Band 6.5 IELTS Writing Task 2 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 6.5 · IELTS Complete Catalyst · 2026-10-08

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)

Nowadays, many universities offer an increased choice of lectures compared to the past and the number of students enrolling advanced education has gradually increased too. Overall, I believe this represents a huge step ahead because more educated people can bring more value to the community. However, some drawbacks may exist, such as the risk for students of being distracted by the huge amount of courses available.

With a greater amount of courses available students can focus more on their passions finding their path and growing their knowledge. Moreover, if more people decide to continue studying after school, probably the community as a whole could experience advancements in many fields. For example, over the last few decades technology has evolved impressively, passing from the internet bubble of 2000 to people constantly connected all over the world. The same advancement has been seen by all sectors, indeed vehicles nowadays are much safer.

The biggest drawback is probably the fact that students could be distracted by the ample variety of lectures available. For example, I personally know many people that have chosen to change their major three or four times during their university studies. This approach can make students wasting years and becoming less appealing for the job market. Although they have actually found what they love, they made a major effort finding a job after university because they were already in their thirties.

In conclusion, I believe that an increased amount of people deciding to enroll in advanced education can build an innovative society, although if the range of courses is too ample students could be distracted by all that choices.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response: Band 6.5

Your position is clear from the introduction: you see increased participation in higher education as positive, while acknowledging that too many course options can distract students. You address both the growth in enrolment and the wider range of courses, and the examples about technological progress and students changing majors are relevant. The discussion is not equally developed, however: the link between more graduates and advances in technology is asserted rather than explained, and the vehicle-safety example is brief. The drawback is more concrete, but its consequences could be explored further. To strengthen the response, explain more directly how broader access to education benefits society and qualify or support the examples used.

Coherence and Cohesion: Band 6.5

The response has a clear overall structure: an introduction states your view, separate paragraphs present benefits and a drawback, and the conclusion returns to your position. Ideas generally progress in a logical order, and linking expressions such as “Moreover,” “For example,” and “In conclusion” help guide the reader. Some connections are less smooth or precise, though. The technology example moves from the internet to vehicle safety without clearly showing how either demonstrates the effect of increased university participation. The final sentence’s “although if” also makes the relationship between the positive view and the qualification awkward. Make the links between claims and examples explicit, and use transitions that show the intended contrast or concession more naturally.

Lexical Resource: Band 6.0

You use an adequate range for the topic, including phrases such as “continue studying after school,” “community as a whole,” “ample variety,” and “job market.” There are also attempts at more specific vocabulary, such as “enrolling” and “advancements.” However, some choices or collocations are inaccurate or repetitive: “lectures” is used where “courses” or “degree programmes” would better describe the range on offer, and “a huge step ahead” is not a natural expression in this context. “Ample” is repeated, while “amount” is used with the countable noun “people.” These choices do not prevent understanding, but greater precision and more natural collocations would improve the response. Prefer topic-specific terms and check whether nouns are countable.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 6.5

You use a mix of simple and complex forms, including a concession with “although” and a conditional structure in “if more people decide to continue studying.” Most sentences communicate the intended meaning, and errors rarely obstruct understanding. Some grammatical problems remain. In “the number of students enrolling advanced education,” the verb pattern and preposition are incomplete; write “the number of students enrolling in higher education.” “With a greater amount of courses available students can focus” needs a comma after the introductory phrase, and “can make students wasting years” should be “can make students waste years.” The final sentence, “although if the range…,” combines two incompatible linking structures. Review verb patterns, countable-noun agreement, and punctuation around introductory clauses.

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