Band 5.5 IELTS Writing Task 2 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 5.5 · Recent IELTS Exams (Canada & India) · 2026-09-04

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 most countries not many students are choosing to study science at `university.

the decrease in enrollment rates in science major may be linked to their difficulty and also because there are a lot of other alternatives to it. The students would rather choose the easier route instead of the difficult ones.

This can have serious consequences for society as skilled professionals are decreasing day by day.

One major reason for the declining popularity it is that students find it difficult to study Math, Physics and chemistry especially because these disciplines are associated with a lot of formulas, equations and theories. Students may therefore consider fields which are less demanding and don't have much toll on their brain. Another reason is that students prefer a more predictable route that may lead them to their desired job. Young people nowadays are specially interested in careers related to business , social media, management and so much more. these professions may offer better working conditions and pay as compared to scientific field of studies because students mostly don't feel the motivation to do so or also because there is lack of laboratories at schools.

This situation can have adverse affects on society when skilled workers

are reduced from society it can create a lot of problems like shortage of doctors , engineers and scientists.

In conclusion, the declining interest in university science courses is because of their difficulty, competition in other attractive careers etc. If this trend continues societies may face serious shortages of skilled workers.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 5.5

The response addresses both parts of the prompt: the causes (difficulty of subjects, preference for predictable careers) and the effects (shortage of skilled professionals). However, the development is somewhat limited. The ideas are presented but lack depth or specific examples to fully support the arguments. For instance, the mention of 'lack of laboratories' is a relevant point but is not expanded upon. The position is clear, but the overall structure feels a bit thin for an academic essay. To reach a higher band, you should aim to elaborate on your points with more detailed explanations or concrete examples to ensure the response is fully developed.

Coherence and Cohesion — Band 5.5

The essay is organized into logical paragraphs, which helps the reader follow the argument. There is a clear introduction, body paragraphs, and a conclusion. However, the use of cohesive devices is somewhat mechanical and occasionally repetitive. For example, the transition 'Another reason is that...' is standard, but the flow between sentences could be smoother. Some referencing is slightly unclear, such as the use of 'their' in the second paragraph, which lacks a clear antecedent. Improving the variety of linking words and ensuring that pronouns clearly refer back to their subjects would enhance the overall flow.

Lexical Resource — Band 5.5

The vocabulary is adequate for the task, allowing you to express your ideas clearly. You use some topic-specific terms like 'enrollment rates', 'disciplines', and 'adverse affects'. However, there are some inaccuracies in word choice and collocation, such as 'don't have much toll on their brain' (should be 'take a toll') and the spelling error 'affects' instead of 'effects'. The range of vocabulary is somewhat limited, relying on fairly common words. To improve, try to incorporate more precise academic collocations and ensure correct word forms are used consistently.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 5.5

The response uses a mix of simple and complex sentence structures. While the meaning is generally clear, there are frequent errors in punctuation and grammar. For example, there are issues with capitalization at the start of sentences ('the decrease...', 'these professions...'), missing articles, and comma splices. While these errors do not significantly impede communication, they occur frequently enough to prevent a higher score. To improve, focus on proofreading for basic sentence mechanics, such as subject-verb agreement and proper capitalization, and try to vary your sentence structure by using more complex subordinating conjunctions.

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

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