Band 5.5 IELTS Writing Task 2 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 5.5 · Recent IELTS Exams (Canada & India) · 2026-08-31

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 many countries, an increasing number of students are choosing subjects other than science at university. This trend can be attributed to several factors, including the perceived difficulties of science subjects, the greater financial appeal of alternative careers, and a lack of practical exposure to science during school education.

Firstly, many students considered science related subjects to be particularly challenging because they require considerable analytical, mathematical and problem solving skills and abilities. Consequently, students who are less confidant in these areas may prefer courses such as business, arts or management, which they perceive as less demanding.

Secondly, the perceived career prospects of other fields can discourage students from pursuing science. For instance, careers in business, finance and technology are often associated with attractive salaries and rapid career progression. As a result, young people may choose these disciplines instead of spending several years studying demanding scientific subjects.

Furthermore, Some people have not had a greater appeal of finances they can not only afford the expenditure of the university but also facing family crisis. Therefore some students want to choose that stream but can not afford to take that streams.

In conclusion, Science is most challenging subjects to the students by physically, mentally, emotionally and financially. It takes time for research, study for examination, interest in manner and also costly for the admission in to the university.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 5.0

The response addresses both parts of the prompt (causes and effects), but the development is uneven. While the causes are clearly identified in the first two paragraphs, the effects on society are not explicitly discussed; the conclusion instead focuses on the challenges of studying science. Furthermore, the response is 25 words under the 250-word minimum, which significantly impacts the ability to fully develop ideas. The final paragraph is somewhat repetitive and fails to provide a clear summary of the societal consequences requested by the task. To improve, ensure each part of the prompt is given a dedicated paragraph and ensure the word count requirement is met to allow for full expansion of arguments.

Coherence and Cohesion — Band 6.0

The essay uses basic cohesive devices such as 'Firstly', 'Secondly', and 'In conclusion' to structure the response. Paragraphing is present, but the logical flow is hindered by the final paragraph, which introduces new, somewhat disjointed points rather than synthesizing the previous arguments. Referencing is generally clear, but the connection between ideas within the final paragraph is weak, making the overall progression feel somewhat mechanical. To achieve a higher band, focus on using a wider range of cohesive devices and ensure that each paragraph has a clear, singular focus that contributes to the overall argument.

Lexical Resource — Band 6.0

The vocabulary is adequate for the task, with some good collocations such as 'rapid career progression' and 'analytical, mathematical and problem solving skills'. However, there are instances of awkward phrasing and word choice, such as 'not had a greater appeal of finances' and 'choose that stream'. The range is somewhat limited, and the repetition of words like 'science' and 'students' suggests a need for more varied synonyms. While the meaning is generally clear, the lack of precision in some sentences prevents the essay from reaching a higher band.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 5.5

The essay uses a mix of simple and complex sentence structures. There are several grammatical errors, such as 'Some people have not had a greater appeal of finances' and 'Science is most challenging subjects to the students by physically, mentally, emotionally and financially'. These errors occasionally impede the reader's understanding. While the writer attempts complex structures, the control is inconsistent. To improve, focus on subject-verb agreement and the correct use of prepositions and adverbs. Proofreading for basic sentence construction errors would also help to increase the accuracy of the writing.

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.