Band 7.5 IELTS Writing Task 2 Model Answer
Overall Band Score: 7.5 · Cambridge IELTS 11 · 2026-07-24
IELTS Writing Task 2 question
Employers sometimes ask people applying for jobs for personal information, such as their hobbies and interests, and whether they are married or single. Some people say that this information may be relevant and useful. Others disagree.
Discuss both these views and give your own opinion.
Give reasons for your answer and include any relevant examples from your own knowledge or experience.
Student answer (Band 7.5)
In the modern era, it is undeniable that employers often ask candidates about their personal interests, marital status, and hobbies. Some people believe that this information is useful for employer to evaluate candidate, whereas others argue that asking personal information is irrelevant and potentially inappropriate. This essay will evaluate both perspectives before presenting my own opinion.
On the one hand, individuals who believe that requesting information about candidates' interests and hobbies are reasonable argue that this information help employers understand candidates personality and suitability for the role. To illustrate, person's hobbies and interests often reflect their soft skills such as cooperation, teamwork, and discipline. For instance, candidate who participated in sports usually demonstrate leadership skills. In addition, some personal information help employer assess candidates availability and long-term commitment, which is essential for certain roles.
On the other hand, people who disagree with this view also provide some points that should not be overlooked. For example, asking personal information increases the risk of bias and unfair discrimination. Factors such as hobbies, interests, and marital status are not directly related to job performance. In some cases, employers can unconsciously favour certain candidates on the basis of irrelevant characteristics. This can lead to unequal opportunities. Moreover, asking personal questions during an interview makes candidate uncomfortable and invade privacy.
In conclusion, although questions about individuals hobbies, interests, and marital status provide insight into their character, there is a risk of invasion of privacy. In my opinion, employers should ask only relevant question and avoid unnecessary personal questions to ensure fair and professional interviews.
AI examiner evaluation
| Criterion | Band |
|---|---|
| Task Achievement / Task Response | 7.5 |
| Coherence and Cohesion | 8.0 |
| Lexical Resource | 7.0 |
| Grammatical Range and Accuracy | 7.0 |
| Overall | 7.5 |
Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 7.5
The response addresses all parts of the prompt, discussing both sides of the issue and providing a clear personal opinion. The ideas are relevant and logically extended, such as the discussion on soft skills versus the risk of discrimination. However, the development is somewhat brief; while the arguments are clear, they could benefit from more specific, nuanced examples to reach a higher band. The position is consistent throughout the essay, and the conclusion effectively synthesizes the main points while stating the author's stance clearly.
Coherence and Cohesion — Band 8.0
The essay is logically organized with a clear introduction, two body paragraphs, and a conclusion. Each paragraph has a central topic sentence. Cohesive devices such as 'On the one hand', 'To illustrate', 'In addition', and 'Moreover' are used effectively to guide the reader. The progression of ideas is smooth and easy to follow. Paragraphing is used appropriately to separate the different viewpoints. The flow is natural, and the relationship between ideas is clearly established throughout the text.
Lexical Resource — Band 7.0
The vocabulary is generally appropriate and sufficient for the task. The student uses topic-specific terms like 'soft skills', 'long-term commitment', 'bias', and 'unfair discrimination'. There are some minor errors in word choice and article usage, such as 'help employer assess candidates availability' (should be 'candidates' availability') and 'ask only relevant question' (should be 'questions'). While the range is adequate, it lacks the more sophisticated, idiomatic, or less common lexical items that would characterize a higher band score.
Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 7.0
The student demonstrates a mix of simple and complex sentence structures. There is good control over basic grammar, but there are several recurring errors, particularly with pluralization and articles, such as 'individuals hobbies' (should be 'individuals' hobbies') and 'asking personal information' (should be 'asking for personal information'). Subject-verb agreement is occasionally shaky, for example, 'some personal information help' (should be 'helps'). Despite these errors, the meaning is never obscured, and the sentence structures are varied enough to maintain interest.
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