Band 6.5 IELTS Writing Task 2 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 6.5 · Cambridge IELTS 18 · 2026-10-09

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)

Many university students are eager to lern about non-major courses in addition to their major while others argue it is more essential to give all their resources and time studying for a qualification. While giving all your focus to a qualification can be helpful for future career after graduation , In my opinion non-major subjects can be really beneficial in broaden their knowledge and improve their problem solving skills.

On the one hand, giving all your resouces studying for a qualification can help you create specific skill set which can be helpful to find jobs in competitive job market. Students can work on different projects related to thier major, and recive certifications which will create a better profile for the students. For example, a student who has much more relevent experience in thier field will be much more attractive for compaines. However, I think people who are more eager to learn non-major subjects can be more flexable in the long run.

Students who learn other subjects in addition to their major can be more verstaile because they usally have more knowledy and better problem sloving skills. A computer science student might have physiological knowledge due to an extra class he has taken. It allows him to work in interdisplinary fields related to biotechnology and physiological signals. For example, many of students who take extra non-major courses tend to work in multidisciplinary fields rahter then just focusing on thier majors.

In conclusion, while concentrating exclusively on a major degree can prepare graduates for specific career paths, studying additional non-major subjects offers greater long-term advantages by expanding students' knowledge base and sharpening their problem-solving abilities.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response: Band 7.0

The response addresses both views and gives a clear preference for studying additional subjects, especially in the opening and conclusion. The argument for focusing on a qualification is supported with relevant points about developing specialist skills, gaining certifications and improving job prospects. The case for broader study is also extended through the example of a computer science student applying knowledge across disciplines. These examples make the discussion relevant, although some claims remain general—for instance, the statement that students taking extra courses “tend to work in multidisciplinary fields” is not explained with a specific illustration. To strengthen the response further, develop the consequences of each view more fully and make the examples more precise.

Coherence and Cohesion: Band 7.0

The essay has a clear overall structure: the introduction establishes the issue and position, separate body paragraphs discuss the two views, and the conclusion restates the preference. Progression is easy to follow, with signposting such as “On the one hand,” “However,” and “In conclusion.” The contrast within the first body paragraph also helps connect the discussion to the writer’s opinion. Some links between ideas could be more explicit: the move from certifications to job attractiveness is understandable, but the relationship between the final claim about flexibility and the next paragraph could be signalled more smoothly. The example in the second body paragraph is followed by a broad generalisation rather than a clearly developed explanation. More precise referencing and transitions would make the cohesion more flexible.

Lexical Resource: Band 5.5

The response uses relevant vocabulary for the topic, including “qualification,” “competitive job market,” “interdisciplinary fields,” and “problem-solving skills.” There is some attempt to use less common terms, but spelling errors and inaccurate word forms are noticeable and sometimes distract the reader: examples include “lern,” “resouces,” “verstaile,” “knowledy,” and “interdisplinary.” Some collocations are also awkward, such as “give all their resources and time studying” and “create specific skill set.” These issues limit the precision and control of the vocabulary, even though the intended meaning is generally recoverable. Proofread spelling carefully and learn common academic collocations, such as “devote time to studying” and “develop a specialised skill set.”

Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 6.0

There is a mix of simple and complex sentence forms, including a concession structure (“While giving all your focus to a qualification…”) and a relative clause (“a student who has… experience”). Most ideas remain understandable, but some grammatical errors persist. For example, “can be really beneficial in broaden their knowledge” has an incorrect verb pattern; use “beneficial for broadening” or “can broaden.” The opening sentence also shifts from “students” to “your,” and “a specific skill set” needs an article. Punctuation is occasionally faulty, including the comma before “In my opinion” after a space and the capitalisation of “In” mid-sentence. Greater control of verb patterns, articles and sentence punctuation would improve accuracy.

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