Band 5.5 IELTS Writing Task 2 Model Answer
Overall Band Score: 5.5 · 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 5.5)
It is often argued that from primary schools to universities, most of the time is spent on learning facts rather than spending time on pratical skills. While some people agree on this fact. Some people do disagree with this. According to me I strongly agree with this fact and I will give you two reasons for that too.
The main reason why I strongly agree with this point is because this could have you leave the university with the hands on experience of the industry you want to be the part of. You can learn the practical skills on how to deal with problems in real life than learning the facts without implementing.
The other reason why I agree is because learning the practical skills than just learning the facts could help you enhance the skills as people would have more knowledge about the stuff as they are physically practicing it rather than repeating the facts. learning facts in the room is way more impractical as you are just craming the stuff rather using it in real life. sometimes students learn the topics more in practical real life than in the room with the hand written notes.
in the conclusion, although some would stay that learning facts could teach u more and you can learn in the comfort of your classroom. But according to me the two reasons i have given could be the reason why people believe in practical skills. having industry hands on experience and physically doing the problems could help students alot.
AI examiner evaluation
| Criterion | Band |
|---|---|
| Task Achievement / Task Response | 5.5 |
| Coherence and Cohesion | 5.5 |
| Lexical Resource | 5.0 |
| Grammatical Range and Accuracy | 5.0 |
| Overall | 5.5 |
Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 5.5
The response addresses the prompt and maintains a clear position throughout. However, the development of ideas is limited. The arguments regarding 'hands-on experience' and 'enhancing skills' are repetitive and lack specific, illustrative examples to support the claims. The essay relies on general assertions rather than exploring the nuances of why practical skills might be superior to theoretical knowledge in various educational contexts. To reach a higher band, you should provide concrete examples, such as comparing vocational training to traditional academic degrees, to better substantiate your points.
Coherence and Cohesion — Band 5.5
The essay is organized into paragraphs, but the logical progression is weak. The transition between ideas is often mechanical, and the use of cohesive devices is limited and sometimes repetitive (e.g., 'The main reason... The other reason...'). The referencing is occasionally unclear, and the concluding paragraph fails to effectively synthesize the arguments, instead introducing a slightly different perspective on classroom comfort. Improving the use of linking words and ensuring each paragraph has a clear, distinct focus would significantly enhance the flow of your writing.
Lexical Resource — Band 5.0
The vocabulary is basic and repetitive, which limits the ability to convey complex ideas. Phrases like 'stuff', 'craming', and 'way more' are too informal for an IELTS essay. There is a lack of precision in word choice, and some collocations are unnatural, such as 'deal with problems in real life than learning the facts'. To improve, you should aim to incorporate more academic vocabulary and precise terminology related to education and professional development, while avoiding colloquialisms and slang.
Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 5.0
The essay contains frequent grammatical errors that occasionally impede readability. There are issues with sentence structure, such as fragments ('While some people agree on this fact. Some people do disagree with this.') and incorrect verb forms ('could have you leave'). Punctuation is also inconsistent, with missing commas and improper capitalization at the start of sentences. While there is an attempt at complex structures, they are often faulty. Focusing on basic sentence construction and proofreading for subject-verb agreement and punctuation will help improve your accuracy.
See this exact question answered at other band scores — the same prompt compared across bands.
Browse more IELTS Writing model answers or get your own writing scored by the same AI examiner.