Band 6.0 IELTS Writing Task 2 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 6.0 · Cambridge IELTS 11 · 2026-08-18

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 6.0)

Some people believe that schools and universities spend too much time teaching facts and not enough time teaching practical skills. I agree with this view because practical skills are essential for students' future careers and daily lives.

Firstly, practical skills help students prepare for their future jobs. Students can learn how to solve problems, communicate with others, and work in a team. These skills are very useful in the workplace because students need to use them in real-life situations. For example, a student who learns communication and teamwork at university can work more confidently with other people. As a result, students can become more successful in their professional lives.

Secondly, practical skills are also useful in everyday life. Students may learn many facts at school and university, but they also need to know how to use their knowledge in real situations. For example, students should learn basic financial skills, such as managing money and making a budget. They can also learn how to prepare for job interviews and write a good CV. These skills can help students become more independent and responsible in the future.

In conclusion, I agree that schools and universities should spend more time teaching practical skills. Although learning facts is important, practical skills can better prepare students for their future careers and daily life. Therefore, educational institutions should give students a balanced education that includes both theoretical knowledge and practical skills.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 5.5

The response addresses the prompt clearly and maintains a consistent position throughout. However, the essay is under the 250-word minimum requirement, which limits the depth of the arguments provided. While the ideas regarding career preparation and financial literacy are relevant, they are somewhat brief and could have been expanded with more detailed examples or a more nuanced discussion of the role of theoretical knowledge. Because the length requirement was not met, the development of ideas is restricted, preventing the essay from reaching a higher band score for task achievement.

Coherence and Cohesion — Band 6.0

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 'Firstly', 'Secondly', 'As a result', and 'In conclusion' are used effectively to link sentences and paragraphs. However, the range of cohesive devices is somewhat limited and repetitive. The paragraphing is appropriate, and the overall structure supports the reader's understanding of the argument, though the brevity of the text makes the flow feel slightly mechanical at times.

Lexical Resource — Band 5.5

The vocabulary used is adequate for the task and allows the writer to express their ideas clearly. There is some use of topic-specific vocabulary such as 'professional lives', 'financial skills', and 'educational institutions'. However, the range is somewhat limited and relies on fairly common, everyday language. To achieve a higher band, the student should incorporate more sophisticated collocations and less common lexical items. There are no significant spelling errors, and the word choice is generally accurate, though it lacks the precision and variety expected at higher levels.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 6.0

The essay demonstrates a good level of grammatical accuracy, with the majority of sentences being error-free. The writer uses a mix of simple and complex sentence structures, such as 'Although learning facts is important, practical skills can better prepare students...'. While the grammar is generally reliable, the range of complex structures is somewhat narrow. There are no major errors that impede communication, but the lack of more varied, sophisticated sentence patterns keeps the score within the 6.5 range. Punctuation is used correctly throughout the text.

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