Band 5.5 IELTS Writing Task 2 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 5.5 · Recent IELTS Exams (Canada & India) · 2026-08-05

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 5.5)

In several countries, fewer students are retrieving from studying science at the university level. This essay will examine the reason why student stop taking science courses at university level and the effect it will have on the society.

To begin, the sudden shift of student not choosing science at the university level could be as a result of a failed government who do not invest on research findings, as science often require a capital to set up a standard laboratory which will enable school people to carry out intensive research on different areas. Due to the inability of government to support universities in science aspect it has lead school children switching to a different field of study. For example, in my home country, we realize that more and more people are switching to business field because of poor science laboratories in the universities around due of lack of support from the government that could have encourage students to engage in science research.

Moreso, there could be a poor employment of science students after graduation from the university due to the fact that there was no proper training at the university level which has led to more companies employing from the business of social workers field. Since the essence of going to school is to get employed and giving that there is a drop in the employment of science student more people have decided to switch to where they can find employment easily.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 5.0

The response addresses both parts of the prompt (causes and effects), but the development is limited. The essay is under the 250-word minimum, which negatively impacts the depth of the arguments. While you identify government underfunding and poor employment prospects as causes, the discussion on the effects on society is missing entirely; you only mention that students switch to other fields, which is a personal choice rather than a societal impact. To improve, you must ensure you explicitly discuss the broader consequences, such as a lack of innovation or technological stagnation in the country. The ideas are relevant but remain underdeveloped due to the brevity of the response.

Coherence and Cohesion — Band 6.0

The essay is organized into paragraphs, and there is a basic attempt at logical progression. However, the use of cohesive devices is somewhat mechanical and occasionally inaccurate, such as 'Moreso' at the start of the second body paragraph. Referencing is sometimes unclear, for example, 'the business of social workers field' is confusing and disrupts the flow of the argument. Paragraphing is present, but the transition between the causes and the effects is abrupt, as the effects are not clearly delineated. To reach a higher band, focus on using a wider variety of linking words and ensuring that each paragraph has a clear, singular focus.

Lexical Resource — Band 5.5

The vocabulary is generally adequate for the task but lacks the precision and range required for higher bands. There are several awkward collocations and word choices, such as 'retrieving from studying' instead of 'withdrawing from' or 'choosing not to pursue', and 'school people' instead of 'students'. The phrase 'science aspect' is also imprecise. While the meaning is generally clear, the limited range of vocabulary and the recurring errors in word choice prevent a higher score. Expanding your repertoire to include more academic collocations and precise terminology related to education and economics would be beneficial.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 5.5

The essay contains a mix of simple and complex sentence structures, but there are frequent grammatical errors that occasionally impede readability. Examples include 'science often require a capital' (subject-verb agreement), 'it has lead school children switching' (incorrect verb form), and 'due of lack of support' (preposition error). Punctuation is generally functional, but the sentence structure is often repetitive. To improve, focus on mastering subject-verb agreement and the correct use of prepositions. Increasing the variety of complex sentences while ensuring they remain error-free will help you achieve a higher band score.

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

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