Band 6.5 IELTS Writing Task 2 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 6.5 · Cambridge IELTS 11 · 2026-08-24

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 6.5)

While some argue that personal details of employees are irrelevant to the job they get interviewed for, others think they are beneficial in the interview process. In my view, it is imperative for employers to know employees background in order to assign them to a role where their interests align within an organisation's culture.

On the one hand, supporters maintain it is crucial to gain broader understandingof an applicant's pesonailty and suitability of the workplace during the interview. This is because they believe it is consequential to know individuals's hobbies, interests and personal circumstances. as they may reval qualities such as teamwork, leadershipl creativity and time managememt, which helps tp assign them to the departments where their qualities align with the job duties. Moreover, it understanding an applicant's background may help employers assess long-term commitment and workplace adaptability. For example, if a candidate's interest is in arts, it is best to recruit them in the creative team of a company instead of a marketing team. By doing this, both employers and employees mutually benefit.

On the other hand, critics argue that employers should only ask for information which is mandatory for the job and it should not bother about their marital status, hobbies or interests, as they have little direct relevance to an individual's ability to perform a job effectively. They believe that employer's decision should be solely on the basis of education, skills and professional expertise. For example, for the job of a receptionist, marital status has nothing to do with the job requirements.

In conclusion, although some demographics are not in favour of discussing such personal details during the recruitment process, I believe it provides vital information to the employers which assists in better job allocation and improves work productivity.

AI examiner evaluation

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 in the introduction and conclusion. The ideas are relevant, such as the mention of cultural fit and professional expertise. However, the development of these ideas is somewhat limited; for instance, the example regarding the 'creative team' versus 'marketing team' is a bit simplistic and could have been expanded to better illustrate the complexity of the issue. Overall, the position is consistent throughout the essay, and the task requirements are met effectively.

Coherence and Cohesion — Band 7.0

The essay is logically organized with a clear introduction, two body paragraphs representing opposing views, and a conclusion. Cohesive devices such as 'On the one hand,' 'Moreover,' and 'In conclusion' are used effectively to guide the reader. Paragraphing is used appropriately to separate distinct ideas. While the flow is generally smooth, some transitions could be more sophisticated to improve the overall cohesion. The referencing is clear, and the progression of ideas from the introduction to the final stance is logical and easy to follow.

Lexical Resource — Band 6.0

The vocabulary is generally appropriate for the task, with attempts to use topic-specific language like 'workplace adaptability,' 'professional expertise,' and 'demographics.' However, there are several spelling errors, such as 'pesonailty,' 'reval,' and 'leadershipl,' which detract from the quality of the writing. While the range is sufficient to convey the intended meaning clearly, the presence of these errors and some slightly repetitive phrasing prevents a higher score. Expanding the range of synonyms and ensuring accuracy in spelling would significantly improve this score.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 6.5

The essay demonstrates a mix of simple and complex sentence structures. There are some grammatical slips, such as 'it understanding an applicant's background' and 'employer's decision should be solely on the basis,' which contain minor errors in article usage and subject-verb agreement. Punctuation is generally functional, though there are occasional errors, such as the misplaced period in 'circumstances. as'. Despite these errors, the meaning remains clear throughout, and the grammatical issues do not impede communication. To reach a higher band, more consistent control over complex structures and fewer minor errors are needed.

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