Band 5.5 IELTS Writing Task 2 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 5.5 · 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 5.5)

Nowadays, many students from around the world are choosing science as their major in universities. Mainly because studying science promises reputable as well as lucrative professions. As a result there is saturation in job markets for science students. This essay will discuss some causes and effects this change is having on society.

Students are gravitating more towards science subjects as they promise professions which are nobel and offer a handsome salary too. Doctors, scientists and engineers are often said to have the most stable career and people having these professions are often well respected in society. For instance, in Pakistan young learners aspire to become doctors from a very young age. The main reason for that is doctors are respected by everyone and once the degree is completed, they can start from a really high paying job.

Many individuals argue that this sudden shift towards science has caused imbalance in job market. Thousands of students are graduating each year with same science degrees and they are all highly skilled. The job market has become relatively saturated in the past few years. One of the main examples of this is, how hundreds of medical graduated in Pakistan are working at a minimum salary, after spending millions on their education. While, there are many fresh graduates with medical degrees, the number of vacancies available are still same as they were a few years ago.

In conclusion, young adults are leaning towards science majors, as they offer well paying and respected jobs. But due to this trend a majority of learners are choosing the exact same majors, causing a plunge in the job market.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response: Band 4.0

The response does not answer the question as set: it says students are choosing science, whereas the task asks why too few are choosing it. Consequently, the essay discusses causes and effects of an opposite trend, so its central ideas are largely tangential. The explanation that science careers are respected and well paid is relevant to why students might choose science, but it does not explain the shortage. The discussion of job-market saturation is a possible effect of an increase in science graduates, not an effect of too few students studying science. The Pakistan examples add some detail, but they support this mistaken premise. To address the task, explain barriers to science study and consequences such as skills shortages or slower technological progress.

Coherence and Cohesion: Band 5.5

The response has a recognisable structure: an introduction, separate paragraphs for causes and effects, and a conclusion. The paragraphs generally keep to one main point, and transitions such as “For instance,” “One of the main examples,” and “In conclusion” help signal the stages of the argument. However, the progression is weakened because the essay’s premise reverses the question, and the conclusion repeats that same mismatch rather than resolving the task. Some links are mechanical, and the opening fragment “Mainly because…” is not smoothly connected to the preceding sentence. Improve cohesion by stating the correct issue clearly at the outset, then linking each cause and societal effect directly to it, with clearer references between claims and examples.

Lexical Resource: Band 6.0

There is an adequate range of vocabulary, including topic-related terms such as “lucrative professions,” “stable career,” “job market,” and “vacancies.” These choices make the general subject clear, and attempts at more formal phrasing are evident. However, some word choices and collocations are inaccurate or awkward: “nobel” appears to mean “noble,” “medical graduated” should refer to “medical graduates,” and “the number of vacancies … are still same” is not idiomatic. “Plunge in the job market” is also unclear for the intended idea of reduced opportunities or saturation. These errors do not prevent understanding, but greater precision and more natural collocations would strengthen the response. Check spelling and use standard phrases such as “a saturated job market.”

Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 6.0

The essay uses a mix of simple and more complex structures, including the relative clause in “professions which are noble” and the time clause “once the degree is completed.” Most sentences communicate their intended meaning, and errors generally do not impede understanding. Some grammatical problems remain: “Mainly because studying science…” is a sentence fragment, “Doctors, scientists and engineers … have the most stable career” has a number-agreement issue, and “the number of vacancies … are still same” needs a singular verb and an article. The sentence beginning “One of the main examples of this is, how…” also has faulty punctuation and structure. Aim to make every sentence complete and check agreement and articles, while retaining the range of sentence forms already attempted.

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

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