Band 6.5 IELTS Writing Task 2 Model Answer
Overall Band Score: 6.5 · 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 6.5)
Nowadays, many employers ask personal information from people when they apply for a job, such as their hobbies, interests and marital status. Some people believe that this information is useful for employers, while others think it is not important. In my opinion, some personal information can be useful, but employers should not ask too many private questions.
On the one hand, knowing about hobbies and interests can help an employer to understand the personality of a person. For example, if someone likes playing team sports, it may show that the person is comfortable working with other people. Also, some hobbies can be related to the job. For instance, a person who is interested in computers may be suitable for a technology company. Therefore, this type of information can sometimes help employers choose a suitable employee.
On the other hand, some personal information has nothing to do with a person's ability to do a job. For example, whether a person is married or single does not show their skills or experience. Asking these questions may also make some people uncomfortable. Employers should focus more on education, work experience and skills because these things are more important for doing a job successfully.
In conclusion, personal information such as hobbies and interests can sometimes be useful for employers. However, I believe that private information like marital status should not be an important part of the hiring process. Employers should mainly select workers based on their qualifications and experience.
AI examiner evaluation
| Criterion | Band |
|---|---|
| Task Achievement / Task Response | 6.0 |
| Coherence and Cohesion | 7.0 |
| Lexical Resource | 6.0 |
| Grammatical Range and Accuracy | 7.0 |
| Overall | 6.5 |
Task Achievement / Task Response: Band 6.0
The response addresses all parts of the prompt by discussing both views on whether personal information like hobbies and marital status should be requested by employers, and the writer provides a clear personal opinion throughout. Main ideas are supported with relevant examples, such as team sports indicating collaboration skills or the irrelevance of marital status to job performance. However, there is a penalty applied because the word count is 245 words, falling just short of the 250-word minimum requirement. Consequently, the score is capped at Band 6.0 due to this under-length penalty, despite the good development of ideas.
Coherence and Cohesion: Band 7.0
The response has a clear overall arrangement with a logical progression of ideas. It is divided into four appropriate paragraphs, including a clear introduction and conclusion. Cohesive devices are used effectively to guide the reader through the arguments, as seen with 'On the one hand', 'On the other hand', and 'For instance'. Paragraphing is used sufficiently and appropriately, and referencing throughout the text is clear. While some cohesive phrases are a bit standard, the logical sequencing easily meets the requirements for a Band 7.0.
Lexical Resource: Band 6.0
The vocabulary used is adequate and appropriate for the task. The student successfully incorporates relevant topic-specific terms such as 'marital status', 'qualifications', 'experience', and 'hiring process'. There are attempts at less common phrasing, but the range remains somewhat standard and repetitive in places (e.g., repeatedly using 'personal information' and 'suitable'). Spelling and word choice are generally accurate and do not impede communication. This fits the profile of a Band 6.0.
Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 7.0
The essay demonstrates a good mix of simple and complex sentence forms. The writer successfully uses conditional and subordinate structures, such as 'For example, if someone likes playing team sports, it may show that...' and 'Employers should focus more on education... because these things are more important...'. There are frequent error-free sentences, and grammar and punctuation are controlled well with only very minor issues. The control shown across various sentence structures comfortably places this at Band 7.0.
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