Band 6.5 IELTS Writing Task 2 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 6.5 · Cambridge IELTS 11 · 2026-08-22

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)

During job applications, applicants are at times asked for details on their personal life, like marital status and hobbies. There are two views on this situation. Some believe it to be purposeful and actually help employers to get to know them, while others feel it's irrelevant and rather intrusive. In my opinion, it is always good to ask more to get a full picture before hiring an individual.

The most common way of job application is through a CV. This allows the employer to have an idea about the job seeker. However, not everyone follows the same standard template. Knowing a bit more about the personal life of the candidate helps employers gauge a salary and benefits package. Moreover, we could also predict how regular he or she might be professionally. To explain this better, lets take this example- The potential candidate is a female in her early 30s who is newly married. The employer would not have to offer remuneration in terms of a family yet but might in the future. We can also predict that she would be regular because she wouldn't need to take leaves as normally working mothers do to take care of sick children at home.

On the other hand, some individuals prefer privacy and keep their work life separate from professional. Their performance is unrelated, and they want to feel valued for their skills. Overgeneralising them based on prediction patterns may cloud employers' judgement and may cause them to lose a potentially highly skilled member. There are also some jobs that may discourage married people from working but in reality the person is highly motivated and ends up not being chosen because of marital status unrelated to the professional experience. For instance, many companies are hesitant in hiring married women on night shifts and completely disregard their CV. However, some females would have worked like that long before marriage and are fully capable of continuing.

In conclusion, knowing more about the potential employee allows the employers to make decisions based on individual profiles. This helps both the employees and employers make better informed decisions that mutually benefit both.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 6.5

The response addresses all parts of the prompt, discussing both views and providing a clear personal opinion. The ideas are relevant, though the development in the second paragraph is somewhat problematic. The example regarding a 'newly married' female and the assumption about her future leave-taking is a significant over-generalisation and borders on discriminatory logic, which weakens the persuasiveness of the argument. While the position is clear throughout, the support for the 'pro-information' side relies on stereotypical assumptions rather than professional merit, which limits the depth of the analysis. However, the task requirements are fully met.

Coherence and Cohesion — Band 6.5

The essay is logically organised with a clear introduction, two body paragraphs, and a conclusion. Paragraphing is used appropriately to separate the two opposing viewpoints. Cohesive devices such as 'However', 'Moreover', and 'On the other hand' are used effectively to guide the reader through the argument. There is a clear progression of ideas, although some transitions between sentences within the second paragraph feel slightly mechanical. Overall, the structure is coherent and easy to follow, meeting the requirements for a solid band 7.

Lexical Resource — Band 6.5

The vocabulary is generally adequate for the task, allowing the writer to express their ideas clearly. There are some attempts at less common vocabulary, such as 'remuneration', 'gauge', and 'overgeneralising'. However, there are minor issues with collocation and word choice, such as 'predict how regular he or she might be' (instead of 'predict their reliability') and 'keep their work life separate from professional' (missing the noun 'life'). While the range is sufficient, it lacks the precision and sophistication required for a higher band score.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 6.5

The essay demonstrates a mix of simple and complex sentence structures. There is generally good control of grammar, though some errors persist. For example, 'lets take this example-' (missing apostrophe and incorrect punctuation), 'unrelated to the professional experience' (slightly awkward phrasing), and 'some females would have worked like that' (tense usage is slightly unnatural). Despite these errors, the meaning is never obscured, and the punctuation is generally functional. The control is consistent enough to warrant a 6.5.

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