Band 6.0 IELTS Writing Task 2 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 6.0 · Recent IELTS Exams (Canada & India) · 2026-09-05

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)

The popularity of science is decreasing dramatically among university students. In today's modern society, pupils are often interested in choosing subjects other than science. The duration of course and the lack of immediate employment are the major causes. It can pose a serious threat to the healthcare and agricultural sector.

The number of individuals choosing science field are decreasing at a faster rate day by day. The primary cause is the length of the course. Science degrees are often very practical, it takes several days to even weeks in order to obtain the results of an performed experiment. In addition, science studies requires a huge financial investment to complete a scientific research or a study. Furthermore, even after finishing a lengthy course, people often face difficulties in finding a stable job, which is why many students are interested in various courses such as finance and business. They comparatively require less time and budget also offers immediate employment. Therefore, the enrollment of students in science courses is dropping dramatically.

There are many possible negative effects of students choosing other courses rather than science. Firstly, the scientific research to discover innovative alternatives to the existing resources will reduce significantly. Healthcare industry, for instance, the quest for new and sophisticated treatments methods, rapidly curing medicines and better equipment will fall eventually. Conversely, in agricultural sector, the desire for crops with improved growth and disease tolerance varieties will decline drastically. Furthermore, lack of scientists will impact the technology to grow faster with more advanced features and processes. Thus, science is the base for all of the improvements in the society, reduced interest in science by students will have a significant impact on the society.

In conclusion, an increasing number of students are preferring other subjects to science by considering faster job opportunities and financial constraints. But this will have a lasting effect on society by lacking scientific researchers to invent new methods and solutions for future causes.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 6.0

The response addresses both parts of the prompt: causes (length of course, financial investment, employment prospects) and effects (impact on healthcare, agriculture, and innovation). The position is clear throughout. However, the development of ideas is somewhat superficial. For example, the claim that science experiments take 'several days to even weeks' to get results is a generalization that lacks nuance. While the main points are relevant, they could be extended with more specific examples or deeper analysis to reach a higher band. The conclusion effectively summarizes the main points, maintaining a consistent focus on the task requirements.

Coherence and Cohesion — Band 6.5

The essay is logically organized with a clear introduction, body paragraphs, and conclusion. Paragraphing is used appropriately to separate the causes from the effects. Cohesive devices such as 'In addition', 'Furthermore', 'Conversely', and 'Thus' are used to link ideas. However, some transitions feel slightly mechanical, and there are minor issues with referencing, such as the phrase 'future causes' in the conclusion, which is unclear. Overall, the progression of ideas is logical, and the reader can follow the argument without difficulty.

Lexical Resource — Band 6.0

The vocabulary is generally adequate for the task. The student uses some topic-specific terms like 'healthcare', 'agricultural sector', 'innovative alternatives', and 'sophisticated treatments'. There are occasional inaccuracies in word choice or collocation, such as 'science field are decreasing' (should be 'the field of science is') and 'science studies requires' (subject-verb agreement error). While the range is sufficient to convey meaning, it lacks the flexibility and precision required for higher bands, relying on somewhat repetitive phrasing.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 6.0

The essay uses a mix of simple and complex sentence structures. There are several grammatical errors that occur throughout the text, including subject-verb agreement issues ('science studies requires', 'number of individuals... are decreasing') and article usage ('in agricultural sector'). Punctuation is generally functional, though some sentences are slightly clunky. While these errors do not impede communication, they are frequent enough to prevent the essay from reaching the 7.0 band, which requires more frequent error-free sentences and better control over complex structures.

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

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