could briefly reference a specific recent challenge where scientific innovation was pivotal. Overall, the response is well-structured and directly answers the prompt.

Coherence and Cohesion — Band 6.5

The essay is logically organized with a clear progression of ideas. Each paragraph has a central topic sentence, and the transition between the causes and the effects is smooth. You use a variety of cohesive devices effectively, such as 'Furthermore,' 'Consequently,' and 'In my view.' Paragraphing is used appropriately to separate distinct ideas. The flow of information is natural, and the relationship between sentences is clear. To improve, ensure that the final paragraph's concluding sentence links back more explicitly to the main argument to provide a stronger sense of closure.

Lexical Resource — Band 6.0

You demonstrate a good range of vocabulary, using terms like 'proactive measures,' 'rigorous understanding,' and 'diminished capacity' appropriately. There is an attempt to use less common lexical items, which adds precision to your writing. However, there are minor issues with collocation and word choice, such as 'heavily mastered tuition' (which is unclear) and 'maintain proper level of professionalism' (which lacks an article). Despite these minor slips, the vocabulary is sufficient to convey your ideas clearly and with some sophistication.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 6.0

You use a mix of simple and complex sentence structures effectively, such as the use of participial phrases in the introduction ('ultimately posing significant risks'). Most of your sentences are error-free, and your control of punctuation is generally good. There are a few minor grammatical slips, such as 'to understanding of the subject' (should be 'to foster an understanding') and 'This program must be carried by' (should be 'carried out by'). These errors are infrequent and do not impede communication, allowing the reader to follow your argument without difficulty.

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.