Band 5.5 IELTS Writing Task 2 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 5.5 · Cambridge IELTS 14 · 2026-08-13

IELTS Writing Task 2 question

Nowadays many people choose to be self-employed, rather than to work for a company or organisation.

Why might this be the case?

What could be the disadvantages of being self-employed?

Give reasons for your answer and include any relevant examples from your own knowledge or experience.

Student answer (Band 5.5)

It is true that in many parts of the world, fewer students are opting to pursue science degrees at university. This essay will examine the main reasons behind this trend and discuss its impact on society.

One major cause is that science subjects are often seen as more difficult than other fields such as business or the arts. Subjects like physics and chemistry require a strong foundation in mathematics, and many students who struggle with these basics choose easier, less demanding courses instead. In addition, science degrees typically take longer to complete and are followed by additional years of training, particularly for careers in research or medicine, which discourages students who want to enter the workforce quickly. Another factor is that many students are attracted to fields like finance, marketing, or technology, which are perceived as offering higher salaries with a shorter and less strenuous educational path.

This decline in science graduates has several negative effects on society. Firstly, it can slow down a country's progress in innovation, as fewer trained scientists are available to conduct research in areas such as medicine, renewable energy, and technology. Secondly, industries that depend heavily on scientific expertise, such as pharmaceuticals and engineering, may face skills shortages, forcing them to recruit foreign specialists or relocate operations abroad. This can weaken a nation's competitiveness in the global economy over time.

In conclusion, the difficulty of science courses and the appeal of more lucrative alternatives are driving students away from science degrees, with consequences for national innovation and industry.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 1.0

The response is completely off-topic. The prompt asks about the reasons for and disadvantages of being self-employed, but the essay discusses the decline in students choosing science degrees. Because the response fails to address the task requirements entirely, it cannot be awarded a score for task achievement. In an actual exam, this would be treated as a memorised or irrelevant response, resulting in a score of 1.0 for Task Achievement. To improve, you must carefully read the prompt and ensure your ideas directly answer the specific questions asked.

Coherence and Cohesion — Band 6.5

Despite being off-topic, the essay itself is well-structured. It uses clear paragraphing and logical progression. Cohesive devices such as 'One major cause', 'In addition', 'Firstly', and 'In conclusion' are used effectively to guide the reader through the argument. The internal logic of the paragraphs is sound, and the ideas are linked in a way that makes the text easy to follow. If the content had matched the prompt, this would be a strong performance in terms of organisation and flow.

Lexical Resource — Band 7.0

The vocabulary is varied and appropriate for an academic context. You demonstrate a good command of topic-specific language, such as 'innovation', 'pharmaceuticals', 'global economy', and 'strenuous'. The word choices are precise and natural, showing an ability to use a range of vocabulary to express complex ideas clearly. There are no significant errors in word choice or collocation, and the language used is sophisticated enough to meet the requirements for a high band score in this criterion.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 7.5

The grammar is highly accurate, with a variety of complex sentence structures used throughout the text. You successfully employ subordinate clauses, such as 'many students who struggle with these basics choose easier, less demanding courses instead', and passive constructions, such as 'industries that depend heavily on scientific expertise... may face skills shortages'. The punctuation is correct, and there are very few, if any, grammatical errors. The control over complex structures is consistent and demonstrates a high level of proficiency.

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

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