Band 5.5 IELTS Writing Task 2 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 5.5 · Recent IELTS Exams (Canada & India) · 2026-09-16

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 recent years, most of the students do not prefer to study science at a university. This has become a major isssue, as there is a shortage of skilled engineers across the world. This essay will discuss the main problems and suggest the appropriate solutions.

One major problem is the lack of interest of the child in the science subject. This is a major issue in many students. As a result, the student is compiled to choose either commerce or arts. Another issue is that parents forcing children to prefer other subjects. Which lead to the students not taking up science as their subject.

Several measures can solve these problems. Firstly, educating students about the benefits of choosing science and motivating them to take up science as their subject. Secondly, explaining the potential career options to their parents. So that they encourage their kids to choose science. This can be done by setting up education camps or giving presentations on the subject. As a result, more children will end up preferring science. over other subjects. For instance, If a child is taught about the career options that science offers before his university, then there are high chances of him ending up choosing science.

In conclusion, although there is massive shortage of students who choose science at a university and it presents significant challenges. Furthermore, it can be addressed through proper explanation regarding the benefits of choosing science and making sure that the parents are told about the career pathways and growth that science ce field offers.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 6.0

The response addresses the prompt's two core parts—the causes of fewer students choosing science and the effects on society—though there is a slight mismatch in the essay's opening roadmap where it promises to discuss "solutions" rather than "effects." The writer successfully identifies causes such as a lack of interest and parental pressure, and touches upon the societal effect of a skilled engineer shortage. However, the ideas are relatively brief and under-developed, relying on simple assertions rather than fully extended arguments. For instance, the discussion on parental pressure ("Another issue is that parents forcing children to prefer other subjects") ends abruptly with a sentence fragment. While the task is addressed, the depth of exploration corresponds to a Band 5.5 or Band 6 level. Because the text reaches the 256-word threshold, length is not penalised, but further elaboration of the societal impacts would be required for a higher score.

Coherence and Cohesion — Band 5.5

The essay is divided into four paragraphs, showing a clear structural attempt with an introduction, body paragraphs, and a conclusion. However, the logical progression is frequently disrupted by mechanical or faulty referencing and structural fragmentation. For example, sentences such as "Which lead to the students not taking up science as their subject" are incomplete fragments that disrupt the flow. Cohesive devices are used, but they are often basic or awkwardly placed, such as starting consecutive sentences with "Firstly" and "Secondly" followed by incomplete clauses like "So that they encourage their kids to choose science." Paragraphing is present, but the internal cohesion of the body paragraphs suffers from repetitive phrasing and abrupt transitions. Overall, the arrangement is coherent enough to follow, but logical links need strengthening.

Lexical Resource — Band 5.5

The lexical range is somewhat limited and repetitive throughout the essay. The student frequently recycles basic vocabulary and phrases, such as "study science at a university," "major issue," and "choose science." There are noticeable spelling errors, such as "isssue," and awkward word choices like "compiled" instead of "compelled." While the writer attempts some less common phrases like "potential career options" and "massive shortage," inaccuracies in word formation and collocation prevent the vocabulary from achieving greater precision. However, the vocabulary used is sufficient to convey the basic message, and the errors do not severely impede overall communication, placing it solidly in the Band 5.5 to 6 range.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 5.0

The student attempts a mix of simple and complex sentence forms, but the text is marred by frequent grammatical errors and structural flaws. There are several sentence fragments and run-on constructions, such as "So that they encourage their kids to choose science" and "Which lead to the students not taking up science as their subject." Subject-verb agreement and tense consistency also present issues, as seen in "most of the students do not prefer" combined with fragmented clauses. Punctuation is occasionally misused, separating dependent clauses from their main sentences with full stops. While the writer demonstrates some ability to form subordinate clauses, the frequency of basic grammatical slips and structural errors means that error-free sentences are in the minority.

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