Band 6.0 IELTS Writing Task 2 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 6.0 · Cambridge IELTS 18 · 2026-09-13

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 6.0)

As far as this topic is concerned, I believe that university students should have the opportunity to learn about other subjects in addition to their main field of study. Although focusing on a qualification is important, studying different subjects can provide students with wider knowledge and useful skills.

Firstly, learning other subjects can help students develop a broader understanding of the world. For example, an engineering student can study business, communication or computer skills. These additional subjects can be useful when students enter the workplace because employers often value people who have different skills. Moreover, studying other areas can help students discover new interests and may provide them with more career opportunities in the future.

On the other hand, some people believe that students should give all their time and attention to their main subject. A university qualification requires a lot of hard work, and students need to understand their major subject properly. If they spend too much time on other subjects, they may have less time for

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 5.0

The student addresses the task by discussing both views on whether university students should study additional subjects or focus solely on their main qualification, and provides a clear opinion in the introduction. However, the response is incomplete because it abruptly ends mid-sentence at 168 words, which falls well short of the 250-word minimum requirement. Consequently, the ideas are underdeveloped and the conclusion is entirely missing. This severely restricts the extent to which the task can be fully addressed. Based on the positive marking approach, the student demonstrates a clear understanding of the prompt and outlines relevant arguments, but the severe under-length penalty limits the overall task achievement score to a Band 5.0.

Coherence and Cohesion — Band 6.0

The text shows a clear overall organization with a logical progression of ideas. The student uses appropriate introductory and transitional markers such as 'As far as this topic is concerned', 'Firstly', and 'On the other hand' to signal the structure of the essay. Paragraphing is used sufficiently to separate the introduction, the first viewpoint, and the beginning of the second viewpoint. However, because the essay is incomplete, the overall structural progression is cut short. Referencing and cohesive devices are generally manageable and clear, but the lack of a concluding paragraph prevents a fully cohesive final structure. These features align well with the Band 6 descriptor, which notes a coherent overall arrangement even though some aspects remain incomplete.

Lexical Resource — Band 6.0

The student uses an adequate range of vocabulary for the task, successfully communicating ideas about education and career opportunities. Phrases like 'main field of study', 'broader understanding', and 'career opportunities' demonstrate a suitable command of common academic vocabulary. There are occasional attempts at less common lexical items, though some word choices are somewhat basic, such as 'learning other subjects' and 'useful skills'. Spelling and word choice are generally accurate, and no errors impede communication. The vocabulary is sufficient for basic task execution, fitting comfortably within the Band 6 criteria for lexical adequacy.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 6.0

The writing displays a satisfactory mix of simple and complex sentence forms. The student successfully incorporates subordinate clauses, such as 'Although focusing on a qualification is important, studying different subjects can provide...' and conditional structures like 'If they spend too much time on other subjects, they may have less time for...'. Grammatical accuracy is reasonably high in the sentences that are completed, with correct verb tenses and appropriate punctuation. Although the grammar is largely sound, the limited overall length means the range of structures demonstrated is restricted, and the final sentence is left incomplete. Overall, the grammatical control corresponds to a Band 6.0.

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