Band 6.5 IELTS Writing Task 2 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 6.5 · Cambridge IELTS 18 · 2026-09-25

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)

University education is generally focused on preparing students for their future career while, some students prefer to study addtional subjects but others argue that concentrating entirely on their qualification is more beneficial.

In my opinion, students should focus primarily on their main subjects but should also spend some time learning other subjects.

On the one hand, studying additional subjects can provide students with broader range of knowledge and skills. University students may discover interest that are different from their main field. For example, an accounting student could study communication, computer science and business management subjects. These subjects can ehnace their communication and technological skills. These skills will be useful when they enter the workplace. Moreover, learning additional subjects can encourage students to think more broadly and become more adaptable.

On the other hand, there are many reasons for students to concentrate on their main qualfication. University courses can be demanding so students need to spend more time attending lectures, completing assignments and preparing presentations. If they devote too much time on learning unrelated subjects their performance in their main degree may suffer. Furthermore, students who should enter in specialised profession such as medicine, enginnering and accounting they need to develop strong knowledge regarding their field. Therefore, giving sufficient attention to their principal subjects is essential for their future career.

In my view, a balanced approach is the most practical option. As a result, learning other subjects can broaden students knwoledge and skills, focusing on their qualification is essential for academic and professional success. So, students should prioritise their main subjects while learning some knowledge in other areas.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response: Band 6.5

The response addresses all parts of the task by discussing both views on whether university students should study additional subjects or focus exclusively on their core qualification, and provides a clear personal opinion throughout. In the body paragraphs, the writer provides relevant examples and extensions, such as an accounting student studying computer science and business management to enhance technological skills. The position is well-maintained, although some arguments could be extended further to reach a higher band. For instance, the discussion on the demands of specialized professions like medicine and engineering touches on valid points but remains somewhat generalized. Nevertheless, the requirements of the prompt are fully satisfied with a clear logical progression of ideas.

Coherence and Cohesion: Band 6.5

The essay is logically organized with a clear overall progression. It begins with a suitable introduction that outlines the debate and states the writer's stance, followed by distinct body paragraphs for each viewpoint, and concludes with a balanced summary. Cohesive devices are used effectively to guide the reader through the arguments, such as 'On the one hand', 'On the other hand', 'Moreover', and 'Furthermore'. Paragraphing is used sufficiently and appropriately, with each paragraph focusing on a central theme. While some minor referencing links could be smoother, the organizational structure is clear and easy to follow throughout the response.

Lexical Resource: Band 6.0

The student demonstrates an adequate to sufficient range of vocabulary for the task. Less common lexical items are attempted, such as 'specialised profession', 'adaptable', and 'practical option'. There are a few spelling and word-choice errors, such as 'addtional' instead of 'additional', 'ehnace' instead of 'enhance', 'qualfication' instead of 'qualification', 'enginnering' instead of 'engineering', and 'knwoledge' instead of 'knowledge'. However, these errors do not impede communication, and the overall vocabulary deployed is flexible enough to allow the writer to convey precise meanings regarding higher education and career development.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 6.5

The writer uses a mix of simple and complex sentence structures, including conditional and subordinate clauses like 'If they devote too much time on learning unrelated subjects their performance in their main degree may suffer'. There is a good variety of sentence forms, and punctuation is generally handled well. Grammatical accuracy is reasonably high, though a few minor slips and awkward phrasings occur, such as 'broader range of knowledge' missing an article ('a broader range'), and 'students who should enter in specialised profession' containing prepositional awkwardness. Despite these occasional errors, the majority of sentences are error-free, and communication is never impeded.

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