Band 7.5 IELTS Writing Task 2 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 7.5 · Barron's Writing · 2026-09-19

IELTS Writing Task 2 question

Some people feel that the government should pay the costs of running universities so that a university education will be free for anyone who wants it.

To what extent do you agree or disagree with this opinion?

Give reasons for your answer, and include any relevant examples from your own knowledge or experience.

Student answer (Band 7.5)

The question of whether governments should fully fund university education is a centra debate in modern public policy. While a completely free system promotes equal opportunities, it also creates significant financial burdens. I partially ag ree with this statement: higher education should be heavily subsidized to remove socio-economic barriers, but total state funding for all students is neither economically viable nor optimal

On the one hand, tuition-free higher education drives social mobility and economic growth. High tuition fees prevent talented individuals from lower-income backgrounds from pursuing degrees, perpetuating wealth inequality. When governments eliminate this barrier -as seen in Scandinavian countries like Norway and Denmark-- higher education becomes a true meritocracy. Furthermore, a highly educated populace boosts innovation, attracts foreign investment, and raises long-term tax revenues, benefiting society as a whole.

On the other hand, fully funding higher education places an immense strain on nationa budgets. Taxpayer money spent on free tuition for wealthy students creates an opportunity cost, taking resources away from essential public sectors like healthcare, infrastructure, and primary education. Additionally, when universities rely entirely on government subsidies, quality can decline due to budget caps, leading to larger class sizes ang underfunded research facilities. Moreover, since university graduates generally earn higher lifetime incomes, funding their education entirely through public taxes means low-income non-graduates indirectly subsidize future high earners.

In conclusion, while universal free tuition is desirable in principle, it is financially unsustainable. A balanced strategy-providing full grants for low-income students while charging higher-income families or using income-contingent loans- ensures equal access without compromising educational quality or fiscal health.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 8.0

The response covers all parts of the task well, presenting a clear position throughout the essay. The writer takes a balanced stance, arguing that higher education should be heavily subsidized rather than entirely free. Ideas are well-developed and supported with relevant examples, such as referencing Scandinavian countries like Norway and Denmark to illustrate the benefits of removing tuition barriers. The arguments on both sides—social mobility versus economic strain and the opportunity cost of taxpayer funding—are extended thoughtfully and logically. There are no notable omissions or deviations from the prompt. The response fully addresses the requirements of a Task 2 essay, earning a band score of 8.0 for this criterion.

Coherence and Cohesion — Band 7.0

The essay demonstrates a clear logical organization and progression throughout. Each paragraph has a distinct focus, moving smoothly from the introduction to the advantages of free tuition, the counterarguments regarding economic strain, and a well-reasoned conclusion. Cohesive devices are used effectively and flexibly, including phrases like 'On the one hand,' 'On the other hand,' and 'In conclusion.' Paragraphing is used sufficiently and appropriately to group related ideas. While referencing and substitution are generally well managed, there are a few minor typographical or formatting flaws (such as missing spaces or hyphens), but these do not disrupt the overall flow or clarity of the argument. Therefore, a solid band score of 7.0 is warranted here.

Lexical Resource — Band 7.0

The student displays a sufficient and flexible range of vocabulary suited to the academic nature of the topic. Less common lexical items are used with good awareness of style and collocation, such as 'socio-economic barriers,' 'opportunity cost,' 'meritocracy,' and 'income-contingent loans.' There are occasional minor lexical or typographical errors, such as 'centra' instead of 'central,' 'ag ree' instead of 'agree,' and 'nationa' instead of 'national,' which appear to be minor typing slips rather than gaps in knowledge. Communication is never impeded by these slips, and the precise phrasing throughout the body paragraphs demonstrates strong control over vocabulary, comfortably supporting a band score of 7.0.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 8.0

The writer demonstrates a wide variety of complex sentence structures with frequent error-free sentences. Examples of advanced syntax include conditional and participial constructions, such as 'When governments eliminate this barrier -as seen in Scandinavian countries like Norway and Denmark-- higher education becomes a true meritocracy' and 'Moreover, since university graduates generally earn higher lifetime incomes, funding their education entirely through public taxes means low-income non-graduates indirectly subsidize future high earners.' Control of grammar and punctuation is generally good, though punctuation around the dashes shows minor formatting imperfections, and 'class sizes ang' contains a minor typo. The majority of sentences are error-free, reflecting a high level of grammatical control and justifying a band score of 8.0.

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