Band 6.5 IELTS Writing Task 2 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 6.5 · Recent IELTS Exams (Canada & India) · 2026-09-12

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 many countries, fewer students are choosing to study science at university. It is mainly because they have developed a greater interest in digital fields and this trend will have both positive and negative effects on society.

One of the major causes is the increasing demand for computing skills, which has tempted many students choose to enroll in fields, such as Computer Science, Information Technology and Artificial Intelligence. Furthermore, computer-related fields offer numerous job opportunities to individuals throughout the world. People can easily secure a well-paid job by having a command in particular skills of computing education. These capabilities also provide people with immense advantages. For example, a computing professional also has the opportunity to work remotely from the comfort of their homes, saving on commuting expenses and allowing them to avoid stressful working environments. These benefits of computing-related fields encourage many students to pursue degrees in these areas.

This trend will have various positive and negative effects on society. On the one hand, this trend can benefit society by strengthening the technology sector and creating digital breakthroughs when a large number of students enter technology-related fields. Moreover, it can improve economic conditions by providing a large skilled workforce. On the other hand, it will also lead to a shortage of skilled scientists and slow down the scientific progress. Society may have fewer people to conduct research and develop new technologies that can be advantageous to society in several ways. For example, technological advancements can help develop new treatments for many incurable diseases and contribute to environmental protection. However, the slower progress can affect areas, including medicine, energy and environmental protection. Therefore, it is crucial to strike a balance between the number of students choosing computing and scientific fields.

In conclusion, although computing disciplines offer stronger career prospects around the world and provide convenient job opportunities, more students are needed in science subjects to advance scientific developments and create innovations that serve society.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 6.5

The response addresses all parts of the prompt by identifying both the causes (demand for computing skills, job opportunities, remote work flexibility) and the effects on society (strengthening technology and the economy versus causing a shortage of scientists and slowing down progress). The position is clear throughout, and the ideas are extended and supported with relevant explanations. For instance, the explanation of how computer fields offer remote work and well-paid positions effectively justifies the students' choices. The effects are also logically categorized into positive and negative outcomes. Overall, the task is well-covered and meets the band 7 descriptors effectively.

Coherence and Cohesion — Band 6.5

The essay displays a clear logical organisation and progression throughout. Information and ideas are coherently structured into an introduction, well-defined body paragraphs, and a conclusion. Cohesive devices such as 'Furthermore', 'On the one hand', 'On the other hand', and 'Therefore' are used appropriately to guide the reader through the argument. Paragraphing is used sufficiently, with each body paragraph focusing on a distinct aspect of the prompt (causes versus effects). The referencing and substitution throughout the text are clear and contribute to the overall readability of the essay.

Lexical Resource — Band 6.0

The student demonstrates an adequate range of vocabulary for the task with some less common items and collocations attempted, such as 'digital fields', 'immense advantages', 'well-paid job', and 'technological advancements'. There are occasional inaccuracies in word choice or phrasing, such as writing 'students choose to enroll' instead of 'students choosing to enroll' or 'having a command in particular skills' rather than 'command of'. However, these lexical errors do not impede communication, and the vocabulary used is sufficient to convey precise meanings about academic and professional trends.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 6.0

The essay exhibits a mix of simple and complex sentence forms, demonstrating a decent command of grammatical structures. Complex sentences are used with relative success, incorporating subordinate clauses like 'which has tempted many students' and 'that can be advantageous to society'. There are some grammatical errors, such as 'students choose to enroll' instead of 'choosing to enroll' and minor awkwardness in preposition usage. However, punctuation is generally sound, and the errors do not impede communication, allowing the reader to follow the line of reasoning easily.

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

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