Band 6.0 IELTS Writing Task 2 Model Answer
Overall Band Score: 6.0 · Cambridge IELTS 20 · 2026-10-19
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)
Mostly countries give a long summer break to primary and secondary school students which lasts more than two months and after that their new academic session gets started. I believe longer school holidays are a good way for students to get themselves prepare for the upcoming new session in which they would be promoted to a higher grade. During holidays then can allocate some time for studying about their new class and get a spacious time to explore the upcoming subjects which they are going to study or if they have a choice to select any elective then it would be easy to identify for them if they do some background research. Along with that after surviving a long academic year the students as well as their teachers deserve some time to relax themselves, to refresh their minds and to spend some of their days apart from their busy routine.
Summer break is a precious time for anyone if they want to do something productive like learn a new skill, continue their favourite hobby or visit a place they have been planning for a long time. Because a human mind needs to feel relaxed and at ease, so by doing all these activities our body releases some hormones which make our mind comfortable. In contrast to shorter time period of holidays mostly parents agree that schools should start session early especially in high school as it is favourable for them. Keeping in view the admission timelines of college, if a high schooler gets graduated early like three to four months before the college admission period ends they get sufficinet time to prepare their applications or to find their relevant program which can save them from a gap year and they can start their higher education a little early.
My stance is that for primary and secondary schools a two month vacation period is fine because it is neccesary to give children a sufficient time for break. On other end high schools should get short time period of holidays as they have to prepare for next higher step.
AI examiner evaluation
| Criterion | Band |
|---|---|
| Task Achievement / Task Response | 6.5 |
| Coherence and Cohesion | 6.0 |
| Lexical Resource | 6.0 |
| Grammatical Range and Accuracy | 6.0 |
| Overall | 6.0 |
Task Achievement / Task Response: Band 6.5
You address both questions and maintain a clear overall position: longer breaks benefit younger students and teachers, while shorter breaks may suit high-school students preparing for college. The discussion of rest, hobbies and exploring future subjects is relevant, and the college-admission example gives the second view a practical reason. This meets the task well, with some elements showing the fuller development expected at the next level. However, the value of long holidays is explained more broadly than the case for shorter ones, and the claim that students can prepare for a new grade is not developed with a specific example. Clarify how the proposed distinction between school levels would work and support the less-developed points with concrete consequences or examples.
Coherence and Cohesion: Band 6.0
The response has a recognisable progression: it first explains benefits of a long break, then considers reasons for shorter holidays, and ends with your position. Paragraphing helps distinguish these stages, and links such as “In contrast” and “Along with that” signal relationships between ideas. At times, however, the connections feel mechanical or the reference is unclear. For example, “after surviving a long academic year” shifts abruptly from student preparation to rest, while “they” in the college-admission discussion could refer to parents or students. The final paragraph introduces a distinction between primary/secondary schools and high schools that is not fully reconciled with the earlier discussion. Use clearer topic sentences and explicit references to make the progression more seamless.
Lexical Resource: Band 6.0
You use an adequate range for the topic, including “elective,” “admission timelines,” “higher education,” and “gap year.” These choices help communicate relevant ideas, and the meaning is generally clear. There are also some inaccurate or unnatural word combinations and spelling errors that limit precision, such as “get themselves prepare,” “a spacious time,” “sufficinet,” and “neccesary.” Phrases such as “our body releases some hormones which make our mind comfortable” are understandable but imprecise for an academic discussion. Aim for more natural collocations and accurate word forms, and choose vocabulary that expresses the point directly. For instance, describe students as having “ample time” and say that activities help them “relax and recharge.”
Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 6.0
You attempt a mix of simple and complex sentences, including conditional structures (“if they do some background research”) and a longer explanation of college applications. Most ideas remain understandable, but some grammatical errors occur across the response. Examples include “which lasts more than two months and after that their new academic session gets started,” where the clause structure is awkward, and “if a high schooler gets graduated,” which uses an incorrect verb construction. There are also errors in agreement and sentence formation, as in “Summer break is a precious time … Because a human mind needs …, so …,” where the dependent clause is left as a fragment and the sentence uses two linking structures. Review clause boundaries, verb patterns, and agreement, while retaining your attempts at complex sentences.
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.