Band 5.5 IELTS Writing Task 2 Model Answer
Overall Band Score: 5.5 · Recent IELTS Exams (Canada & India) · 2026-09-13
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)
The undergraduates are opting for more non-science subjects then are before due to which there is a decline in science subjects graduates. Main reason for this decrease in preference is because science is considered as a difficult course as compared with non-science subjects, they require alot of time. Because of this decline the healthcare system, new advancements and technology is facing backlash.
Nowadays, undergraduates think to study in a more relaxing manner and not to exhaust themselves while studying due to which they perfer to opt for non-science based subjects, which are know to have less complexity compared with science. Students have to perform practicals, thesis work, research work, and more other time taking studies being a science student.
Another key factor for this rising trend can be lack of job opportunities and less paying job in science field as compared with a non-science. In non-science field, after graduation students can easily earn a high paying job and can be stable with a very little struggle. However, the science graduate struggle to find a job first, and if they find one they get the least amount and after alot of hardships and years of experience you will get a paycheck that can support you.
As this issue is rising this can impact the society in many ways. To begin with economy. if science graduate are fewer the advancement in technology will be a key concern and that will ecffect the economy directly. Another important factor will be healthcare system, a single person will be burdenized with lot of task and will fail to do the important tasks on time and the healthcare system will see a decline. Others factors can be, infrastructure advancement of the country.
In conclusion, the rise in this trend is a alarming situation for a country, because every urbanized area require science graduates for its advancements.
AI examiner evaluation
| Criterion | Band |
|---|---|
| Task Achievement / Task Response | 5.5 |
| Coherence and Cohesion | 5.5 |
| Lexical Resource | 5.5 |
| Grammatical Range and Accuracy | 5.0 |
| Overall | 5.5 |
Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 5.5
The response addresses both parts of the prompt, identifying causes for the decline in science students, such as perceived difficulty and lower starting salaries, as well as societal effects on the economy and healthcare system. However, the development of these ideas is somewhat limited and repetitive. For example, the explanation of the causes relies heavily on general statements like 'science is considered as a difficult course' without providing concrete, well-extended examples. Furthermore, the conclusion contains sweeping claims about urbanized areas. While all parts of the task are touched upon, the depth of extension places this response comfortably at Band 6.
Coherence and Cohesion — Band 5.5
The essay displays a coherent overall arrangement with a clear attempt to structure the response into introduction, body paragraphs addressing causes and effects, and a conclusion. Paragraphing is utilized, though some paragraphs mix distinct ideas. Cohesive devices are sometimes mechanical or faulty, such as 'To begin with economy. if science graduate are fewer...' and 'Others factors can be...'. Referencing is occasionally unclear, and logical progression between sentences occasionally stumbles. Despite these flaws, the overall message remains clear, fitting the Band 6 descriptor well.
Lexical Resource — Band 5.5
The student demonstrates an adequate range of vocabulary for the task, successfully using terms like 'healthcare system', 'advancements', and 'job opportunities'. However, there are noticeable lexical inaccuracies and awkward word choices throughout the text, such as 'opt for more non-science subjects then are before', 'less paying job', 'burdenized with lot of task', and 'alarming situation'. Spelling and word-form errors, like 'ecffect' and 'perfer', also appear. While communication is not severely impeded, these limitations prevent the lexical score from reaching Band 6.5.
Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 5.0
The text contains a mix of simple and complex sentence forms, but grammatical control is inconsistent. There are frequent errors in subject-verb agreement and article usage, such as 'science graduate struggle', 'a science student', and 'the science graduate struggle'. Run-on sentences and punctuation issues also occur, notably in the first paragraph ('The undergraduates are opting for more non-science subjects then are before due to which there is a decline...'). Although complex structures are attempted, they often contain grammatical errors that occasionally cause the reader some difficulty, aligning closely with Band 5.0 descriptors.
See this exact question answered at other band scores — the same prompt compared across bands.
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