Band 5.5 IELTS Writing Task 2 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 5.5 · Recent IELTS Exams (Canada & India) · 2026-09-28

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)

It is noticed that many university students in different countries are not considering to study science as their major subject. This essay will discuss the possible causes which are may be increased competition in science field and less employment opportunities for the graduate students. This rising trend can effect different organisations with decrease in professional staff.

One significant reason is that students are choosing those subjects which can benefit them in future in different ways. They are selecting courses which are in demand and have some skills included in it. Due to increased competition in science-related subjects, students are tend to adopt those course which will improve their overall well-being. Furthermore, increased in field competition might affect job opportunities and people may not get their desired goals. For example, it is noticed that people who selected science in their universities did not get an opportunity to excel in their field lately because of saturation in job market. Consequently, learners are choosing other subjects, such as art, which is quite popular in different countries and can help achieving desired goals.

While on the other hand, this phenomenon can have detrimental effects on society. This is because many professional workplaces still prefer those graduates who have studied science in their universities. For instance, hospital will hire doctors only if they have relevant professional degree in these fields. As a result, community will face drawbacks and shortage of professional staff in different organisations. Moreover, people will unable to learn about their enviroment and nature which are the major part of science, which ultimately can lead to negative consequences, such as increased enviromental pollution. These effects can be minimized if equal opportunities are given to graduate students.

In conclusion, due to increased saturation in the field many students are not choosing science, despite its perks. This trend can effect society and many organisations might face lack of professional staff in the departments. This all can be measured if proper guidance and equal opportunities are given to students.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response: Band 5.5

The response addresses all parts of the task, examining both the causes of why fewer students choose science and the effects this trend has on society. A clear position is maintained throughout the essay. The causes—such as increased competition and fewer job opportunities—are identified and briefly explained, while the societal effects, including a shortage of professional staff in key workplaces like hospitals and a lack of environmental understanding, are also discussed. However, some ideas remain slightly under-developed and would benefit from deeper elaboration and more specific, detailed examples rather than generalisations. For instance, the discussion on job market saturation could be supported with a concrete sector analysis. Despite these minor limitations, the main prompts of the task are adequately covered, fulfilling the requirements for Band 6.0.

Coherence and Cohesion: Band 5.5

The essay displays a coherent overall arrangement with a clear logical progression from causes in the second paragraph to effects in the third. Paragraphing is utilised adequately, with distinct sections for the introduction, causes, effects, and conclusion. Cohesive devices are employed to link ideas, such as 'Furthermore', 'For example', and 'Consequently', although some referencing is occasionally mechanical or faulty, as seen in the phrase 'While on the other hand'. There are minor issues with logical flow, but the central message remains clear throughout. Overall, the organizational structure is sufficient to meet the Band 6.0 descriptor requirements, where information and ideas are logically arranged even if some cohesive links feel slightly repetitive or mechanical.

Lexical Resource: Band 5.5

The student uses an adequate range of vocabulary for the task, attempting some less common items such as 'saturation', 'detrimental', and 'professional staff'. However, there are noticeable word choice and collocation errors that detract from precision, such as 'are tend to adopt', 'increased in field competition', and 'people will unable to learn'. Spelling and word formation are generally clear, but errors like 'enviroment' appear. The vocabulary is minimally adequate to convey the intended meaning, but inaccuracies prevent the lexical score from reaching the higher bands. This performance aligns well with the Band 6.0 descriptor, reflecting a sufficient range with some inappropriate word choices and spelling slips that do not severely impede communication.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 5.5

The essay demonstrates a mix of simple and complex sentence forms, attempting structures like conditional and relative clauses ('students are choosing those subjects which can benefit them'). However, there is a persistent presence of grammatical errors and awkward phrasing, including 'are not considering to study', 'which are may be increased', 'students are tend to adopt', and 'This all can be measured'. Punctuation and verb agreement are occasionally faulty. While these errors occur frequently throughout the text, they rarely impede overall communication, as the reader can still grasp the intended meaning. This profile fits the Band 5.5 to 6.0 range; given that simple sentences are handled adequately and complex attempts are largely understandable despite frequent minor slips, a band score of 6.0 is appropriate.

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