Band 6.5 IELTS Writing Task 2 Model Answer
Overall Band Score: 6.5 · Recent IELTS Exams (Canada & India) · 2026-10-30
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)
It has been seen that very few students select science for their tertiary education. This essay intends to delve into the reasons for this trend, and also discuss the adverse effects of this development on our society.
There are many reasons for the young people's lackl of interest in science subjects. The first reason is that in mosrt schools the science curriculum is outdated and irrelevant, while little emphasis on practical education. As a result, children find science boring and do not persue it further on leaving school. Secondly, learning science requires hard work and considerable time and many youth are not interested in devoting so much of their time and effort into it. Moreover, despite putting in more hours and effort, science graduates earn substantially less than graduates in other fields like IT, business management, economics etcetra.
In addition, it is not fashionable to pick up science as students who choose to study science are perceived as boring and nerdy. Students fear that if they choose science, they will have no social life in college and they would be social pariahs. Finally, science as a subject is dependent upon basics and foundational knowledge. However, due to the lack of well qualified primary and high school teachers, students fail to develop these rudimentary concepts and as such ar not confident to pursue science as a career.
The shortage of scientists can be very detrimental for societies. To begin with, it impacts the society as employers are unable to find people with the skills they need to innovate and grow. As a result, many companies are also forced to hire people from other countries, and this negatively impacts the economy of our country. Last but not the least, scocieties are dominated by ideas and products from science and technology, but if there is a shortage of scienec graduates, it may impact the development and progress of society.
To sum up, there are many reasons for students not taking up scienece subjects at university and this phenomenon is definitely detrimental for society.
AI examiner evaluation
| Criterion | Band |
|---|---|
| Task Achievement / Task Response | 6.5 |
| Coherence and Cohesion | 6.5 |
| Lexical Resource | 6.0 |
| Grammatical Range and Accuracy | 6.0 |
| Overall | 6.5 |
Task Achievement / Task Response: Band 6.5
The response addresses both parts of the question and maintains a clear focus on causes and social effects. It offers several relevant causes, including outdated school curricula, the effort required, perceived social stigma, and weak foundations caused by insufficiently qualified teachers. The effects paragraph also identifies skills shortages, recruitment from abroad, and slower social and technological progress. This range of relevant ideas meets the task well. However, some points are asserted rather than fully explained: for example, the claim that science graduates earn less than those in other fields would benefit from a reason or example, and the effects of importing workers on the economy are not made specific. Developing these links and supporting key claims with concrete examples would make the response more complete and persuasive.
Coherence and Cohesion: Band 6.5
The essay has a clear overall structure: an introduction, two paragraphs explaining causes, a paragraph on effects, and a conclusion. Ideas generally progress logically, and signposts such as “Secondly,” “Moreover,” and “To begin with” help the reader follow the discussion. This organisation is effective, though some linking is mechanical, particularly the repeated sequencing phrases and “Last but not the least.” The relationship between ideas could also be made more explicit: the move from companies hiring overseas workers to harm to the national economy needs a clearer explanation. The conclusion restates the main points but adds little synthesis. Use a wider range of natural transitions and clearer references between cause, consequence, and example to make cohesion more flexible.
Lexical Resource: Band 6.0
The response uses an adequate range of topic-related vocabulary, including “outdated,” “practical education,” “foundational knowledge,” “innovate,” and “detrimental.” These choices help communicate the main ideas, and some less common expressions are attempted. However, several spelling errors—such as “l lack,” “mosrt,” “persue,” “scocieties,” and “scienec”—reduce accuracy. There are also awkward or imprecise collocations, including “pick up science,” “social pariahs,” and “dominated by ideas and products from science and technology.” Aim for more natural academic phrasing and proofread carefully for spelling. More precise vocabulary for describing economic and social consequences would also help the argument sound clearer and more controlled.
Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 6.0
The essay includes a mix of simple and complex sentence forms, such as the contrast in “while little emphasis on practical education” and the conditional structure “if they choose science.” Most ideas remain understandable, but some grammatical errors occur. For example, “while little emphasis on practical education” is an incomplete clause and needs a verb, such as “while little emphasis is placed on practical education.” In “many youth are not interested in devoting so much of their time and effort into it,” the preposition pattern is inaccurate; use “devoting … to it.” The sentence beginning “Students fear that if they choose science” also shifts awkwardly from “they” to “they would.” Check clause completeness, prepositions, and consistent pronoun and verb patterns to improve accuracy.
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.