Band 5.5 IELTS Writing Task 2 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 5.5 · Recent IELTS Exams (Canada & India) · 2026-10-17

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)

In recent years, students are choosing different subject at unversity except science. This has become an increasingly prevalent issue in many parts of the world. This trend can be atrributed to several underlying factors, and it has far-reaching consequences for both individuals and society as a whole.

There are several reasons why fewer students are choosing to pursue science- related degrees. One of the primary contributing factors is science subjects are difficult and require extensive study. This is largely because students may find scientific concepts complicated and demanding. Another significant factor is students prefer careers that offer higher salaries or quicker employement opportunities. As a result, many young people may opt for other fields that they perceive as more attractive or less challenging.

The trend has several consequences for society. One of the most significant effects is a potential shortage of qualified scientists and reasearchers, as fewer science graduates may be avalible to conduct research and develop new technologies. Furthermore, this trend may negatively affect economic growth, as scientific expertise is essential for innovation and solving global challenges.

In conclusion, the declining interest in unversity science courses is primarily caused by the perceived difficulty of these subjects and the attraction of alternative career oppourtunities. This trend may result in a shortage of scientic professionals and slower technological process,.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response: Band 5.0

You address both parts of the question: you identify perceived difficulty and the appeal of other careers as causes, then discuss a shortage of scientists and possible harm to economic growth as effects. These points are relevant, but they remain general and are not supported with specific examples or much explanation; for instance, you do not explain why science study is demanding or show how a shortage might affect a particular industry or public need. The conclusion restates the main points but does not add development. The response also falls short of the required 250 words, which limits the space available to explain and support your ideas. Develop each cause and effect with a clear explanation and a relevant example.

Coherence and Cohesion: Band 6.5

The response has a clear overall structure: an introduction, separate paragraphs for causes and effects, and a conclusion. This makes the line of argument easy to follow, and linking phrases such as “As a result,” “Furthermore,” and “In conclusion” help signal relationships between ideas. The organisation is effective, though the progression within paragraphs is quite brief: each point is introduced but not extended through explanation or an example. The conclusion also repeats the earlier points rather than drawing them together in a fuller final statement. To strengthen progression, connect each claim to its consequence and use clear referencing where appropriate, while keeping linking expressions natural rather than relying mainly on standard transitions.

Lexical Resource: Band 5.5

You use a relevant range of topic vocabulary, including “scientific concepts,” “qualified scientists,” “conduct research,” “innovation,” and “global challenges.” These choices communicate the subject clearly, and phrases such as “far-reaching consequences” show an attempt to use more precise language. However, spelling and word-choice errors are noticeable, including “unversity,” “employement,” “reasearchers,” and “scientic.” Some phrasing is also awkward, such as “students are choosing different subject … except science” and “technological process.” These errors do not prevent the reader from understanding the main ideas, but they reduce accuracy and naturalness. Proofread spelling carefully and learn common academic collocations, such as “pursue a degree in science” and “technological progress.”

Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 5.5

You use a mixture of simple sentences and some more developed structures, including “This is largely because…” and “as fewer science graduates may be available…”. The overall meaning is generally clear, but grammatical control is uneven. For example, “One of the primary contributing factors is science subjects are difficult” needs a linking structure such as “is that science subjects are difficult.” In the opening, “students are choosing different subject” has a number-agreement issue, and “This trend may result … and slower technological process” does not form a complete parallel construction. The response also relies heavily on similar sentence patterns. Practise accurate clause linking, articles and plural forms, and vary sentence structures while checking that each sentence is complete.

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

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