Band 6.5 IELTS Writing Task 2 Model Answer

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

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)

There is an ongoing debate of whether students can learn about other courses regardless of their main field chosen for career. Some people believe that one should invest time and concentration into one qualification whereas others are of the view that additional subjects can be pursued along with the main qualification. In my opinion, although dedication to one qualification may ensure high chances of career prospects in a particular field, learning for supplementary courses alongside your degree can drive options for passive income and instill a feeling of satisfication.

On one hand, dedicating complete attention and time to the studies which one has opted for graduation often stem from their particular interest in a field, this ensures that one has a sound career plan post their graduation. This allows them to be an expert of the field, leading to attractive employment opportunities and good compensation packages. For example: Students who are passionate about practing medicine and work for the ill people may opt for MBBS studies which demand a significant amount of energy and time from their schedules. since this field demands a dedicated person.

On the other hand, learning about courses which cater additional interests of an individual doesn't necessarily have to be ignored for pusuing main qualification. In the recent years, accessibility of resources on digital platforms has made it relatively convenient for students to learn additional skills. This allows them to generate passive source of income if they face any hustle in getting suitable job opportunities while keeping their creative side alive. For instance: Many engineering students also learn art as part of their personal interests and sell their commission work through different art galleries.

In my view, learning about additional skills alongside main degree depends entirely on managing time effectively, one can pursue and learn their side interests by dedicating 10% of their schedule on a daily basis. Knowing about additional skills adds a great value to the individual's personality and gives a competitive advantage over the ones who only know and hold knowledge about their particular field.

To conclude, some fields do require full time and attention to purse main qualification however individuals can dedicate a small amount of time to learn additional skills and courses which can equip them whenever they face challenges in their main qualification.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response: Band 7.0

You address both views and state a clear position: you acknowledge the career benefits of focusing on one qualification, while arguing that additional learning can broaden opportunities and maintain personal interests. The two body paragraphs support these views with relevant examples, including medical students and engineering students who sell artwork. This meets the task well, and your conclusion reinforces your position. To develop the response further, explain more precisely how supplementary study can be balanced with demanding degree programmes; the suggestion to spend “10% of their schedule” is specific but not justified. The claim that extra skills help “whenever they face challenges in their main qualification” is also less clearly connected to the argument than your points about employment and personal development.

Coherence and Cohesion: Band 7.0

The essay has a clear overall structure: an introduction presents the debate and your view, the body paragraphs discuss each side, and the conclusion summarises your position. Signposting such as “On one hand,” “On the other hand,” and “To conclude” makes the progression easy to follow. Most ideas are grouped logically, and examples generally follow the points they illustrate. Some links between ideas could be more precise, however. For instance, the final claim about facing challenges in a qualification does not clearly follow from the preceding discussion of additional skills. The opening sentence of the first body paragraph is also long and crowded, which makes its relationship between interest, study, and career planning harder to follow. Use clearer sentence boundaries and more explicit links between claims and examples.

Lexical Resource: Band 6.0

You use an adequate range of vocabulary for the topic, including phrases such as “career prospects,” “employment opportunities,” “compensation packages,” and “competitive advantage.” These help communicate the main ideas, and you attempt less common expressions such as “supplementary courses” and “passive income.” However, some word choices and collocations are inaccurate or unnatural: “ongoing debate of whether,” “sound career plan,” “passive source of income,” and “face any hustle” do not express the intended meanings naturally. There are also spelling errors, including “practing,” “pusuing,” and “satisfication.” Aim for more precise, conventional combinations and proofread carefully; this would make your vocabulary sound more controlled without requiring more complicated words.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 6.0

You use a mix of simple and complex structures, including subordinate clauses and contrastive constructions, as in “although dedication to one qualification may ensure…” and “if they face any hustle…”. Meaning is generally clear, but some grammatical errors remain. The first body paragraph contains a comma splice in “...interest in a field, this ensures...”; these should be separate sentences or joined with an appropriate conjunction. In “For example: Students… since this field…,” the sentence boundary and capitalization are faulty. The sentence beginning “In my view” also shifts from a singular subject (“learning”) to the pronoun “one” without a clear grammatical connection. Review sentence boundaries, capitalization after full stops, and consistent subject–pronoun structures to improve accuracy.

See this exact question answered at other band scores. The same prompt compared across bands.

Browse more IELTS Writing model answers or get your own writing scored by the same AI examiner.