Band 6.0 IELTS Writing Task 2 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 6.0 · 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 6.0)

It is well-known truism that science plays a vital role in the development of every nation. In this regard, it is widely acknowledged that in many countries, fewer students are choosing to study science subject at university. this essay will outline not only the reasons but also its serious consequence for society in the forthcoming paragraphs with a relevant conclusion.

To commence with, there are several factors which lead to the reluctant behavior of students toward science subject. One major reason why students avoid science degrees is that these courses are extremely challenging. To explain, science subject such as physics, chemistry and engineering require strong mathematical skills , long hours of study and continuous practical work. As a result, many student prefer subjects that they consider easier to complete. For example, a scholar may choose business administration instead of engineering because it involves less technical knowledge. Another important cause is that some science careers require numerous years of education before people can earn a high income. To elaborate, although scientists and researchers make valuable contributions to society, their salaries are often lower than those in field such as finance, law or information technology. For instance, many talented students choose software development or investment banking because these careers offer better financial rewards. Therefore, science becomes a less attractive option to pupils.

Nevertheless, this trend can have several negative effects on society. firstly, a shortage of scientists and engineers can slow technological and medical progress. To justify, without enough qualified professionals, countries may struggle to develop new medicines, improve infrastructure or solve environmental challenges. To illustrate, fewer medical researchers could delay the discovery of treatments for serious diseases. Hence, the quality of life may improve more slowly. Secondly, countries with few science graduates may become dependent on foreign expertise. To exemplify. this dependence can weaken economic growth and reduce national competitiveness. If local industries cannot find skilled scientists, they may need to recruit worker from abroad or move their research facilities to other countries.

In conclusion, although there are several reasons of declining in number of students studying science such as difficulty of these courses and the relatively lower financial rewards, yet it's negative impact over the community can never be neglected at any cost.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 6.0

The response addresses all parts of the prompt, identifying both causes (difficulty of courses, financial rewards) and effects (technological stagnation, economic dependence). The ideas are relevant and generally well-supported with examples, such as the comparison between engineering and business administration. The position is clear throughout. To reach a higher band, the development of the 'effects' section could be slightly more nuanced, perhaps by exploring the long-term societal impact beyond just economic competitiveness. Overall, the response is well-focused and fully satisfies the requirements of the task.

Coherence and Cohesion — Band 6.0

The essay is logically organized with a clear introduction, body paragraphs, and conclusion. Cohesive devices are used effectively, such as 'To commence with', 'Nevertheless', and 'Hence', which help guide the reader through the argument. Paragraphing is used appropriately to separate distinct ideas. However, there are minor issues with punctuation and sentence-level cohesion, such as the fragment 'To exemplify. this dependence...' where a period was used instead of a comma. Despite these small slips, the progression of ideas is clear and easy to follow throughout the text.

Lexical Resource — Band 5.5

The range of vocabulary is sufficient to discuss the topic with some precision. Phrases like 'valuable contributions', 'national competitiveness', and 'technological and medical progress' demonstrate a good command of topic-specific language. There are some minor errors in word form or collocation, such as 'science subject' (should be plural 'science subjects') and 'declining in number' (should be 'a decline in the number'). While the vocabulary is adequate and generally accurate, it lacks the sophisticated, idiomatic control required for higher bands. Nevertheless, the meaning is always clear and the range is appropriate for the task.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 5.5

The essay uses a mix of simple and complex sentence structures. There is evidence of good control over complex forms, such as conditional sentences ('If local industries cannot find...') and concessive clauses ('Although scientists... their salaries are...'). However, there are persistent minor errors, including missing articles ('in field such as'), subject-verb agreement issues ('many student prefer'), and punctuation errors (the aforementioned sentence fragment). While these errors do not impede communication, they occur frequently enough to prevent a higher score. Increasing the frequency of error-free complex sentences would improve the grade.

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