Band 5.5 IELTS Writing Task 2 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 5.5 · Recent IELTS Exams (Canada & India) · 2026-10-29

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 the past few years , there has been a noticeable decline in the number of university students opting for science. This trend is primarly driven by the difficulty of science subject. This can lead to severe long term impact on our social and economical life.

One of the main phenomenon of this lacking thing is difficulty of science subjects. There are too many difficulties in different subjects like physics , chemistry and biology some of subject require advance level of mathematics and all students are not very good in mathematics. The main reason of this circumstance is that students have to remember many things at the same time like formulas solution etc. Biology also contain a vast amount of knowledge that students have to remember , like they have to remember every nerve and their biological knowledge. Other factor is that it does not have as much jobs as students but only in developing countries , like in Pakistan students study and and become a engineer and they do not even get a job. The job opportunities are low in some countries.

There are some disadvantages also because if students did not want to study sciences , their would be many difficulties in future. Many countries will suffer from this situation. Countries will suffer socially and economically. If there are no engineer or very low amount of them and the country have to build something or need engineers they would have to bring them from abroad and eventually this will cost a lot. Because engineer, doctors and pilots are very important for us this have a huge impact on our society.

Overall lack of jobs, difficult studies and worst education system is causing this issue. Our government is to solve this problem as soon as possible otherwise they have to face plantey of difficult situation in the future.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response: Band 5.5

You address both parts of the question: you identify difficult science courses and limited employment prospects as causes, then explain that shortages of engineers could make countries dependent on overseas expertise. These are relevant points, and the Pakistan example helps make the employment issue more concrete. However, the response only partially develops the task. The effects are mostly stated broadly as social and economic harm, without explaining wider consequences such as slower technological development or reduced access to specialist services. The opening focuses mainly on difficulty, while the conclusion adds a “worst education system” without explaining it in the main discussion. Develop each cause and effect with a clear explanation and a specific example.

Coherence and Cohesion: Band 5.5

The response has a recognisable structure, with an introduction, a paragraph on causes, a paragraph on effects, and a conclusion. This gives the reader a basic route through the answer. However, progression within paragraphs is uneven, and several ideas are joined mechanically or left unclear. For example, “Other factor is that it does not have as much jobs as students but only in developing countries” is difficult to follow, while the effects paragraph moves from engineers to doctors and pilots without showing how each shortage affects society. Linking phrases such as “One of the main…” and “Overall” are used, but references such as “this situation” and “this” do not always identify a precise idea. Organise each paragraph around one main point and connect explanation to example.

Lexical Resource: Band 5.0

You use enough topic-related vocabulary to communicate the general subject, including “university students,” “job opportunities,” “engineer,” and “economically.” However, the range is limited and several inaccurate or unnatural choices make parts of the response harder to understand. Phrases such as “lacking thing,” “one of the main phenomenon,” and “plantey of difficult situation” are not appropriate in context; “science subjects” and “students” are also repeated frequently. Spelling errors such as “primarly” and “advance” further reduce accuracy. Aim to learn precise collocations for causes and consequences, and check word forms and spelling. More accurate phrasing would make your relevant ideas clearer without requiring unusually advanced vocabulary.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 5.0

You attempt both simple and longer sentences, including a conditional idea in “if students did not want to study sciences…” and a reason clause beginning “because.” However, complex sentences are often faulty, and errors occur frequently enough to make some sentences difficult to follow. Examples include “There are too many difficulties… some of subject require…” and “the country have to build something,” where sentence boundaries, agreement, and plural forms are not controlled. Other problems include “Biology also contain” and “this have a huge impact.” Punctuation is also inconsistent, particularly around commas and sentence boundaries. Practise building accurate sentences with one main clause and a clearly attached explanation, then check subject–verb agreement, articles, and plurals.

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

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