Band 6.5 IELTS Writing Task 2 Model Answer
Overall Band Score: 6.5 · Cambridge IELTS 11 · 2026-08-20
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)
Education plays a significant role in individual lives and contributes to the overall development of society. Some people think from primary education to universities, large amount of time has been spent on learning theory rather than practical skills. I partly agree with this statement. Although learning facts are very important in individual's career growth such as, financially stable job. However, practical skills allow students to improve their intellectual abilities.
On the one hand, theory education may help students to enhance their knowledge and improve their academic score. While this creates an opportunity for scholars to find stable job for their future growth. In my own experience, I get a job in big IT company by passing a written interview. This allows me to secure my future financially.
On the other hand, practical skills are also very important in students life for many reasons. One of the main benefit of practical skills is it improves the abilities and physical well being of an individual. Moreover, it creates number of hobbies in student's life which leads to their cognitive development. For instance, the students who take part in practical skills competitions such as, debate, painting , sports and dancing, they may develop discipline and teamwork skills in their life. Therefore, it would be helpful for their physical and mental growth.
In conclusion, I believe a balanced schedule is a sensible solution. By giving same amount of time in both would help in students career growth and physical growth. As a result, individuals might be able to get a secure employment and improve their skills at the same time.
AI examiner evaluation
| Criterion | Band |
|---|---|
| Task Achievement / Task Response | 6.5 |
| Coherence and Cohesion | 6.5 |
| Lexical Resource | 6.0 |
| Grammatical Range and Accuracy | 6.0 |
| Overall | 6.5 |
Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 6.5
The response addresses all parts of the prompt and maintains a clear position throughout. You have provided relevant reasons and examples, such as the IT job experience and the mention of extracurricular activities like debate and sports. However, some ideas are slightly under-developed. For instance, the link between 'practical skills' and 'physical well-being' is mentioned but not fully explained in terms of how it relates to the educational curriculum. To reach a higher band, ensure that every point made is fully extended with clear logical steps. Overall, the response is relevant and the position is consistent.
Coherence and Cohesion — Band 6.5
The essay is logically organized with a clear introduction, body paragraphs, and a conclusion. You use cohesive devices such as 'On the one hand,' 'On the other hand,' and 'Moreover' to guide the reader. However, some transitions are a bit mechanical, and there are minor issues with referencing and sentence flow. For example, the sentence 'Although learning facts are very important in individual's career growth such as, financially stable job' is grammatically fragmented and disrupts the flow. Improving the variety of cohesive devices and ensuring smoother transitions between sentences would enhance the coherence of your writing.
Lexical Resource — Band 6.0
You demonstrate an adequate range of vocabulary for the task, using terms like 'cognitive development,' 'intellectual abilities,' and 'secure employment.' However, there are some inaccuracies in word choice and collocation, such as 'theory education' (should be 'theoretical education') and 'large amount of time has been spent' (should be 'a large amount of time is spent'). While these errors do not impede communication, they limit the precision of your expression. To improve, focus on using more sophisticated collocations and ensuring that word forms are used correctly in context.
Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 6.0
You use a mix of simple and complex sentence structures, but there are frequent grammatical errors that occasionally affect clarity. For example, 'learning facts are very important' should be 'learning facts is very important' (subject-verb agreement). Additionally, there are punctuation errors, such as the unnecessary comma in 'such as, financially stable job.' While your meaning is generally clear, the frequency of these minor errors prevents the essay from reaching a higher band. Focus on proofreading for subject-verb agreement and article usage to improve your accuracy.
See this exact question answered at other band scores — the same prompt compared across bands.
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