Band 5.0 IELTS Writing Task 2 Model Answer
Overall Band Score: 5.0 · Cambridge IELTS 11 · 2026-09-23
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 5.0)
In many job application processes, candiates are frequently asked to disclose personal details,including their leisure persuits and marital status. While some people argue that this information provides valuable insights into an application's personality and suitability,others believe it is intrusive and irrelevant. In my opinoin, recruitment should be strictly merit-based, and employders should fouces solely on professional qualification rather than personal circumstances.
On the one hand, proponents of requesting personal background information believe it helps employers evaluate cultural fir. A resume outlines technical capabilites, but hobbies can reveal vital soft skills. For instance, an application who engages in competitive team sports may possess strong collaborative skills and resilience, whereas someone who that
AI examiner evaluation
| Criterion | Band |
|---|---|
| Task Achievement / Task Response | 4.0 |
| Coherence and Cohesion | 5.0 |
| Lexical Resource | 5.0 |
| Grammatical Range and Accuracy | 5.0 |
| Overall | 5.0 |
Task Achievement / Task Response: Band 4.0
The student addresses the task by discussing both views on personal information in job applications and states a clear personal opinion. However, the response is severely truncated, containing only 111 words, which falls well short of the 250-word minimum requirement. Because of this extreme under-length, the development of ideas is cut short mid-sentence (e.g., 'whereas someone who that'). This severely limits the extent to which the task can be fully addressed, capping the task achievement score at Band 4.0 based on the official descriptors for minimal task completion and under-developed ideas.
Coherence and Cohesion: Band 5.0
The text attempts a logical structure with a clear introduction and the start of a traditional body paragraph using transition markers such as 'On the one hand'. However, the abrupt truncation of the text leaves paragraphs incomplete and the overall progression disrupted. Referencing and cohesive flow are broken off near the end of the text where the sentence structure collapses. Despite these organizational flaws, paragraphing is attempted and basic cohesive devices are recognizable, earning this criterion a Band 5.0.
Lexical Resource: Band 5.0
The student demonstrates a minimally adequate vocabulary range with several attempts at less common lexical items, such as 'disclose', 'leisure pursuits', 'marital status', and 'merit-based'. However, there are noticeable spelling and word choice errors throughout the text, including 'candiates', 'persuits', 'opinoin', 'employders', 'fouces', 'qualification', and 'fir' (likely intended as 'fit'). These errors cause some distraction for the reader, though meaning remains mostly decipherable, placing the lexical resource at Band 5.0.
Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 5.0
The writer attempts some complex sentence forms, such as conditional and concessive clauses ('While some people argue that...'). However, the grammatical range is limited due to the short length, and control breaks down entirely in the final incomplete sentence ('whereas someone who that'). There are also recurring punctuation and typographical issues. Frequent errors in complex structures lead to a Band 5.0 score for grammatical range and accuracy.
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