Band 6.5 IELTS Writing Task 2 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 6.5 · Cambridge IELTS 11 · 2026-08-04

IELTS Writing Task 2 question

Some people say that in all levels of education, from primary schools to universities, too much time is spent on learning facts and not enough on learning practical skills.

Do you agree or disagree?

Give reasons for your answer and include any relevant examples from your own knowledge or experience.

 

Student answer (Band 6.5)

Several people have stated that excessive time is spent on learning facts while insufficient moment is been invested in acquiring enough practical skills in all levels of education, from primary to tertiary institutions. I agree with this view due to some noticeable structural factors in the education system such as syllabus as well as limited access to funding for execution of practical in institutions.

First and foremost, the syllabus is a structurally outlined plan regulated by authorities for all institutions to follow when impacting knowledge in learners. However, most institutions syllabus are structurally built based on theoretical learning leaving space for little acquisition of practical knowledge or skills. Most primary, secondary and tertiary institutions around the globe are usually built on this outdated foundation of theoretical framework reflecting little focus on the importance of practical knowledge. Thus, resulting to excessive time spent on learning information instead of acquiring technical skills.

Furthermore, another major factor is limited funding which is the inability of institutions to meet up with the financial standard required for teaching practical skills. When institutions lack access to proper funding from government and other relevant sources they tend to invest more time in teaching facts to their learners, which is because they could not make provisions for facilities and equipment required to set up a practical leaning environment. In addition, recent reports shows that the funding required to set up technical institutions in order for learners to be given enough practical skills are very demanding, because proper financial support are needed from authorities and organizations. Therefore, limited funding in all levels of education limits learning to fact based knowledge with little practical experience.

In conclusion, i agree with this view because theoretically structured syllabus system and low funding capacity are major factors contributing to too much time spent in learning fact in all levels of education, resulting to low focus on practical skills acquisition.

AI examiner evaluation

CriterionBand
Task Achievement / Task Response7.0
Coherence and Cohesion7.0
Lexical Resource6.5
Grammatical Range and Accuracy6.0
Overall6.5

Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 7.0

The response addresses all parts of the prompt, clearly stating an agreement with the view that education focuses too heavily on facts over practical skills. The position is maintained throughout the essay. The two main body paragraphs provide relevant reasons—the nature of the syllabus and the lack of funding—to support the argument. While the ideas are relevant, they could be developed further with more specific examples or a deeper exploration of the consequences. For instance, mentioning a specific field of study or a real-world scenario would strengthen the argument. Overall, the response is well-focused and directly answers the prompt.

Coherence and Cohesion — Band 7.0

The essay is logically organized with a clear introduction, two body paragraphs, and a conclusion. Each paragraph has a central topic, and the progression of ideas is easy to follow. Cohesive devices such as 'First and foremost', 'Furthermore', and 'In conclusion' are used effectively to link ideas. However, there are some minor issues with referencing and flow; for example, the phrase 'resulting to' is used twice, which is slightly repetitive and grammatically awkward. Paragraphing is used appropriately, and the overall structure supports the development of the argument well.

Lexical Resource — Band 6.5

The vocabulary used is generally appropriate and sufficient for the task. You demonstrate an ability to use topic-specific terminology like 'tertiary institutions', 'theoretical framework', and 'practical skills acquisition'. However, there are some inaccuracies in word choice and collocation, such as 'insufficient moment is been invested' (should be 'time') and 'impacting knowledge' (should be 'imparting'). While these errors do not impede communication, they prevent the response from reaching a higher band. A wider range of less common lexical items would also improve the score.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 6.0

You use a mix of simple and complex sentence structures. While the meaning is generally clear, there are several grammatical errors throughout the text. Examples include 'most institutions syllabus are' (should be 'institutions' syllabi are'), 'resulting to' (should be 'resulting in'), and 'proper financial support are needed' (should be 'is needed'). Additionally, there are some issues with subject-verb agreement and article usage. Despite these errors, the sentences are generally understandable, and the grammatical mistakes do not significantly impede the reader's ability to follow your argument.

See this exact question answered at other band scores — the same prompt compared across bands.

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