Band 6.0 IELTS Writing Task 2 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 6.0 · Cambridge IELTS 20 · 2026-08-30

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 6.0)

In many countries, primary and secondary schools favour extended holidays lasting two months or more. Although long school holidays offer several benefits for students mental well-being and physical health, shorter holidays reduce learning loss and can help maintain academic continuity.

One major benefit of long school holidays is that they give students sufficient time to recover from academic pressure and return to school feeling refreshed. During school year, children have to follow demanding schedules and assignments and quizzes, which lead to exhaustion and stress. Therefore, students get more time travel, develop hobbies and spend time with family during long holidays. Long school holidays are not only good for mental well-being, but also for physical health. For example, Summer schools offer swimming, sports etc and students who participate in these activities become more creative and productive afterwards.

On the other hand, shorter school holidays allow students maintain academic continuity. They are less likely to struggle with school routine and lessons. Spending less time at home is enough for students to relax and unwind. Additionally, students often waste time in useless activities such as watching short media content all day. Furthermore, short school holidays can be more convenient for working parents who struggle to arrange childcare during lengthy holidays.

In conclusion, long school holidays provide students with opportunities to relax, refresh, and unwind, whereas shorter school holidays allow students to reduce learning loss and maintain academic discipline. In my perspective, long school holidays are beneficial, provided that students are encouraged to engage in creative and educational activities during the break.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 6.0

The response addresses both parts of the prompt: the value of long holidays and the arguments for shorter ones. The position is clear throughout, and the ideas are relevant. However, the development is somewhat limited. For instance, the point about 'useless activities' is mentioned but not fully explored, and the example of 'Summer schools' is a bit brief. To reach a higher band, you should aim to expand on your supporting points with more detailed explanations or specific examples to ensure the arguments are fully developed rather than just stated.

Coherence and Cohesion — Band 6.5

The essay is logically organized with a clear introduction, body paragraphs, and a conclusion. Each paragraph has a central theme. Cohesive devices such as 'On the other hand', 'Additionally', and 'Furthermore' are used effectively to guide the reader. However, the transition between some sentences is slightly mechanical, and there is occasional repetition of phrasing. The paragraphing is appropriate, and the progression of ideas is easy to follow, which meets the requirements for a solid band 7.

Lexical Resource — Band 5.5

You demonstrate an adequate range of vocabulary for the task, using terms like 'academic continuity', 'exhaustion', and 'unwind'. There are some minor inaccuracies in collocation, such as 'students mental well-being' (missing possessive 's') and 'time travel' (which implies the sci-fi concept rather than 'time to travel'). While you attempt some less common vocabulary, the range is not yet wide enough to be considered 'flexible' or 'sophisticated'. The vocabulary is sufficient to convey your meaning clearly, but lacks the precision and variety required for higher bands.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 5.5

You use a mix of simple and complex sentence structures, such as the conditional sentence in your conclusion. However, there are several grammatical slips throughout the text. For example, 'During school year' should be 'During the school year', and 'students maintain' should be 'students to maintain'. Additionally, there are missing articles and minor punctuation issues. While these errors do not impede communication, they occur frequently enough to prevent a higher score. Focusing on article usage and verb patterns will help improve your accuracy.

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

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