Band 6.5 IELTS Writing Task 2 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 6.5 · IELTS Summit Mastery · 2026-09-03

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 6.5)

It has been observed that many young people take a year out between finishing school and starting university. Although some people believe that this may interrupt students' academic progress, I firmly agree with the given statement. My inclination is elaborated in ensuring paragraph and relevant examples.

The foremost argument to justify my stand is that a gap year allows young people to gain valuable work experience. For instance, students can develop essential skills such as communication, teamwork and time management while working in a company. Besides this, it is also true that employment can help students understand their future career goals. For example, a student who works in a hospital may realise that they are genuinely interested in pursuing a career in healthcare.

Furthermore, the other reason to prove my point is that travelling can make young people more independent and mature. Because of this, they have opportunities to experience different cultures and deal with unfamiliar situations. In addition, the fact that students have to manage their own money, accommodation and daily responsibilities while travelling can improve their confidence and decision-making abilities.

On the contrary, some people counterclaim the mentioned support. The foremost argument they do is that taking a year off may cause students to lose their academic habits. To add to this, some students may spend the entire year without gaining useful experience, which could make returning to education more difficult. However, these disadvantages can largely be avoided if the gap year is properly planned.

To conclude the discussion, it can be said that despite the fact of possible academic interruption, my reasons that a gap year provides valuable work experience and develops independence are logically acceptable. Therefore, I strongly agree that experiencing non-academic life before university can benefit young people when they return to education.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 6.5

The response addresses all parts of the prompt, maintaining a clear position throughout. The arguments regarding work experience and personal development are relevant and well-supported with examples, such as the mention of healthcare careers and financial management. The counter-argument is acknowledged and effectively refuted, demonstrating a balanced approach. The ideas are extended sufficiently to meet the requirements of the task. To reach a higher band, the student could provide more specific, real-world examples rather than general scenarios, which would add further depth to the analysis.

Coherence and Cohesion — Band 6.5

The essay is logically organized with a clear introduction, body paragraphs, and a conclusion. Cohesive devices such as 'The foremost argument', 'Besides this', 'Furthermore', and 'On the contrary' are used effectively to guide the reader through the argument. Paragraphing is used appropriately, with each paragraph focusing on a central theme. The progression of ideas is smooth and easy to follow. There is occasional minor awkwardness in phrasing, such as 'ensuring paragraph', but this does not impede the overall flow or coherence of the essay.

Lexical Resource — Band 6.0

The vocabulary is generally appropriate and sufficient for the task. The student uses topic-specific terms like 'academic progress', 'career goals', and 'decision-making abilities'. While the range is adequate, it lacks the more sophisticated or idiomatic expressions that would characterize a higher band. There are no significant errors in word choice that impede communication, though some phrasing is slightly repetitive or basic. Expanding the range of collocations and using more precise academic vocabulary would help elevate the lexical score.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 6.5

The essay demonstrates a good mix of simple and complex sentence structures. Most sentences are clear and grammatically accurate. There are some minor errors, such as 'ensuring paragraph' instead of 'ensuing paragraph' and 'counterclaim the mentioned support', which is slightly unnatural. However, these errors are infrequent and do not cause confusion. The control over punctuation and sentence construction is generally strong, and the student shows an ability to use complex structures to express their ideas effectively.

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

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