Band 6.5 IELTS Writing Task 2 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 6.5 · Cambridge IELTS 20 · 2026-08-18

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 6.5)

School holidays are an essential part of the education system, and in many countries, students have a summer break lasting two months or more. Although long holidays provide several benefits, shorter breaks can also be advantageous. In my view, a balanced approach is the most beneficial for students.

Long school holidays give students an opportunity to rest and recover after a demanding academic year. They can spend quality time with their families, travel, pursue hobbies and take part in sports or other activities. This can improve their mental and physical well-being and help them return to school feeling refreshed. Furthermore, a long break can allow students to gain valuable practical experiences outside the classroom. For example, they may attend sports camps, learn a musical instrument or develop new skills. So that it will help them in future.

However, shorter school holidays have several important advantages. Firstly, students are less likely to forget what they have learned during the academic year. After a very long break, children may need considerable time to revise previous lessons before starting new topics. More frequent and shorter breaks can help maintain continuity in learning. Secondly, shorter holidays may be more convenient for working parents, who often struggle to arrange childcare for several weeks during the summer.

In conclusion, although long school holidays offer students valuable opportunities for relaxation, family time and personal development, shorter breaks can support academic continuity and reduce difficulties for parents. Therefore, I believe that schools should provide reasonably short but regular holidays throughout the year.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 6.5

The response addresses both parts of the prompt clearly. You have identified the value of long holidays (rest, family time, skill development) and the arguments for shorter ones (academic continuity, childcare convenience). The position is consistent throughout. To reach a higher band, ensure that ideas are more fully developed. For instance, when mentioning 'practical experiences', you could briefly explain how these specifically translate into academic or personal growth. The conclusion effectively synthesizes your points, and the overall structure is well-suited to the task requirements.

Coherence and Cohesion — Band 7.0

The essay is logically organized with a clear introduction, body paragraphs, and a conclusion. Each paragraph has a central theme, and the progression of ideas is easy to follow. You use cohesive devices such as 'Furthermore', 'However', and 'Firstly' effectively to link your arguments. The paragraphing is appropriate and contributes to the overall clarity of the response. To improve, you could vary your linking words slightly more to avoid a somewhat mechanical feel, but the current usage is sufficient for a high score.

Lexical Resource — Band 6.5

You demonstrate a sufficient range of vocabulary to discuss the topic with precision. Phrases like 'demanding academic year', 'academic continuity', and 'personal development' are used accurately. There are no significant spelling errors, and the word choice is generally appropriate for an academic context. To move toward a higher band, try to incorporate more sophisticated collocations or less common lexical items (e.g., instead of 'important advantages', use 'compelling arguments' or 'significant benefits') to show greater flexibility and stylistic awareness.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 6.5

The essay displays a good mix of simple and complex sentence structures. Most sentences are error-free, and your control of punctuation is solid. There is a minor grammatical slip in the second paragraph: 'So that it will help them in future' is a sentence fragment and should be integrated into the previous sentence (e.g., '...develop new skills, which will help them in the future'). Despite this, your control of grammar is consistent, and the errors do not impede communication at all.

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.