Band 5.5 IELTS Writing Task 2 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 5.5 · Recent IELTS Exams (Canada & India) · 2026-08-15

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)

Science is not a widely chosen major among university students, this is because of the complexity of the subject and the preference of a field they are actually interested in. This has resulted in employees who are exceptionally good at their tasks.

Science has been widely chosen by people in the past because of the potential jobs and the pride it offers. Parents often force their kids to learn science and limit their options to only two, either doctor or engineer. This has resulted in unemployment because there are less jobs in those fields than people demanding them. In many countries, especially in Asia, children have indulged themselves in self-harming activities like suicide due to the immense pressure.

Many students nowadays prefer to choose a major that they are passionate about, this not only lifts off the pressure but makes studying enjoyable because they are learning about something they are genuinely interested in. This has led to a surge in graduates in fields like computer science and finance etc.

While interest is one major reason people are preferring other subjects, some also intentionally don't choose science because of its complexity. Science is a demanding subject that requires a lot of hard work and time, and some people just don't want to spend their twenties indulged in books.

This has had many positive impacts on society because jobs in less common fields are now being taken over by people of actual skills and experience. In the past, these jobs were served on a platter to a handful of people simply because they chose to study a less common major but now the contrary is true.

All in all, students not solely choosing science whether it's because of the complexity or their interest has resulted in a society with skillful people on job posts.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 5.5

The response addresses both parts of the prompt: causes and effects. However, the development is inconsistent. While the causes (complexity, personal interest) are identified, the discussion on effects is somewhat contradictory and lacks depth. For instance, the claim that students avoiding science leads to 'employees who are exceptionally good at their tasks' is a broad generalization that is not clearly linked to the prompt's focus on the decline of science students. The essay would benefit from more specific, logical connections between the decline in science enrollment and the broader societal consequences, rather than focusing heavily on personal career choices.

Coherence and Cohesion — Band 5.5

The essay is organized into paragraphs, and there is a clear attempt at logical progression. However, the use of cohesive devices is sometimes mechanical or repetitive. For example, the phrase 'This has resulted in' is used multiple times to start sentences, which limits the flow. Additionally, some transitions between ideas are abrupt, such as the jump from the pressure of studying science to the surge in computer science graduates. Improving the variety of linking words and ensuring that each paragraph has a clear, unified focus would enhance the overall coherence.

Lexical Resource — Band 5.5

The vocabulary is generally adequate for the task, allowing the writer to express their ideas clearly. There are some attempts at less common vocabulary, such as 'indulged themselves' and 'served on a platter', though the usage is occasionally slightly unnatural or imprecise. The range is sufficient to communicate the main points, but it lacks the precision and flexibility required for a higher band. To improve, focus on using more academic collocations and avoiding informal phrasing like 'kids' or 'etc.' at the end of a sentence.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 5.5

The essay contains a mix of simple and complex sentence structures. There are several grammatical errors, such as comma splices (e.g., '...university students, this is because...') and subject-verb agreement issues (e.g., 'there are less jobs'). While these errors do not significantly impede communication, they occur frequently enough to prevent a higher score. To reach a higher band, the student should focus on using more varied complex structures, such as relative clauses or conditional sentences, while ensuring punctuation and subject-verb agreement are accurate.

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

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