Band 6.0 IELTS Writing Task 2 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 6.0 · Recent IELTS Exams (Canada & India) · 2026-10-02

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 6.0)

In recent years, an increasing number of countries students have reported that declining interest to pursuing science-related disciplines. This trend is primarily driven by the perceived the difficulty of these courses and allure of higher-paying modern career paths. If left unaddressed, this decline could lead to severe technological stagnation and shortage of skilled professional in critical fields.

One major reason for the declining enrollment in science programs is demanding nature of the curriculum. Science disciplines such as physics, chemistry and engineering, require advanced mathematical skills, analytical thinking and long hours laboratory work, Consequently, many secondary school and students view this subjects as excessively challenging compared to humanities and business studies courses. The modern job market job offer highly lucrative opportunities in these sectors, like finance, digital marketing and management, which offer faster career and good opportunities and rewards without requiring intensive technical expertise.

The societal consequences of this trend are significant and far-reaching. First and foremost, a shortage of science graduates can threaten for a national developments, technological innovation and economic growth. Key industries- such as renewable energy sources, pharmaceuticals and engineering and professional doctors depend heavily on steady influx of skilled researchers and developers. Without them a nations risks falling behind a global competitiveness and falling urgent contemporary challenges, such as climate change and public health crises. Additionally, a shortage of medical scientists and healthcare experts can place immense pressure on national healthcare systems, reducing the overall quality of public medical care.

In conclusion, the hesitation to pursing science related course can crucial for a nation not only gradually grow but also needed for the people. To prevent long-term economic stagnation and societal institutions must incentivize science education and demonstrate its vital importance to future workforce needs.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response: Band 6.5

The response successfully addresses all parts of the prompt by identifying relevant causes and effects of the decline in science students, earning a solid mid-tier score. The main ideas are generally relevant, such as the demanding curriculum and career opportunities, yet certain points remain slightly under-developed or briefly stated. For example, while the economic and social consequences are mentioned, the explanation of how this affects public health crises could be extended further. The writer presents a clear position throughout the essay, but the depth of development varies across the body paragraphs, fulfilling the core requirements of addressing the prompt while showing partial elements of higher-level extension.

Coherence and Cohesion: Band 6.5

The essay displays a coherent overall arrangement with a clear logical progression from causes to societal effects and a concluding summary. Paragraphing is used appropriately to separate distinct themes, such as the curriculum in the second paragraph and national consequences in the third. However, cohesion is at times mechanical or faulty, as seen in repetitive transitional phrasing and occasional referencing issues, such as 'this subjects' or abrupt links between sentences. The writer uses cohesive devices adequately, but referencing is not always completely clear or smoothly integrated, pointing directly to the characteristics of a well-structured mid-level response with hints of better organisational control.

Lexical Resource: Band 6.0

The vocabulary used is adequate for the task, successfully conveying the intended meaning despite noticeable errors in word choice and word formation. The student attempts less common vocabulary, such as 'technological stagnation', 'lucrative opportunities', and 'steady influx', which shows a reasonable breadth of range. However, inaccuracies occur in phrases like 'declining interest to pursuing' and 'professional doctors', alongside occasional awkward collocations and word forms like 'pursing' instead of pursuing. These lexical slips do not seriously impede communication, allowing the reader to follow the arguments easily while highlighting areas where greater precision and stylistic control are needed.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 5.5

The response features a mix of simple and complex sentence forms, demonstrating a reasonable attempt at complex structures such as conditional clauses and relative clauses. There are some errors in grammar, punctuation, and article usage throughout the text, including missing prepositions, incorrect subject-verb agreement as seen in 'institutions must incentivize', and faulty article choices like 'a nations risks'. Despite these errors, they rarely impede communication, and the writer manages to maintain a clear narrative. The presence of both error-free sentences and recurring structural slips places the grammatical control firmly within the expected boundaries.

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