Band 6.5 IELTS Writing Task 2 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 6.5 · Cambridge IELTS 18 · 2026-09-14

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)

Some students believe it is important to study additional courses alongside core subjects, although some argue that students should focus exclusively on core subjects. I strongly believe that studying additional courses alongside core subjects is more beneficial for students' personal growth and career prospects.

Studying additional courses is advantageous for students in numerous ways. To begin with, young people devote their time to learning a new language, dance, or a sport. This helps them develop confidence and cultivate recreational interests. As students excel in these activities through practice and dedication, they build a stronger persona, which can eventually lead them to showcase their talent at national or international levels. For example, a law student takes philosophy which deepens critical thinking for their qualification. Furthermore, additional courses make students more competitive in the job market. Youngsters excel in multiple skills like microsoft powerpoint, presenting complex topics, or creative artwork. Consequently, such skills are what most companies look for in an excellent candidate in today's job market. For example, a student studying IT alongside a presentation course becomes more employable because big firms hire tech experts who can present key details to their clients in an effective manner.

On the other hand, some argue that students should focus exclusively on core subjects. Firstly, when studying for a university qualification, core subjects require significant time commitment. When students divide their time between multiple subjects, they cannot dedicate enough hours to primary courses, for instance, students of IT lacks focus on classes like python, java, and data structure programming. This coding subjects require deep understanding of the concepts and regular practice, which results in weaker foundational knowledge and negatively impacts their university exams, assignments and projects. Furthermore, core subjects have a sequential structure. Basic mathematics, for instance, forms the foundation for statistics, so when students divide their attention with extra classes, it interrupts this structured progression and they lose continuity in their learning. As a result, students struggle with advanced concepts because they haven't mastered the foundational knowledge, leading to poor educational progress and difficulty in higher studies.

Despite these concerns, the benefits of additional courses outweigh the risks because it is significant for personal growth by building stronger confidence and persona, and making oneself a competitive candidate in the job market. In conclusion, additional courses are not a distraction but an investment in a well-rounded education.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 6.5

The student successfully addresses all parts of the prompt by discussing both views—learning additional subjects versus focusing exclusively on core qualifications—and clearly states a personal position in the introduction and conclusion. The ideas are relevant and supported by examples, such as a law student studying philosophy or an IT student taking presentation courses. However, there is a minor tendency to drift into general benefits of hobbies like dance and sport in the second paragraph before anchoring back to academic contexts. Despite this slight digression, the task is well-handled, meeting the criteria for Band 7.0 as all parts are addressed and the position is clear throughout.

Coherence and Cohesion — Band 6.5

The essay displays a clear overall progression with a logical arrangement of ideas. Each paragraph has a distinct focus, moving from the introduction to the advantages of additional courses, the opposing view regarding core subjects, and finally a balanced conclusion. Cohesive devices are used adequately to signal transitions, such as 'To begin with', 'Furthermore', 'On the other hand', and 'Consequently'. However, paragraphing and referencing can occasionally feel slightly mechanical, and some transitions between sentences within the body paragraphs lack seamless fluidity. This places the response comfortably at Band 7.0 for clear logical organisation and paragraphing.

Lexical Resource — Band 6.5

The student demonstrates an adequate to sufficient range of vocabulary for the task, successfully incorporating less common lexical items such as 'foundational knowledge', 'sequential structure', and 'well-rounded education'. There are attempts at precise collocation, though occasional inaccuracies occur, such as 'this coding subjects require' (plural/singular mismatch) or 'youngsters excel in multiple skills like microsoft powerpoint'. Nevertheless, the vocabulary is varied enough to allow flexibility and precision, and spelling is generally accurate throughout. The lexical control aligns well with the descriptors for Band 6.5, rounded to 7.0 given the successful handling of abstract academic concepts.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 5.5

The essay incorporates a mix of simple and complex sentence structures, utilising conditional and subordinate clauses effectively, such as 'When students divide their time between multiple subjects, they cannot dedicate enough hours...' However, there are noticeable grammatical errors that persist, including subject-verb agreement issues like 'students of IT lacks focus' and 'This coding subjects require'. Punctuation is generally sound, and despite these recurrent minor errors, communication is never impeded. The grammatical range and control reflect the characteristics of a solid Band 6.0 performance.

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