Band 6.5 IELTS Writing Task 2 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 6.5 · IELTS Complete Catalyst · 2026-10-02

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 6.5)

In many countries, an increasing number of people are choosing to continue their education after school, leading to a wide range of available courses to choose from. I believe this is a positive development because it provides people with greater opportunities and develop skills required to survive in the job market.

One of the major advantages is that students have more opportunities to pursue subjects that are more inclined towards their interests. In the past, higher education was designed around limited subjects blocking various career options for them. For instance, universities offer a biotechnology, data sciences, AI tools and microbiology as their majors for students with biology background instead of just zoology or botany. This enables the student to acquire specialised knowledge and potentially enter professions less accessible by previous generations.

In addition to this, an increased participation in higher education can lead to the development of a more skilled workforce. As industries and research are have become more technologically advanced, employers require workers to be skilled not only theoretically but practically. This can be understood with the example of universities offering elective courses to students with technical background to develop communication skills. This allows students to develop cognitive and creative thinking which will also enhance their problem solving skills.

In conclusion, although the expansion of higher education may create challenges such as graduate unemployment and financial pressure, I consider it a positive development overall. Greater access to education and a wider choice of specialised courses can help individuals pursue their interests while also contributing to a more skilled workforce.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response: Band 7.0

The response addresses all parts of the task by presenting a clear position throughout that the expansion of education is a positive development. Main ideas are extended and supported with relevant examples, such as mentioning specific modern university majors like biotechnology, data sciences, AI tools, and microbiology. However, there is a slight tendency to overgeneralise in certain claims, and some supporting details could be elaborated further to reach a higher level of fully articulated development. The conclusion appropriately acknowledges potential counter-arguments, such as graduate unemployment and financial pressure, while reinforcing the main stance, satisfying all requirements of the level.

Coherence and Cohesion: Band 6.5

The essay displays a coherent overall arrangement with a clear logical progression throughout. Paragraphing is used sufficiently and appropriately, separating the introduction, two body paragraphs exploring distinct arguments, and a well-structured conclusion. Cohesive devices such as 'In addition to this,' and 'In conclusion,' are used to guide the reader, although referencing and linking can occasionally feel slightly mechanical. While the flow is clear and overall organisation is maintained well, transitioning between sentences could sometimes be smoother to achieve a fully seamless progression characteristic of the higher band.

Lexical Resource: Band 6.5

The writer demonstrates an adequate range of vocabulary for the task, successfully attempting less common items such as 'specialised knowledge', 'technologically advanced', and 'graduate unemployment'. However, there are some inaccuracies in word choice, collocation, and phrasing, such as 'develop skills required' instead of 'developing the skills required', and 'universities offer a biotechnology' featuring an unnecessary article. Spelling is generally accurate, and vocabulary errors do not impede communication, showing solid control while leaving room for greater precision and natural stylistic flair.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 6.5

The response employs a mix of simple and complex sentence forms, demonstrating the ability to construct multi-clause sentences effectively, as seen in conditional and relative structures. There are some errors in grammar and punctuation, such as subject-verb agreement issues in 'research are have become', missing articles before plural or singular countable nouns like 'biology background', and prepositions inside grammatical patterns. Nonetheless, these errors are relatively infrequent and rarely impede communication, reflecting a good mix of structures with satisfactory command over overall sentence construction.

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