Band 8.5 IELTS Writing Task 2 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 8.5 · Cambridge IELTS 20 · 2026-07-25

IELTS Writing Task 2 question

In many countries, primary and secondary schools close for two months or more in the summer holidays.

What is the value of long school holidays?

What are the arguments in favour of shorter school holidays?

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

Student answer (Band 8.5)

Summer breaks lasting two months or longer are a well-established feature of school calendars in many countries. While such extended holidays offer clear benefits to children and families, there is a growing debate over whether shorter breaks might better serve students' educational needs.

Long summer holidays offer several valuable benefits. Firstly, they give children an extended period to rest and recover from the mental demands of a full academic year, reducing the risk of burnout. This time also allows children to pursue interests outside the formal curriculum, such as sports, hobbies, or part-time work, which can contribute to personal development in ways that classroom learning cannot. Furthermore, long holidays enable families to spend extended time together, whether through travel or simply shared time at home, which strengthens family bonds that busy term-time schedules often limit.

On the other hand, there are compelling arguments for reducing the length of school holidays. Research has shown that students frequently experience significant learning loss over long breaks, particularly in subjects like mathematics, meaning teachers must spend valuable time at the start of each year reviewing previous material rather than progressing to new content. In addition, extended holidays can pose practical difficulties for working parents, who must arrange lengthy childcare during a period when their own work commitments continue unchanged. Shorter, more frequent breaks distributed throughout the year could address both issues, allowing students to rest regularly without suffering the cumulative learning loss associated with one prolonged break.

In conclusion, while long summer holidays provide meaningful benefits for rest and family time, the evidence of learning loss and the burden placed on working parents suggest that shorter, more evenly distributed holidays would likely serve students and families better overall.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 8.5

The response fully addresses both parts of the prompt. You clearly identify the value of long holidays (rest, personal development, family bonding) and provide logical arguments for shorter breaks (mitigating learning loss, childcare practicalities). The position is consistent throughout, and the ideas are well-developed with relevant supporting points. The structure is balanced, ensuring that both aspects of the question receive sufficient attention. To reach the highest band, you could further extend your arguments by providing a specific example or a more detailed scenario, such as mentioning how specific countries have successfully implemented year-round schooling models.

Coherence and Cohesion — Band 8.5

The essay is logically organized with a clear progression of ideas. Each paragraph has a central topic sentence, and the transition between the benefits of long holidays and the arguments for shorter ones is smooth, using effective signposting like 'On the other hand' and 'Furthermore'. Cohesive devices are used naturally and accurately throughout the text. The conclusion effectively synthesizes the main points without introducing new information. The paragraphing is logical and contributes to the overall clarity of the argument.

Lexical Resource — Band 8.0

You demonstrate a good range of vocabulary that is appropriate for an academic context. Phrases such as 'well-established feature', 'mental demands', 'cumulative learning loss', and 'evenly distributed' show a high level of precision. The word choice is consistently accurate, and there are no noticeable errors in collocation. While the vocabulary is effective and natural, incorporating a few more sophisticated or idiomatic academic collocations could elevate the response further toward a band 9 level.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 8.5

The essay displays a wide range of grammatical structures, including complex sentences with subordinate clauses (e.g., 'While such extended holidays offer... there is a growing debate...'). The control over grammar is excellent, with no significant errors in punctuation or syntax. The majority of your sentences are error-free, and the few complex structures used are handled with high accuracy. The flow of the writing is natural, and the grammatical precision ensures that your arguments are communicated clearly and effectively.

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