Band 6.5 IELTS Writing Task 2 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 6.5 · Cambridge IELTS 20 · 2026-09-17

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 contemporary society, primary and secondary schools close for two months or more during the summer holidays to improve learners' overall well-being, whereas shorter holidays are also significant in boosting their academic performance. Long holidays that last for two months or more can help learners to relax mentally by reducing stress that might have been caused by the classroom environment. This is because students can have enough time to work on their hobbies and other activities away from their studies. Such activities can help them to re-energise, and others can be a good source of entertainment. For instance, students who like swimming can enjoy their hobby during long holidays. This can ultimately improve their overall well-being, leading to a better quality of life and contributing to the long-term development of society.

Nevertheless, it would be unrealistic to overlook the fact that shorter breaks are also crucial for their studies. This is due to the fact that these breaks may improve their concentration in class. Consider learners taking an exam for more than one month; if they are given a break before embarking on their studies, it is likely that they may concentrate better. As a result, short holidays may bring significant positive changes, benefiting learners academically, which may improve their performance in school.

To conclude, although in many countries, primary and secondary schools close for two months or more during the summer holidays to boost learners' well-being, shorter school holidays are also significant in improving lear

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 6.0

The response addresses both parts of the prompt, discussing the value of long school holidays (mental relaxation, well-being) and the arguments in favour of shorter holidays (improved concentration and academic performance). Ideas are relevant and supported with examples, such as swimming for hobbies and exam revision periods. However, the position is slightly hindered by the truncation at the end. Furthermore, please note that the Length Check reports the student's response contains 246 words, narrowly missing the 250-word minimum requirement. This negative constraint breach prevents the score from reaching a higher band. Consequently, the task achievement is appropriately placed at Band 6.0.

Coherence and Cohesion — Band 6.5

The essay displays a coherent overall arrangement with clear paragraph divisions for introduction, body paragraphs addressing each prompt question, and a conclusion. Cohesive devices are used adequately to connect ideas, such as 'This is because', 'For instance', and 'Nevertheless'. Paragraphing is logical, separating the benefits of long holidays from those of shorter breaks. Referencing is generally clear, as seen in 'Such activities can help them'. Although the essay cuts off prematurely before a fully formed concluding sentence can be established, the progression up to that point is sufficiently logical to secure a Band 6.5.

Lexical Resource — Band 6.5

The student demonstrates an adequate range of vocabulary for the task, successfully incorporating less common lexical items such as 'contemporary society', 'well-being', 're-energise', and 'unrealistic to overlook'. Word choices are generally appropriate and communication is not impeded by lexical errors. While some expressions are slightly repetitive ('learners', 'holidays', 'shorter school holidays'), the variety is sufficient to meet the Band 6.5 criteria, displaying clear attempts at precision and appropriate styling.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 6.5

The writing exhibits a good mix of simple and complex sentence forms, demonstrating control over relative clauses and conditional structures, such as 'This is because students can have enough time to work on their hobbies...' and 'if they are given a break before embarking on their studies...'. Grammatical accuracy is reasonably high with only occasional minor awkwardness, but sentence structures do not showcase the wide, consistent variety of complex forms required for higher bands. Punctuation is accurate and meaning is always clear, justifying a solid Band 6.5.

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

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