Band 6.0 IELTS Writing Task 2 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 6.0 · IELTS Summit Mastery · 2026-11-10

IELTS Writing Task 2 question

Write about the following topic:

Many young people choose to take a year out between finishing school and starting university in order to gain work experience or to travel. The experience of non-academic life this offers benefits the individual when they return to education.

To what extent do you agree or disagree?

Give reasons for your answer and include any relevant examples from your knowledge or experience

Student answer (Band 6.0)

In my opinion, the gap year people choose to have between high-school and university is an amazing opportunity that any student should take, because this way, they might have a better mindset and ability compared to those who dont.

Firstly, the gap year could mean an opportunity to travel. Visiting countries, learning new cultures, interactions with different mentalities could offer a broader mindset and view of life. Being young, justi finishing high-school, this is not a way to decompress, but also learn. Wether we mean culturally or socially, it could still present a good advantage to those who choose it.

Secondly, it could be used as for gaining work experience. While people might be skeptic about this choice, it could still be presented as an advantage. Having work discipline, learning to deal with difficult situations can also help throughout university studies, if situations ask for it. Besides, this work experience can lead to a bigger chance when hiring after college graduation, most companies looking for young people with work experience.

Thirdly, this gap year could be used in other ways, such as studying for an admission examn. the end of high-school is consuming, and sometimes, admission exams require a higher level of attention and comprehensive study. Therefore, a year used primarly to study, could turn into higher chances of admision.

In conclusion, while starting college right after graduating high-school seems like a natural order, those who choose to take this gap year can earn an advantage in terms of knowledge and experience that could make their next years better.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response: Band 6.5

Your position is clear from the opening: you strongly support taking a gap year, and the conclusion restates that it can provide useful knowledge and experience. You address travel and work experience with relevant explanations, such as developing a broader outlook and learning work discipline. The admission-exam point is also relevant, but it shifts away from the prompt’s focus on non-academic life and its benefits when students return to education; explain more directly how this preparation improves their university experience, or develop the travel and work examples further. Some claims, including that companies seek young people with experience, would benefit from a specific example or qualification. The response covers the task, but its ideas are not all developed equally.

Coherence and Cohesion: Band 6.5

The essay has a clear overall structure: an introduction, three body paragraphs signposted with “Firstly,” “Secondly,” and “Thirdly,” and a conclusion. This makes the main points easy to identify, and the ideas generally progress from travel to employment and then study preparation. However, the linking is somewhat mechanical, and some connections between sentences could be clearer. For example, “While people might be skeptic about this choice, it could still be presented as an advantage” does not specify which choice or explain the contrast fully. The third paragraph also feels less connected to the central argument about non-academic experience. Use more precise referencing and show explicitly how each example supports your position.

Lexical Resource: Band 6.0

You use an adequate range of topic-related vocabulary, including “gap year,” “work experience,” “work discipline,” “broader mindset,” and “admission exams.” These choices communicate the main ideas, and you attempt some less common expressions. At times, however, word choice or collocation is inaccurate or awkward, as in “interactions with different mentalities,” “a bigger chance when hiring,” and “higher level of attention and comprehensive study.” Spelling errors such as “Wether,” “primarly,” and “admision” also reduce accuracy. Aim for more natural academic phrasing and check spelling carefully; for instance, describe exposure to different cultures and say that experience may improve employment prospects.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 5.5

You attempt both simple and complex sentence forms, including a reason clause with “because” and a concessive structure beginning “While people might…”. Most of the meaning remains understandable, but some grammatical errors and punctuation problems are noticeable. The opening sentence has an unclear comparison in “a better mindset and ability compared to those who dont,” while “Being young, justi finishing high-school” is an incomplete or malformed construction. The sentence beginning “Besides, this work experience…” also lacks a clear grammatical connection between its clauses. Review sentence boundaries, clause structure, and agreement, and proofread apostrophes and capitalization. More consistently controlled complex sentences would make the argument easier to follow.

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

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