Band 6.5 IELTS Writing Task 2 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 6.5 · Barron's Writing · 2026-08-21

IELTS Writing Task 2 question

Some people believe that children learn better when they are placed in classes with children of similar academic abilities. Others believe that children learn better when they are in classes with children representing a diverse range of academic abilities.

Discuss both these views and give your opinion

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

Student answer (Band 6.5)

The topic of kids' academic performance is a contentious issue in today's competitive world. Here, I will discuss both views of arranging a class with similar abilities or with a diverse range of abilities and conclude the debate with proper justification for both sides.

On one hand, there is a group of people who are in favor of arranging a class of children with the same abilities. In their opinion, doing so will not affect the students' confidence and sense of backwardness. Moreover, kids feel comfortable and will create a friendly environment among them. This will help them to overcome their weak points and help each other with an open heart.

Furthermore, kids with the same learning abilities have a high chance of improving the overall class percentage. This also helps teachers to teach the class, as they are teaching students with the same mindset.

On the other hand, there is a substantial group of individuals who believe that all the students should be given equal opportunities. For instance, giving the same quality of education to all the students irrespective of their grades.

Students with a different range of grades can help in many ways. Such as, firstly, the weak students will develop a sense of doing better than their peers in order to achieve a better academic position. Secondly, top-ranking students can also help weak classmates understand difficult subjects. Thirdly, a competitive environment is necessary for the growth of students, which is only possible with a diverse range of skills.

To conclude with some analysis and my opinion, I will suggest a class with a variety of skilled students and, at the same time, making sure there is healthy competition among the classmates so that no individual feels left out and develops a sense of academic weakness.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 6.5

The response addresses all parts of the prompt, discussing both viewpoints and providing a clear personal opinion. The ideas are relevant, such as the benefits of peer-to-peer learning in diverse classrooms and the potential for increased confidence in ability-grouped classes. However, the development is somewhat superficial. For instance, the argument regarding 'overall class percentage' in the first body paragraph is vague and lacks specific explanation. While the position is clear, the conclusion could be more robust by explicitly linking back to the main arguments rather than just summarizing. Overall, the response meets the requirements but would benefit from deeper analysis and more concrete examples to reach a higher band.

Coherence and Cohesion — Band 7.0

The essay is logically organized with a clear introduction, body paragraphs, and a conclusion. Paragraphing is used appropriately to separate the two viewpoints. Cohesive devices such as 'On one hand,' 'Furthermore,' and 'Secondly' are used to guide the reader through the arguments. However, some transitions are slightly mechanical, and the flow between sentences could be smoother. For example, the transition between the benefits of diverse classes and the conclusion is a bit abrupt. The referencing is generally clear, though the connection between ideas within paragraphs could be more sophisticated to improve the overall progression of the argument.

Lexical Resource — Band 6.0

The vocabulary is adequate for the task and allows for clear communication. There is an attempt to use topic-specific language like 'contentious issue,' 'academic performance,' and 'competitive environment.' However, the range is somewhat limited, and there is some repetition of basic terms like 'kids' and 'students.' There are also minor collocation issues, such as 'create a friendly environment among them' (better: 'foster a supportive atmosphere'). To achieve a higher score, you should incorporate more precise, academic vocabulary and avoid informal phrasing to demonstrate a wider and more flexible range of lexical items.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 6.0

The essay uses a mix of simple and complex sentence structures. While the meaning is always clear, there are recurring grammatical errors. For example, 'create a friendly environment among them' is slightly awkward, and 'To conclude with some analysis and my opinion, I will suggest' is a bit wordy. There are also minor punctuation and phrasing issues, such as the sentence fragment 'Such as, firstly, the weak students...' which should be integrated into a full sentence. Despite these errors, the grammar does not impede communication, and the control is generally sufficient for a 6.0 band.

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

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