Band 6.0 IELTS Writing Task 2 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 6.0 · IELTS Complete Catalyst · 2026-09-02

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 6.0)

In contemporary society, the number of people continuing with their education after school has gone up and the range of courses available at universities and colleges has also increased. I believe this is a positive development because it provides better opportunities and improves individual skills.

The range of courses available at universities and colleges have gone up due to the increase in the number of individuals enrolling the higher education programs primarily because people have different careers which makes the university to increase the number of courses. For example, a tertiary institution wanting to admit more students should have a wide range of courses so as to accommodate all the needs of their learners.

One of the major advantages of proceeding with education is that it provides better opportunities for work. Employers might prefer to hire an employee who has more educational qualifications because they believe that learning increases their knowledge. For instance, a person with more certificates is likely to outshine others in an interview.

Furthermore, more people are choosing to proceed with their education because they want to improve their skills on specific areas. For instance, a dentist might choose to upgrade in the same field to widen his understanding which will help them in addressing difficult issues.

To conclude, I largely believe that the range of courses available at universities increase as a result of the higher number people continuing with their higher education is a positive development, because it it provides better opportunities and improves individual skills.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 6.0

The response addresses the prompt by identifying the trend as a positive development and providing reasons. However, the development of ideas is somewhat superficial. For instance, the argument regarding 'better opportunities' is mentioned but not deeply explored, and the explanation of why universities increase courses is slightly repetitive. To reach a higher band, you should provide more specific, nuanced examples rather than general statements. The conclusion is also quite repetitive, echoing the introduction almost verbatim. While all parts of the task are addressed, the depth of analysis is limited, which is characteristic of a band 6 performance.

Coherence and Cohesion — Band 6.5

The essay is organized into logical paragraphs, each with a clear central topic. Cohesive devices such as 'Furthermore', 'For instance', and 'To conclude' are used to link ideas. However, the flow is occasionally mechanical, and some transitions feel slightly forced. The referencing is generally clear, though the final sentence of the conclusion is grammatically awkward and repetitive, which disrupts the overall cohesion. Paragraphing is used appropriately to separate the introduction, body paragraphs, and conclusion, which helps the reader follow your argument, but the internal progression within paragraphs could be smoother.

Lexical Resource — Band 6.0

You demonstrate an adequate range of vocabulary for the task, using terms like 'contemporary society', 'tertiary institution', and 'outshine'. However, the range is somewhat limited, and there is a reliance on simpler phrasing. Some word choices are slightly imprecise, such as 'upgrade in the same field' instead of 'pursue advanced studies' or 'specialize'. There are no major spelling errors, but the vocabulary lacks the sophistication and precision required for a higher band. To improve, focus on using more academic collocations and less common lexical items to express your ideas more precisely.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 6.0

The essay uses a mix of simple and complex sentence structures. There are several grammatical errors, such as subject-verb agreement issues ('The range of courses... have gone up' should be 'has gone up') and awkward phrasing ('enrolling the higher education programs' should be 'enrolling in'). While these errors do not impede communication, they are frequent enough to prevent a higher score. You have attempted complex sentences, but they often contain minor slips. Focusing on proofreading for subject-verb agreement and preposition usage would significantly improve the accuracy of your writing.

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.