Band 6.5 IELTS Writing Task 2 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 6.5 · Cambridge IELTS 18 · 2026-09-05

IELTS Writing Task 2 question

Some university students want to learn about other subjects in addition to their main subjects. Others believe it is more important to give all their time and attention to studying for a qualification. Discuss both these views and give your opinion. Give reasons for your answer and include relevant examples from your own knowledge or experience.

 

Student answer (Band 6.5)

Certain individuals advocate that university students should solely focus on subject related to their chosen major, while others contend that students should study a broader range of subjects. Although the first view can sometimes be valuable, I firmly believe that the latter view is much more beneficial.

The main reason why I agree with second view is that it provides more knowledge and aids in future employment. When an individual has experience in other fields rather than just his own field, more employers will lean towards him and he would have higher employment rate. For example, when two people with the same score and major apply for a job but one of them has experience in other fields, employers will choose him over the other person because of his knowledge and experience. As a result, a person significantly increase their employment rate when they have knowledge in other fields.

Turning to the first view, primarily focusing on your major has two major benefits, excellent academics and focus. When an individual solely focuses on their major they start to get higher grades in their university reports as well as generally increase their focus on daily assignments. For instance, when a person puts all his focus on their major, their academic scores substantially increases as well as their focus. Consequently, the person develops a focus mindset and improved academics.

In conclusion, although mainly focusing on your major can have benefits, such as exceptional academics and build focus, I firmly believe that trying other fields can have a greater impact on your future because it builds knowledge and improve future employment rates.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 6.5

The response addresses all parts of the task, presenting both views and a clear personal position. The ideas are relevant, though the development is somewhat repetitive. For instance, the argument regarding 'employment rates' is restated multiple times without adding significant depth or new dimensions. To reach a higher band, you should aim to provide more nuanced examples—perhaps discussing how interdisciplinary knowledge fosters innovation or critical thinking, rather than focusing solely on the hiring process. The position is consistent throughout, but the supporting arguments could be more thoroughly extended to demonstrate a deeper exploration of the topic.

Coherence and Cohesion — Band 7.0

The essay is logically organized with a clear introduction, body paragraphs, and conclusion. Paragraphing is used appropriately to separate the two opposing views. Cohesive devices such as 'Although', 'The main reason', 'Turning to', and 'In conclusion' are used to guide the reader. However, the flow is occasionally mechanical, and some transitions feel slightly formulaic. Referencing is generally clear, though the repetition of 'the first view' and 'the second view' makes the structure feel a bit rigid. Increasing the variety of cohesive links would improve the overall flow and coherence.

Lexical Resource — Band 6.0

The vocabulary is adequate for the task and allows for clear communication. You use some topic-specific terms like 'qualification', 'major', and 'interdisciplinary' (implied). However, the range is somewhat limited, and there is noticeable repetition of basic words like 'focus', 'knowledge', and 'fields'. To improve, try to incorporate more sophisticated collocations and synonyms to avoid repeating the same phrases. For example, instead of 'increase their employment rate', you could use 'enhance their employability' or 'improve their career prospects'. The word choice is generally accurate, but lacks the precision and variety required for higher bands.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 6.0

The essay uses a mix of simple and complex sentence structures. While the meaning is always clear, there are several grammatical errors that persist. For example, 'a person significantly increase' should be 'a person significantly increases' (subject-verb agreement), and 'subject related' should be 'subjects related'. Additionally, there are minor issues with articles and pluralization, such as 'the second view' (missing 'the') and 'focus mindset'. While these errors do not impede communication, they occur frequently enough to prevent a higher score. Focusing on subject-verb agreement and consistent tense usage will help improve your accuracy.

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.