Band 5.5 IELTS Writing Task 2 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 5.5 · Recent IELTS Exams (Canada & India) · 2026-09-27

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)

Around the world in many countries comparatively less students are interested in science subjects, while enough students are enrolled in art subjects. There are several reasons which influence the interest of students such as weak education background, lake of exposure and jobs opportunities.

This can lead to multiple problems in a society which includes lack of scientific research and less development.

Many university students show less interest in science subjects, such as biology, physics, and astronomy, which are basic life science subjects. Moreover, majority of the students lean toward arts. A number of factors influence the interest of students; like weak secondary education, it is a major factor because it determine the student ability to continue their higher education. Furthermore, the lack of exposure is also a contributing factor, it can diverge students to pursue science subjects in their higher education. Students must be given a field exposure in their schools and colleges, also different seminars must be arranged regarding the scientific discoveries and innovations. In some underdeveloped countries lack of job opportunities and weak infrastructure is an addition reason which prevents students to choose these subjects. For instance, more people are investing in businesses which create opportunities for relevant experts such as accountants or cashiers.

This shift in trend can have many negative outcomes for a society. It will lead to insufficient expertise in the field of science and technology, which are very essential for the development and prosperity of any nation, it can also badly effect the economy of a country. Also, lack of research and innovation is one of the major outcome and it will results in weak industrial infrastructure, which proves that government must invest in these major fields, so the community may not face these problems.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response: Band 5.5

The response addresses all parts of the prompt, discussing both the causes behind students avoiding science subjects and the resulting effects on society. In the introduction and body paragraphs, the writer identifies causes such as a weak educational background, a lack of practical exposure, and limited job opportunities. Furthermore, the consequences on society are outlined, including a lack of scientific research, hindered technological development, and economic impacts. However, some ideas remain underdeveloped and would benefit from more detailed explanation or deeper elaboration. For instance, the point regarding business investment in accounting and cashiers could be extended to better contrast with scientific fields. Despite these limitations in depth, the main parts of the prompt are covered with a clear stance and relevant examples, aligning well with the descriptors for Band 6.

Coherence and Cohesion: Band 5.5

The essay displays a coherent overall arrangement with a logical progression of ideas from causes in the first half to effects in the second half. Paragraphing is utilised adequately, separating the introduction, body analysis, and concluding thoughts. However, cohesive devices are sometimes mechanical or faulty. For instance, transitional phrases like 'Moreover,' 'Furthermore,' and 'Also,' are used frequently, and referencing is occasionally imprecise, such as the pronoun 'it' referring back vaguely in sentences like 'it can diverge students to pursue science subjects.' Additionally, spelling errors such as 'lake' instead of 'lack' and minor punctuation slips disrupt the smooth flow of reading. Overall, the organizational structure is adequate for a Band 6 score.

Lexical Resource: Band 5.5

The candidate demonstrates an adequate range of vocabulary for the task, attempting less common lexical items such as 'infrastructure,' 'innovations,' 'insufficient,' and 'prosperity.' However, there are noticeable inaccuracies in word choice, collocation, and spelling throughout the response. Examples include spelling errors like 'lake of exposure' instead of 'lack,' and awkward phrasing such as 'comparatively less students' instead of 'fewer students' and 'field exposure' instead of 'practical exposure' or 'hands-on experience.' While these vocabulary errors and word-choice lapses do not seriously impede overall communication, they occur regularly enough to prevent the response from achieving a higher band, comfortably placing it at Band 5.5.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 5.0

The writer attempts a mix of simple and complex sentence forms, incorporating clauses with subordinating conjunctions such as 'which influence the interest' and 'because it determine the student ability.' However, there are frequent grammatical errors, particularly with subject-verb agreement (e.g., 'it determine the student ability' instead of 'determines the students' ability') and pluralisation (e.g., 'less students' instead of 'fewer students'). Additionally, run-on sentences and comma splices appear, such as in the final paragraph: 'It will lead to insufficient expertise... and technology, which are very essential... any nation, it can also badly effect the economy...' These persistent errors and punctuation issues occasionally cause difficulty for the reader, matching the criteria for a Band 5.

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

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