Band 5.5 IELTS Writing Task 2 Model Answer
Overall Band Score: 5.5 · IELTS Complete Catalyst · 2026-08-07
IELTS Writing Task 2 question
In many countries these days, the number of people continuing their education after school has increased, and the range of courses available at universities and colleges has also increased.
Do you think this is a positive or negative development?
You should use your own ideas, knowledge and experience and support your arguments with examples and relevant experience.
Student answer (Band 5.5)
In recent years, the number of people getting higher education and variety of courses available at universities and colleges have increased. Although it has some drawbacks, I believe that its advantages outweigh its drawbacks. I will explain with reasons and examples in this essay.
The prime reason I support this view is that higher education is very important. This is attributed to people easily got jobs with having only secondary education in the past. But with the latest advancement in the society, people are getting more awareness of need of higher education. Today, the job market demand a degree, relevant experience regarding required job. Thus, more people are acquiring higher education to get an employment.
Another significant reason is that with the latest advancement in the society, the new knowledge is emerging. So, universities and colleges are adding new courses in their catelogue. The rationale behind this is need of qualified professionals for the demanding jobs. For example, before coming of AI in the market no universities were offering courses in it. But now by seeing it importance and need, more universities are offering courses like bachelors, masters and diploma to prepare youth for the market. As we say necessity is the mother of invention. The more need of knowledge there is, the more invention of courses come.
On the other hand, there are some downsides. The significant drawback is less people are doing practical learning skills and focusing on just getting a degree from a prestigious institute. Some degrees are more theoratical based and don't even teach practical skills which are required for the future.
To conclude, undeniably higher education and new courses has some cons but its benefits are far more than its cons. Thus, I support the view of getting more higher education in different available course.
AI examiner evaluation
| Criterion | Band |
|---|---|
| Task Achievement / Task Response | 5.5 |
| Coherence and Cohesion | 5.5 |
| Lexical Resource | 5.5 |
| Grammatical Range and Accuracy | 5.5 |
| Overall | 5.5 |
Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 5.5
The response addresses all parts of the prompt, clearly stating a position that the advantages of increased higher education outweigh the drawbacks. The ideas are relevant, such as the necessity of degrees in the modern job market and the evolution of university curricula to include fields like AI. However, the development is somewhat uneven. The argument regarding the 'downsides' is a bit brief and could have been extended with more specific examples of how theoretical learning fails to prepare students. While the position is clear throughout, the supporting arguments occasionally rely on generalizations rather than deep analysis, which keeps the response at a Band 6.5 level.
Coherence and Cohesion — Band 5.5
The essay is logically organized with a clear introduction, body paragraphs, and a conclusion. Each paragraph has a central theme, such as the job market demand or the emergence of new knowledge. Cohesive devices are used, such as 'The prime reason,' 'Another significant reason,' and 'On the other hand,' which help guide the reader. However, some transitions feel slightly mechanical, and the referencing is occasionally repetitive. Paragraphing is used appropriately, but the flow between sentences could be smoother to achieve a higher band. Overall, the progression of ideas is clear and easy to follow.
Lexical Resource — Band 5.5
The vocabulary is generally adequate for the task, allowing the writer to express their ideas clearly. There are attempts to use topic-specific vocabulary like 'qualified professionals,' 'theoretical based,' and 'prestigious institute.' However, there are some inaccuracies in word choice and spelling, such as 'catelogue' (catalogue), 'theoratical' (theoretical), and 'getting higher education' (which is slightly unnatural compared to 'pursuing higher education'). The range is sufficient to convey meaning, but it lacks the precision and flexibility required for a higher band score. Improving collocation and proofreading for spelling would significantly enhance this score.
Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 5.5
The essay uses a mix of simple and complex sentence structures. While the meaning is generally clear, there are frequent grammatical errors that persist throughout the text. Examples include 'people easily got jobs' (should be 'used to get'), 'the job market demand' (subject-verb agreement error: 'demands'), 'seeing it importance' (should be 'its'), and 'more invention of courses come' (unnatural phrasing). These errors do not impede communication, but they are frequent enough to prevent the essay from reaching a higher band. A greater focus on subject-verb agreement and correct article usage would improve the accuracy of the writing.
See this exact question answered at other band scores — the same prompt compared across bands.
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