Band 6.5 IELTS Writing Task 2 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 6.5 · Recent IELTS Exams (Canada & India) · 2026-09-03

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 the recent decades, it has been observed globally that numerous students are opting non-scientific fields over STEM related subjects. I believe this phenomenon is largely driven by the introduction of other lucrative and convinient subjects in University's curriculum and it will adversely impact the society upto some extent.

In recent years, the number of students pursuing career in scientific fields has dropped significantly. This is primarily due to the adoption of other non-scientific fields such as business management and e-commerce. These subjects offer students with much better opportunities in terms of earnings and balanced lifestyle. For instance, a lot of undergraduate students are now choosing accounting and finance as their major over medicine as becoming a doctor requires extreme amount of arduous work and long period of dedication and training and hence might not be seen as a reasonable career option by many university students. Moreover, many students believe that the job market is highly saturated for science related professions and they can avail better employment opportunities in other sectors.

However, this growing trend can have substantial drawbacks for the community and the country as a whole. If young students will not demonstrate interest towards science related fields and research sector then the country will lag in scientific innovations and developments. Not to mention, many countries in modern era are totally dependant on scientific research to keep their economy expanding, such as USA, Japan, China and Germany. Therefore, less graduates in science related sectors mean less workforce to keep up with the proliferating demand in technological innovation and development sectors. Ultimately, the society will lag behind in scientific research and development and will not be able to take advantage of modern innovations. This illustration can be seen in many developing nations where lack of scientific research has put a strain on health sectors and many people suffer from chronic illnesses due to non-availibility of modern treatment methods.

To conclude, the integration of non-scientific subjects in universities core curriculum has considerably lessened the demand of other scientific subjects. This might adversely affect the STEM-related sectors in many nations and will slow their economic expansion.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 6.5

The response addresses both parts of the prompt: causes (lucrative alternatives, arduous nature of science careers) and effects (lack of innovation, economic strain). The position is clear throughout. Ideas are well-developed, particularly the link between scientific research and economic expansion. However, the essay could be improved by providing more specific examples beyond just naming countries like the USA or Japan. The argument is logical and consistent, meeting the requirements for a Band 7.0. To reach a higher band, ensure that the link between the causes and effects is even more tightly integrated to avoid slight repetition in the conclusion.

Coherence and Cohesion — Band 6.5

The essay is logically organized with a clear introduction, body paragraphs, and a conclusion. Paragraphing is used effectively to separate the causes from the effects. Cohesive devices such as 'Moreover', 'However', and 'Therefore' are used to guide the reader through the argument. While the flow is generally smooth, some transitions feel slightly mechanical. The referencing is clear, and the progression of ideas is logical throughout the text. The use of cohesive devices is sufficient, though not always sophisticated, which is consistent with the Band 7 descriptor.

Lexical Resource — Band 6.0

The student demonstrates a sufficient range of vocabulary to discuss the topic with some precision. Phrases like 'lucrative and convenient subjects', 'arduous work', and 'proliferating demand' show an ability to use less common lexical items. There are some minor errors in word choice and spelling, such as 'convinient' (convenient), 'upto' (up to), and 'non-availibility' (unavailability). These errors do not impede communication, but they prevent the essay from reaching the higher band descriptors. Expanding the range of academic collocations would further strengthen this score.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 6.0

The essay uses a mix of simple and complex sentence structures. There is good control over complex sentences, such as 'If young students will not demonstrate interest... then the country will lag...'. However, there are persistent minor errors, such as 'In the recent decades' (should be 'In recent decades'), 'opting non-scientific fields' (should be 'opting for'), and 'less graduates' (should be 'fewer graduates'). While these errors do not cause difficulty for the reader, they are frequent enough to keep the score at a 6.5. Increasing the frequency of error-free complex sentences would improve this score.

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

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