Band 6.0 IELTS Writing Task 2 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 6.0 · Recent IELTS Exams (Canada & India) · 2026-08-16

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)

In modern societies, it has been extensively observed that less number of students are choosing science as their major subject at universities. This may be due to complexity of the subject and a lack of employment opportunities for science graduates. It has detrimental effects on the society as science contributes in many important sectors, most importantly in the health-care system and research.

Nowadays, students consider to study other subjects instead of science primarily due to complexity of its fundamental concepts of science and phenomenon. Moreover, the nature of subject demands a lot of time, energy, and efforts to build concepts, while subject like arts, accounting, and linguistics are less conceptual and do not require in-depth knowledge. Furthermore, conventional degree choices have made job market saturated for science graduates. That is why pupils are considering other subjects over the science for their higher studies. For example, studies shows that countries facing employment issues had a greater proportion of individuals who had degrees in science.

The current preference of students regarding their choice of subjects in universities has a lot of disadvantages for the society. Science is advantageous as it has a very important role in several fields including, health. For instance, countries like Pakistan, Bangladesh, and Indonesia have shortage of doctors and paramedic staff, which lead to increase in mortality rates in these nations. In addition, it also decreases number of graduates that could be future scientists, who can invent medical tools and present novel therapeutic treatments. Nevertheless, this issue can be resolved by introducing effective teaching methods as well as increasing science related jobs.

In conclusion, the complex nature of subject and shortage of jobs discourage students to pursue higher studies in science, which could result in shortcomings of medical doctors and scientists, affecting millions of people worldwide. However, it can be addressed by increasing job opportunities and improving teaching methods.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 6.5

The response addresses both parts of the prompt: the causes (complexity, lack of jobs) and the effects (shortage of medical staff, impact on research). The ideas are relevant and generally well-developed, particularly the examples regarding healthcare shortages in specific countries. However, the argument could be strengthened by providing more depth on the 'research' aspect mentioned in the introduction, which remains somewhat underdeveloped in the body paragraphs. The position is clear throughout, and the response maintains a consistent focus on the prompt requirements.

Coherence and Cohesion — Band 6.5

The essay is logically organized with a clear introduction, body paragraphs, and a conclusion. Cohesive devices such as 'Moreover', 'Furthermore', and 'In addition' are used to link ideas effectively. Paragraphing is used appropriately to separate the causes from the effects. While the flow is generally smooth, some transitions feel slightly mechanical, and there are minor issues with referencing (e.g., 'the nature of subject' should be 'the nature of the subject'). Overall, the progression of ideas is easy to follow.

Lexical Resource — Band 6.0

The vocabulary is sufficient to convey the intended meaning clearly. There is an attempt to use topic-specific vocabulary such as 'saturated', 'mortality rates', and 'therapeutic treatments'. However, there are some recurring errors in article usage and word choice, such as 'less number of students' (should be 'a smaller number of students') and 'subject like arts' (should be 'subjects like arts'). These errors do not impede communication, but they prevent the essay from reaching a higher band score.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 5.5

The essay demonstrates a mix of simple and complex sentence structures. While the writer shows control over basic grammar, there are frequent minor errors, particularly with articles ('the society', 'the science') and pluralization ('studies shows', 'shortcoming of medical doctors'). Some sentences are slightly awkward, such as 'students consider to study', which should be 'students consider studying'. Despite these errors, the meaning is always clear, and the punctuation is generally accurate.

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

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