Band 6.5 IELTS Writing Task 2 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 6.5 · Cambridge IELTS 20 · 2026-09-02

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)

In various countries, primary and secondary education institutions are shut down for usually two months or more during summer vacations. These holidays play an important role in a student's life. However, there are many people who disagree with these institutions giving extended breaks as they result in the loss of academic momentum.

Schools mainly give long holidays to students during summer so that the students can connect with their friends and family in a better way. They can get a break from their academics and can focus more on their personal lives. Another benefit of having long school holidays is that students can simply escape from the high temperatures during summer.

However, long school holidays have their own disadvantages. Students can find it difficult to focus on their studies after the break is over, this is mainly because of the loss of momentum. They often forget what they learned, especially in math and reading. This happens because they do not use their academic skills for months. This problem affects children from lower-income families the most, because they often cannot afford expensive summer programs, which makes the achievement gap larger. In addition, long holidays make it hard for working parents who have to find and pay for months of childcare. Changing to shorter, more frequent breaks would help students keep their focus and make things easier for parents.

In conclusion, long summer holidays provide great chances to rest and learn outside the classroom, but they also cause students to lose academic progress and create problems for parents. A balanced schedule with shorter summers and regular breaks might be a better choice for students and families today.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 6.5

The response addresses both parts of the prompt: the value of long holidays and the arguments for shorter ones. The position is clear throughout. The ideas are relevant and well-supported, particularly the discussion on the 'achievement gap' and the impact on working parents. However, the development of the first body paragraph is slightly less sophisticated than the second; while it mentions connecting with family and escaping heat, these points could have been expanded with more depth to reach a higher band. Overall, the response is well-focused and fully addresses the requirements of the task.

Coherence and Cohesion — Band 7.0

The essay is logically organized with a clear introduction, two body paragraphs, and a conclusion. Each paragraph has a central topic. Cohesive devices such as 'However', 'In addition', and 'In conclusion' are used effectively to guide the reader. The progression of ideas is smooth, and the paragraphing is appropriate. There is a slight reliance on simple transition words, but the overall structure is coherent and easy to follow. The relationship between ideas is clear throughout the text.

Lexical Resource — Band 6.5

The vocabulary is sufficient and appropriate for the task. The student uses terms like 'academic momentum', 'achievement gap', and 'education institutions' effectively. There is an attempt to use less common vocabulary, though some phrasing is slightly repetitive (e.g., 'long school holidays' is used frequently). The word choice is generally accurate and conveys the intended meaning without difficulty. To reach a higher band, the student should aim for more varied synonyms and more sophisticated collocations to demonstrate a wider range of lexical flexibility.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 6.5

The essay demonstrates a good mix of simple and complex sentence structures. Most sentences are error-free, and the punctuation is generally accurate. There is a minor comma splice in the third paragraph ('...after the break is over, this is mainly because...'), but this does not impede communication. The control over grammar is consistent, and the student shows an ability to construct complex arguments using subordinate clauses. The range of structures is sufficient to support the ideas presented, and the errors present are infrequent and do not cause confusion.

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.