Band 6.5 IELTS Writing Task 2 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 6.5 · Recent IELTS Exams (Canada & India) · 2026-10-10

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 6.5)

Considerably, science is one the most significant subject taught by universities globally but now a days, not many students are cosidering to pursue their career in this specific field. Students tend to acknowledge that this is not the only repotable degree they want to get their hand on.

There are several reasons why students are becoming less interested in science-related degrees. The main reason is that subjects such as physics, chemistry and biology are often considered difficult because they require strong analytical skills, extensive memorisation and regular practice. As a result, many students prefer subjects such as business or media studies. Another significant factor is the perceived lack of career opportunities and financial rewards in some scientific fields. For example, students may choose business or information technology because they believe these qualifications offer better salaries and faster career progression. In addition, inadequate laboratory facilities and limited practical learning opportunities in some schools can make science less engaging.

This decline can have several negative effects on society. Firstly, a shortage of science graduates may lead to a lack of qualified professionals, including doctors, researchers, engineers and environmental scientists. Consequently, essential sectors may struggle to recruit skilled workers, affecting the quality of healthcare, technological development and environmental protection. Secondly, fewer students pursuing scientific careers could slow down innovation. Scientific research is crucial for developing new medicines, improving agricultural production and finding solutions to climate change.

In conclusion, students may avoid studying science because of its perceived difficulty, limited practical exposure and concerns about career prospects. However, this trend can weaken essential services, restrict scientific progress and hinder economic development. Governments and educational institutions should therefore improve science teaching, provide practical learning opportunities and promote attractive career pathways to encourage more young people to enter scientific fields.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response: Band 7.0

The response addresses both parts of the question and maintains a clear focus: it explains causes such as perceived difficulty, career concerns and limited practical learning, then describes effects on staffing, innovation and economic development. The examples of doctors, researchers and climate-change solutions make the consequences relevant, and the conclusion reinforces the main points. This is a well-supported response overall. To make the discussion more fully developed, explain one or two effects in greater depth—for instance, how shortages of particular specialists could affect healthcare or research—and make the link between fewer science graduates and broader economic consequences more explicit. The opening also contains an unclear claim about students’ degree preferences, which could be replaced with a more direct introduction to the causes and effects.

Coherence and Cohesion: Band 6.5

The essay has a clear overall structure, with an introduction, a paragraph on causes, a paragraph on effects and a conclusion. Ideas progress logically within each section, and signposting such as “The main reason,” “As a result,” “Firstly” and “Secondly” helps readers follow the argument. This organisation is effective, though some linking is rather formulaic and the opening does not connect smoothly to the more focused discussion that follows. The final paragraph also introduces recommendations, which are relevant but not required by the question and slightly shift the focus. To strengthen cohesion, use more varied transitions and clearer references between cause-and-effect points, while keeping each paragraph centred on its main purpose.

Lexical Resource: Band 6.0

The response uses an adequate range of topic vocabulary, including “analytical skills,” “career progression,” “qualified professionals,” “innovation” and “environmental protection.” These choices communicate the argument clearly, and the writer attempts some more formal phrasing. However, several word-choice, collocation and spelling problems reduce precision, particularly in the opening: “Considerably” is not a natural way to introduce the point, “one the most significant subject” is inaccurate, and “repotable” appears to be a misspelling of “reputable.” “Get their hand on” is also informal and awkward in this context. Aim for consistently natural academic collocations and proofread spelling; this would make the vocabulary more controlled without requiring unnecessarily complex words.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 6.5

There is a useful mix of simple and complex sentence forms, and many sentences are controlled well. For example, “As a result, many students prefer subjects such as business or media studies” is clear, while the sentence beginning “Scientific research is crucial for developing…” uses a well-formed structure to explain an effect. Some grammatical errors remain, especially in the opening: “science is one the most significant subject” is missing “of” and has a singular/plural mismatch, and “not many students are cosidering to pursue” uses an incorrect verb pattern. The sentence about students acknowledging that this is not the only degree they want is also difficult to interpret. Review articles, agreement and verb patterns, and revise unclear sentences; the rest of the essay shows a sound basis for more accurate complex writing.

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