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 subjects 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 the 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 building 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 both sides of the argument and provides a clear personal opinion in the introduction and conclusion. The ideas are relevant, such as the link between a broader curriculum and employability, and the benefits of focus for academic performance. However, the development is somewhat repetitive. For instance, the argument about 'focus' is restated multiple times in the third paragraph without adding new depth. To reach a higher band, you should aim to provide more specific, nuanced examples rather than repeating the same point in different words. Overall, the task is fully addressed, but the depth of analysis is limited.

Coherence and Cohesion — Band 7.0

The essay is logically organized with a clear introduction, two body paragraphs, and a conclusion. Paragraphing is used appropriately to separate the two viewpoints. Cohesive devices such as 'Although', 'The main reason', 'Turning to', and 'In conclusion' are used to guide the reader through the argument. However, some transitions feel slightly mechanical, and the referencing is occasionally repetitive (e.g., 'the first view', 'the second view'). The flow is generally smooth, and the progression of ideas is easy to follow throughout the text.

Lexical Resource — Band 6.0

The vocabulary is adequate for the task and allows for clear communication. You use some topic-specific terms like 'academic scores', 'employment rate', and 'major'. However, the range is somewhat limited, and there is a reliance on basic phrasing. For example, the word 'focus' is used repeatedly throughout the third paragraph, which limits the sophistication of your writing. To improve, try to incorporate more varied synonyms and collocations to express your ideas with greater precision and avoid repetitive word choices.

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, subject-verb agreement issues occur, such as 'a person significantly increase' (should be 'increases') and 'their academic scores substantially increases' (should be 'increase'). Additionally, there are minor pronoun inconsistency issues (switching between 'he' and 'they'). While these errors do not impede communication, they occur frequently enough to prevent a higher score. Focusing on proofreading for subject-verb agreement would significantly improve your accuracy.

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