Band 6.0 IELTS Writing Task 2 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 6.0 · IELTS Complete Catalyst · 2026-10-13

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)

Nowadays, in most countries, a sharp rise in enrollment of students leavers. The specialized programs are also rise at universities. I think this is a positive, negative or a mix of both for many reasons.

There is no doubt that in today's world, the huge range of people are continuing their education after graduating at school. This can be seen in many countries that people's first priority is completing their education before starting their work life. This happens because everyone knows about importance of education and the range of courses available at universities and colleges has also increased. We look first at positive side, the expansion of higher education choices plays a crucial role in preparing young people for the modern, tech-driven economy. for instance, better career options, A wider range of specialized courses (like AI, digital marketing, or renewable energy) allows students to study exactly what the modern job market needs, making them more employable. Secondly, economic growth, a highly educated workforce drives innovation, attracts foreign investment, and boosts a country's overall economic productivity. Thirdly, equal opportunities, more college places and varied courses mean education is no longer just for the elite; it allows people from all backgrounds to improve their social status.

On the other hand, the massification of university education has given rise to the phenomenon of degree inflation, where standard qualifications lose their competitive edge. Firstly, the degree inflation crisis, when everyone has a university degree, a standard bachelor's degree loses its value. Employers start demanding master's degrees or PhDs even for entry-level jobs. Secondly, skills mismatch, some niche or overly specific courses may not offer real job prospects, leading to high graduate unemployment and heavy student debt. Thirdly, shortage of skilled trades, as more high school graduates choose university, fewer people enter vital vocational trades like plumbing, electrical work, healthcare support, or construction.

In conclusion, both are the positive and negative impact in environment and many people faces these impacts.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response: Band 6.0

You address both sides of the development and give a clear overall view that it has positive and negative effects. The positive points—courses matching modern employment needs, economic growth, and wider access—are relevant, as are your concerns about degree inflation, skills mismatch, and shortages in trades. Examples such as AI and renewable energy help make the discussion concrete. However, the opening says “positive, negative or a mix of both,” which makes your position sound undecided, and the conclusion (“both are the positive and negative impact in environment”) does not clearly answer the question or accurately summarise your argument. Some points, particularly student debt and the effects on vocational work, would benefit from explanation or an example.

Coherence and Cohesion: Band 6.0

The response has a recognisable structure: an introduction, a paragraph presenting benefits, a paragraph presenting drawbacks, and a conclusion. “On the other hand” clearly signals the shift between the two sides, and the numbered points make the main arguments easy to identify. However, the progression is sometimes mechanical because several ideas are introduced as “Firstly,” “Secondly,” and “Thirdly” without being developed into a connected discussion. The sentence beginning “We look first at positive side” is an awkward transition, and the final sentence does not bring the preceding arguments together. Improve cohesion by using clearer topic sentences, linking each example directly to its claim, and ending with a concise restatement of your balanced position.

Lexical Resource: Band 6.0

You use an adequate range of topic vocabulary, including “degree inflation,” “highly educated workforce,” “foreign investment,” and “vocational trades.” These terms help you discuss both the benefits and possible costs of expanded higher education. There are also attempts at less common expressions, such as “massification,” though the phrasing around some of them is not fully natural. For example, “a sharp rise in enrollment of students leavers” and “the huge range of people” are unclear or awkward, while “specialized programs are also rise” uses an unsuitable word form. Aim for more accurate collocations and avoid fragments such as “better career options,” which interrupts the sentence. More precise phrasing would make your ideas easier to follow.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 5.5

You attempt both simple and complex sentence forms, including a relative clause in “courses … that the modern job market needs” and a conditional structure in “when everyone has a university degree.” Most of the main arguments remain understandable, but some grammatical errors affect clarity. The opening is a sentence fragment (“a sharp rise in enrollment of students leavers”), and “The specialized programs are also rise” has an incorrect verb construction. There are also errors in “importance of education,” “graduating at school,” and the conclusion, “many people faces these impacts.” Capitalisation and punctuation are inconsistent, including the lowercase “for instance” after a full stop. Check sentence completeness, subject–verb agreement, articles, and verb forms when editing.

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