Band 5.5 IELTS Writing Task 2 Model Answer
Overall Band Score: 5.5 · Cambridge IELTS 18 · 2026-09-22
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 5.5)
The debate on whether the students should learn about other subjects in addition to their main subject or whether they should foucs on their main qualification only has become a hot topic between students. From my perspective, I have reservation to some extent, i believe students should learn about other fields aswell.
On the one hand, many learners are excellent in learning and adoptiong quickly, which saves them time. Students in there free time starts becoming curious about other qualifications. Some also find other fields quite interesting and become intrigued and starts wanting to learn them. For example, a student in math depeartment went to the the arts department in his free time and found himself attracted to the study of that field. Moreover, with the unstabiliy of job market, many jobs now require qulification in more than just one field. One qualification is now not enough to secure a proper earning job, because of which learners go for more than one field. For instance, a boy doing a degree of statics would require to have intelligence on computers for a high paying jobs even in a bank.
On the other hand, there are students that are unable to adopt and learn quickly causing them to work harder than some students. They need so much foucs on there one qualification that they dont have time for any other field of study. For example, a boy with low IQ spends more time studying then his roommates and still get lower marks then him cause is roommate is quick in learning. In addition, there are some majors that acquire full foucs and no distraction or attraction to other activites. For instance, a girl pursing a degree in medical health and science wont have time for any thing else cause her degree requires her full foucs.
Overall, to some point, it is better to learn about other subjects in addition to their main subjects because it secures the students chances on having a high paying job, however if a learner's degree is difficult and hard to manage, then the student should probably foucs on his main qulification.
AI examiner evaluation
| Criterion | Band |
|---|---|
| Task Achievement / Task Response | 6.0 |
| Coherence and Cohesion | 6.0 |
| Lexical Resource | 5.5 |
| Grammatical Range and Accuracy | 5.0 |
| Overall | 5.5 |
Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 6.0
The candidate addresses all parts of the task by discussing both views on whether university students should study other subjects or focus solely on their main qualification, and clearly states a personal position in the introduction and conclusion. Ideas are extended and supported with examples, such as the student in the math department visiting the arts department and the demands of the job market. However, there is a tendency to over-generalise in parts, such as the claim about a 'boy with low IQ,' which limits the depth of academic argumentation. Despite this, the task is sufficiently answered, earning a solid Band 6.0.
Coherence and Cohesion — Band 6.0
The essay displays a coherent overall arrangement with a clear paragraphing structure, moving logically from the introduction to the two body paragraphs and a final conclusion. Cohesive devices are used to signal shifts in arguments, such as 'On the one hand' and 'On the other hand'. However, referencing is occasionally faulty or repetitive, and some cohesive links feel mechanical or basic (e.g., 'In addition', 'For instance'). Paragraph transitions are generally clear, but the internal logical progression within paragraphs could be smoother to reach higher bands. This performance aligns well with the Band 6.0 descriptors.
Lexical Resource — Band 5.5
The student uses an adequate range of vocabulary for the task, attempting some less common items such as 'unstabiliy', 'intrudes', and 'qualification'. However, there are frequent spelling and word-choice errors throughout the text, including 'foucs' instead of 'focus', 'adoptiong' instead of 'adopting', 'depeartment' instead of 'department', and 'qulification' instead of 'qualification'. While these lexical errors and typos do not impede overall communication, they prevent the essay from achieving a higher score. The vocabulary control is representative of Band 5.5.
Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 5.0
The response employs a mix of simple and complex sentence forms, demonstrating some ambition with subordinate clauses and conditional structures. However, there are frequent grammatical errors in tense consistency, subject-verb agreement, and punctuation, such as comma splices ('...with some students, they need...'). Examples like 'a boy doing a degree of statics would require to have intelligence' and 'wont have time for any thing else cause her degree requires her full foucs' reveal persistent inaccuracies. Although communication remains generally clear, the density of errors places this firmly in the Band 5.0 range.
See this exact question answered at other band scores — the same prompt compared across bands.
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