Band 5.5 IELTS Writing Task 2 Model Answer
Overall Band Score: 5.5 · Recent IELTS Exams (Canada & India) · 2026-08-28
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, the number of science students at universities is diminishing and many people are confused about the reasons and worried about its potential effects. In this essay i will explain the reasons of science rejection and its consequences on society in the futue.
Many students are choosing fields to study at university like economic , engineering , law... while science field remarked a huge decreasing in its number of students and that happens under a lot of reasons . First, science field is very difficult and challenging to human's brain . Also it requires a very high mathematics and physics grades to let people study it .So students are choosing other less depanding fields that fit their brain abilities . Second, science courses at universities are very expansive in most of the colleges and people can't afford the costs of studies, college equipements , transport ... So they escape the science field and go with other fields that respect their financial situation like my situation, last year i wanted to register in a science university to study data science but because of their high fees i registered in an economic university instead.
This situation can have huge effects on society in the future like a disequilibration in the job market where most of posts will not have employees to occupe it and other fields will have a high percentage of unemployment. Furthermore, the number of scientists will diminish and scientific researches as well showing a very emerging problems in the future due to science significant role in human's developement either in vaccins or medications...
In conclusion, there are several reasons of science students diminishing number and it will have negative impacts on society in the near future which requires an intervention from the governments.
AI examiner evaluation
| Criterion | Band |
|---|---|
| Task Achievement / Task Response | 5.5 |
| Coherence and Cohesion | 5.5 |
| Lexical Resource | 5.5 |
| Grammatical Range and Accuracy | 5.5 |
| Overall | 5.5 |
Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 5.5
The essay addresses both parts of the prompt: causes (difficulty, cost) and effects (job market imbalance, lack of research). However, the development is somewhat superficial. While you provide personal examples, such as your own experience with data science fees, the analysis of the effects on society remains quite general. To reach a higher band, you should expand on the 'why' and 'how' of these consequences—for example, explaining how a lack of medical research specifically impacts public health outcomes. The position is clear, but the depth of argument needs to be more consistent throughout the body paragraphs to fully satisfy the requirements of the task.
Coherence and Cohesion — Band 5.5
The essay is organized into logical paragraphs, and there is a clear progression of ideas from causes to effects. You use basic cohesive devices like 'First', 'Second', and 'In conclusion' to guide the reader. However, the flow within paragraphs is sometimes mechanical, and the use of referencing is occasionally imprecise. For instance, the transition between the difficulty of science and the financial aspect could be smoother. Additionally, some sentences are slightly disjointed due to punctuation errors, which affects the overall flow. Improving the variety of linking words and ensuring they are used more naturally would enhance the coherence of your writing.
Lexical Resource — Band 5.5
You demonstrate an adequate range of vocabulary for the task, using terms like 'diminishing', 'disequilibration', and 'medications'. However, there are several instances of word-choice errors and awkward collocations, such as 'science field remarked a huge decreasing' (should be 'has seen a significant decline') and 'occupy it' (referring to 'posts'). Some phrasing is also informal or imprecise, such as 'fit their brain abilities'. To improve, focus on learning collocations—words that naturally go together—and avoid repeating the same basic vocabulary. Expanding your range to include more precise academic terminology will help you move toward a higher band.
Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 5.5
You attempt a mix of simple and complex sentence structures, but there are frequent grammatical errors that occasionally impede clarity. Common issues include subject-verb agreement (e.g., 'science field remarked'), incorrect article usage (e.g., 'the science field'), and punctuation errors, such as the misuse of ellipses and capitalization of 'i'. While the meaning is generally clear, these persistent errors in basic grammar and sentence construction prevent the writing from reaching a higher level. Focus on proofreading for subject-verb agreement and ensuring that complex sentences are constructed with correct subordinate clauses to improve your accuracy.
See this exact question answered at other band scores — the same prompt compared across bands.
Browse more IELTS Writing model answers or get your own writing scored by the same AI examiner.