Band 5.5 IELTS Writing Task 2 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 5.5 · Recent IELTS Exams (Canada & India) · 2026-09-06

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 numerous countries sufficient students are not selecting science as a career at university. It is mainly because science is a difficult course and in many counties there are minimal job opportunities for this subject. It has plenty of effects on the society as there will be very less diversification.

Science, itself is a very difficult and conceptual subject with very less job opportunities in the market. It requires a lot of experimental work and deep understanding of the concepts.

Many universities in different countries do not have complete equipment to perform practical experiments in the laboratory.

Because of which students do not have proper understanding of the concepts. Moreover, there are very few job opportunities in this field because many countries do not heavily invest in new technology related to new researches in science. For example, students in Pakistani universities do not choose Bio Informatics as a career because universities do not have enough equipment and there are very few openings in the jobs.

It has some effects on the society as there will be no diversification. If students do not choose science as a career, there are a very few other fields left which include IT, business. Countries face economic losses because of this as they then have to outsource people with these skills and experience in science subjects. For instance, UK has shortage of nurses, so it outsources people from different countries like Pakistan, India to fulfill its demand. Because of this countries have to pay higher wages and provide people with accommodation and work visas.

In conclusion, people do not prefer science as a lifetime career because it is a very conceptual subject requiring too much hard work with very few job opportunities. It effects the countries as there will be very minimal diversification in students careers.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 5.5

The response addresses both parts of the prompt: causes (difficulty, lack of equipment, few job opportunities) and effects (lack of diversification, economic losses, reliance on outsourcing). The ideas are relevant, though the development is somewhat repetitive. For instance, the point about 'few job opportunities' is mentioned in the introduction, the second paragraph, and the conclusion. To reach a higher band, you should expand on the societal implications beyond just economic factors, perhaps discussing the impact on scientific innovation or national progress. The position is clear, but the depth of analysis remains somewhat superficial.

Coherence and Cohesion — Band 6.0

The essay is organized into logical paragraphs, each with a clear focus. Cohesive devices are used, such as 'Moreover', 'For example', and 'In conclusion', which help the flow of ideas. However, some transitions feel mechanical or slightly repetitive, such as the frequent use of 'because of this' and 'there are'. The referencing is generally clear, but the progression of ideas could be smoother if you varied the linking words and avoided repeating the same points in the conclusion that were already stated in the body paragraphs.

Lexical Resource — Band 5.5

The vocabulary is adequate for the task but lacks variety and precision. You rely heavily on basic terms like 'difficult', 'very', and 'few'. Phrases like 'very less diversification' are grammatically incorrect and unnatural. While you attempt some topic-specific vocabulary like 'Bio Informatics', 'outsource', and 'experimental work', the range is limited. To improve, focus on using more precise adjectives and collocations rather than relying on intensifiers like 'very' to modify simple words.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 5.5

The essay contains a mix of simple and complex sentence structures. There are several grammatical errors that occur throughout the text, such as 'very less diversification' (should be 'much less' or 'a lack of'), 'It effects the countries' (should be 'affects'), and 'UK has shortage' (needs an article: 'the UK has a shortage'). While these errors do not prevent the reader from understanding your meaning, they are frequent enough to limit the score. You should focus on subject-verb agreement and the correct use of articles.

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

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