Band 6.5 IELTS Writing Task 2 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 6.5 · Recent IELTS Exams (Canada & India) · 2026-10-13

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)

In recent years, higher education institutions have recorded a noticeable decline in the number of undergraduates chossing scientific discipline. This trend primarily results because of academic pessure, difficulty in understanding complex concepts and decreased career opportunities. Consequently, this shift poses severe consequences for society in terms of shortage of specialized talent and slowed tecnological innovation.

The main driver behind this decline is the demanding nature of science curriculum comapred to other academic pathways. Science majors require knowledge of core concepts with extensive laboratory hours, intense mathematics and complex theoretical understanding, which often demotivates students who fear low academic performance and burnout. Futhermore, the job market for science graduates is highly competitive.In contrast, non-science fields such as digital marketing and e-commerce, finance and entrepreneuership are considered more profit worthy and they are offering high salaries as well. So, students consider them a better alternative rather than investing a lot of time and efforts on complex scince disciplines.

The consequences of this shortfall on society is wide. Shortage of science graduates hampers the technological advancement offering obstacle in country's growth. Moreover, this imbalance leads to economic stagnation and dependence on foreign talent. Countries unable to produce their own science graduates will have to import specialised talent from other countries resulting in burden on country economy.

In conclusion, the reluctance pf students to pursue science degrees is largely driven by high workload required and the comparative attractiveness of modern commercial fields. If left unaddressed, this trend will continue to limit technological growth and will be a hindrence to society's growth.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response: Band 7.0

The response addresses both parts of the question and maintains a clear explanation: demanding science courses and the perceived appeal of other careers are presented as causes, while skills shortages, slower technological progress, and reliance on overseas talent are identified as effects. The examples of laboratory hours, mathematics, and fields such as finance help make the causes relevant. The effects are also logically connected to society, although claims such as “economic stagnation” and “burden on country economy” would be more convincing if explained or illustrated with a specific example. Overall, the ideas are relevant and extended, but some consequences remain broad rather than fully supported. To strengthen the response, explain the chain from fewer graduates to particular impacts on industries or public services.

Coherence and Cohesion: Band 7.0

The essay has a clear overall progression: the introduction previews causes and effects, the first body paragraph develops causes, the second discusses consequences, and the conclusion restates the main position. Linking expressions such as “Furthermore,” “In contrast,” and “Moreover” help signal relationships between ideas. The organisation is easy to follow, and each paragraph has a distinct purpose. Some connections are nevertheless a little mechanical, and the cause paragraph moves quickly from demanding study to job-market competition and then to alternative careers. Make these links more explicit—for example, explain how perceived employment prospects reinforce students’ concerns about the workload. Clearer referencing and a more developed transition between these points would make the progression feel more flexible.

Lexical Resource: Band 6.0

The response uses an adequate range of topic vocabulary, including “scientific discipline,” “laboratory hours,” “technological advancement,” and “specialised talent.” These choices communicate the main ideas, and the writer attempts some less common expressions. However, several spelling errors and imprecise or unnatural collocations reduce accuracy: “chossing,” “pessure,” “profit worthy,” and “hindrence” are examples. Phrases such as “offering obstacle in country's growth” and “burden on country economy” are understandable but not idiomatic. Aim for accurate, natural combinations as well as ambitious vocabulary; proofreading spelling and checking collocations would improve precision. For instance, use “profitable career prospects” and “an obstacle to national growth.”

Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 6.5

There is a mix of simple and complex sentence forms, including a relative clause in “students who fear low academic performance” and a conditional structure in “Countries unable to produce their own science graduates will have to import…” Meaning remains clear throughout, and the response shows some control of longer sentences. Some grammatical errors persist, however. In “The consequences … is wide,” the plural subject requires “are widespread”; “they are offering high salaries” would be more naturally expressed with a present simple form, and “a burden on country economy” needs an article and possessive determiner. Punctuation is also inconsistent, notably the missing space after “competitive.” To improve, check subject–verb agreement, articles, and sentence boundaries, while retaining the complex structures already attempted.

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

Browse more IELTS Writing model answers or get your own writing scored by the same AI examiner.