Band 6.5 IELTS Writing Task 2 Model Answer
Overall Band Score: 6.5 · Cambridge IELTS 11 · 2026-08-03
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 6.5)
Some employers often request personal information form the applicants Such as hobbies, interests and their marital status. Some people say that this is useful for the hiring process while others argue that personal information should not be the barrier for getting a job. this essay will discuss both the views before presenting my opinion.
On the one hand, some personal information can help employers assess whether a candidate is suitable for a particular role. For example, knowing about person's interest may reveal their qualities such as leadership, creativity, teamwork and time management. A person who regularly participates in team sports may have strong communication and collaboration skills. In addition, knowing about person' interest can help employers if the applicant is likely to fit into company's culture and work environment.
On the other hand, many individuals believe that personal information especially marital status should not be considered in hiring process. Recruitment decisions should be based on person's qualifications, work experience and professional life. For example, an employer might assume that married person has more family responsibilities or that a single person will be more flexible with working hours. Such assumptions are unfair and may prevent a qualified candidate form getting the job.
In my opinion, employers should only ask for information that is directly related to candidate's ability. Marital status should remail private unless there is a legal or job-related requirement.
In conclusion, although information about hobbies and interest can provide employer with a better understanding of candidate's personality, personal detail such as marital status are often encourage discrimination. Therefore, I believe that hiring process should focus primarily on person' qualification, work experience and professional competence.
AI examiner evaluation
| Criterion | Band |
|---|---|
| Task Achievement / Task Response | 7.0 |
| Coherence and Cohesion | 7.0 |
| Lexical Resource | 6.5 |
| Grammatical Range and Accuracy | 6.0 |
| Overall | 6.5 |
Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 7.0
The response addresses all parts of the prompt, discussing both sides of the argument and providing a clear personal opinion. The ideas are relevant and well-supported, particularly the distinction between hobbies as a potential indicator of soft skills and marital status as a potential source of bias. The position is consistent throughout the essay. To reach a higher band, the development of the 'hobbies' argument could be slightly more nuanced, perhaps acknowledging potential downsides of using such information, but the current level of development is sufficient for a solid score.
Coherence and Cohesion — Band 7.0
The essay is logically organized with a clear introduction, body paragraphs, and a conclusion. Paragraphing is used effectively to separate the two viewpoints. Cohesive devices such as 'On the one hand', 'In addition', and 'In conclusion' are used appropriately to guide the reader. However, there are minor issues with referencing and flow, such as the missing article in 'this essay will discuss' and the slightly abrupt transition between sentences. Overall, the progression of ideas is clear and easy to follow.
Lexical Resource — Band 6.5
The vocabulary is generally appropriate for the task, with some good topic-specific collocations like 'hiring process', 'company culture', and 'professional competence'. There are some minor errors, such as 'personal detail such as marital status are often encourage discrimination' (should be 'encourage' or 'are often used to encourage'). While the range is sufficient to convey meaning clearly, it lacks the more sophisticated, less common lexical items that would characterize a higher band score.
Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 6.0
The essay demonstrates a mix of simple and complex sentence structures. There are several grammatical slips, such as missing articles ('knowing about person's interest', 'fit into company's culture') and a few punctuation/capitalization errors ('this essay' at the start of a sentence). While these errors are noticeable, they do not impede communication. To improve, focus on article usage and ensuring subject-verb agreement in more complex sentences.
See this exact question answered at other band scores — the same prompt compared across bands.
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