Band 6.0 IELTS Writing Task 2 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 6.0 · Cambridge IELTS 18 · 2026-09-29

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)

Despite progressing rapidly in learning methods, some students still want to learn other subjects in addition to their main subjects, while others argue that it is more pivotal for them to give their time and attention to studying for a qualification. From my perspective, it can be beneficial for learners to gain a diverse range of knowledge by studying other courses as well.

On one hand, studying multiple subjects can help individuals to become versatile, making them person who can apply his knowledge and skills in different fields for the betterment of his conditions in the future. Additionally, learning various courses can provide several opportunities to these people, not only in their profession but also in others. For instance, many developing countries are progressing rapidly in their socio-economic growth by implementing new education models, which include equal weightage for both major and other courses. Therefore, some students want to learn other courses as well to enhance their career opportunities.

On the other hand, studying other courses can place additional pressure on the financial resources of students' families and can be a cause of distraction for learners. In addition, this policy can divide students' focus and time for studying their main courses. The clear illustration of this is provided by several educational institutions that are facing a significant decline in their students' progress, despite teaching additional courses with main subjects.

I believe that adding other subjects can place an additional burden on individuals' financial money and can be a source of losing focus. However, the benefit of getting more career options in the future can outweigh its disadvantages.

To conclude, studying other courses has many pros and cons, but from my perspective, it can open many doors to improve individuals' circumstances which can outweigh its disadvantages of distraction.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response: Band 6.0

The student addresses all parts of the task by discussing both views—learning additional subjects versus focusing exclusively on a qualification—and clearly states a personal position in the introduction and conclusion. Ideas are generally extended and supported, such as mentioning career opportunities and financial burdens, although some arguments tend to over-generalise or become slightly repetitive, as seen in the repetition of points regarding financial costs and loss of focus between the third and fourth paragraphs. Nevertheless, a clear position is maintained throughout, satisfying the requirements for Band 6.0 or Band 6.5. Because the ideas are relevant and well-developed overall, a score of 6.5 is appropriate.

Coherence and Cohesion: Band 6.0

The text presents a coherent overall arrangement with a clear paragraph-by-paragraph structure that follows standard essay conventions, including an introduction, two body paragraphs presenting opposing views, a personal stance paragraph, and a conclusion. Cohesive devices such as 'On one hand,' 'On the other hand,' 'Additionally,' and 'To conclude' are used appropriately to guide the reader through the argumentation. However, referencing is occasionally repetitive, and some transitional links feel slightly mechanical rather than entirely natural, which keeps the score at Band 6.5. Paragraphing is used sufficiently and effectively overall.

Lexical Resource: Band 5.5

The student demonstrates an adequate and generally appropriate range of vocabulary for the task. Less common lexical items are attempted, such as 'versatile,' 'socio-economic growth,' and 'weightage,' showing an awareness of academic style. However, there are some minor word-choice and collocation inaccuracies, such as 'financial money' instead of 'financial resources' or 'finances,' and 'a source of losing focus' rather than 'a cause of distraction.' Despite these minor flaws, communication is never impeded, and the vocabulary is sufficient to allow flexibility and precision, supporting a solid Band 6.0 performance.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 5.5

The essay displays a reasonable mix of simple and complex sentence forms, utilizing relative clauses and subordinate structures successfully (e.g., 'Despite progressing rapidly in learning methods, some students still want to...'). There are, however, some noticeable grammatical errors and awkward phrasings, such as 'making them person who can apply his knowledge' (agreement and article issues) and the aforementioned 'financial money.' Punctuation and sentence structures are generally controlled well enough that meaning remains clear throughout, making this a clear Band 6.0 performance.

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