Band 6.5 IELTS Writing Task 2 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 6.5 · Recent IELTS Exams (Canada & India) · 2026-08-12

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 many nations, students do not want to pursue STEM subjects in their university education. An increased fee rates of science courses and complexity of scientific concepts could be causes for this. This would hinder the growth of scientific innovation in society, as nation would have less numbers of engineers, and researchers.

Firstly, Universities charge extra money for science courses from pupils, as they require high-tech laboratories and costly instruments to educate students in technical concepts. As a result, students from lower-income families cannot take admission in science courses. In addition, learning science requires high IQ, and great problem solving skill. That is why students with an average intellect avoid to pursue science courses. As a result, the technical courses are shutting down in many education campuses. The University of Nottingham recently closed nursing course due to lack of funding and reduced admission.

As society have less STEM graduates, nation faces shortage of engineers, doctors and researchers. As a result, the government would need to invite foreign employees for scientific discoveries, resulting in an increase in expenditure due to their high-salary demand. In addition, the goverment may need to outsource the development of defence equipments to technologically advanced countries. This would result in a restriction from exporting high-tech weapons, as such countries would not allow them due to political concerns. The denial by the USA to export engines to India for fighter planes is the biggest example of this.

In conclusion, the requirement of advance skills to study science and expenditure towards the tuition fees for science courses are the reasons behind a decrease in students number at University. This makes country dependent on other advanced naions for their security.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 7.0

The response addresses both parts of the prompt: causes (high costs and perceived difficulty) and effects (shortage of skilled professionals and national dependency). The ideas are relevant and generally well-supported with examples, such as the mention of the University of Nottingham and the India-USA defense trade scenario. However, the development is slightly uneven; the claim that science requires 'high IQ' is a generalization that could be more nuanced. Overall, the response maintains a clear position and covers all requirements of the task effectively, fitting the criteria for a Band 7.

Coherence and Cohesion — Band 7.0

The essay is logically organized with a clear introduction, body paragraphs, and a conclusion. Each paragraph has a central theme. Cohesive devices such as 'Firstly', 'In addition', and 'As a result' are used to guide the reader. However, there are instances where the flow is slightly mechanical, and some referencing is a bit repetitive. Paragraphing is used appropriately to separate the causes from the effects. The progression of ideas is clear, and the overall structure supports the argument well, warranting a Band 7.

Lexical Resource — Band 6.0

The vocabulary is generally adequate and appropriate for the topic, using terms like 'STEM subjects', 'scientific innovation', and 'technological advancement'. There are some minor inaccuracies in collocation and word choice, such as 'take admission in' (should be 'gain admission to') and 'less numbers of' (should be 'fewer'). While the student attempts to use less common vocabulary, the range is somewhat limited, and there are occasional errors in word formation. The vocabulary is sufficient to convey meaning clearly, but lacks the precision and flexibility required for a higher band.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 6.0

The student uses a mix of simple and complex sentence structures. There are several grammatical errors throughout the text, such as 'An increased fee rates' (article/pluralization error), 'nation would have' (missing article), and 'As society have' (subject-verb agreement). Punctuation is generally functional, but there are minor errors in article usage and pluralization that persist. While these errors do not impede communication, they occur frequently enough to prevent a higher score. The control of complex structures is evident but not always error-free.

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