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)

It has always been a matter of debate that in our education system an excessive amount of time is being spent on teaching theoretical concepts rather than equipping individuals with real-life practicle skills. I completely agree with this statement.

To commence with, from primary institutes to universities, all the emphasize is on learning and understanding theories which are written in the books instead of performing practical experiments. This is because ability of individuals is measured with exams which are completely based on remembering theories. Also, in our traditional schooling system, essential subjects such as physics, chemistry, and physical education are taught in classrooms rather than laboratories or play grounds. Consequently, students lack important skills such as problem-solving and critical thinking because they never perform or experience related issues in real-life.

On the other hand, introducing students with practicle education can boost their learning time, capabilities, and life-skills. Because, it is a fact that if we experience something in real-life, we may be able to learn it conveniently, efficiently and even became aware about troubleshooting. Due to this, students may develop interest in a particular field at their an early stage of life. For instance, China already applies the concept of practical learning in their education system. Due to this, they are able to create more scientists in their country which often leads to more development and discoveries in science and medical fields.

To sum up, traditional education forces the students to focus on learning facts which is completely baseless in today's competitive world. This is why, I believe the focus should be on practical learning which could develops real-life skills in individuals which may also help in the development of a nation.

AI examiner evaluation

CriterionBand
Task Achievement / Task Response6.5
Coherence and Cohesion7.0
Lexical Resource6.0
Grammatical Range and Accuracy6.0
Overall6.5

Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 6.5

The response addresses all parts of the prompt, clearly stating a position in the introduction and maintaining it throughout. The ideas are relevant, such as the mention of China's education system as an example of practical learning. However, the development of ideas is somewhat limited; for instance, the explanation of why traditional schooling lacks practical application could be more nuanced. While the position is clear, the supporting arguments could benefit from more depth to reach a higher band. Overall, the response is well-focused and directly answers the question asked.

Coherence and Cohesion — Band 7.0

The essay is logically organized with a clear introduction, body paragraphs, and a conclusion. Each paragraph has a central theme, and the progression of ideas is easy to follow. Cohesive devices such as 'To commence with', 'On the other hand', and 'To sum up' are used effectively to link ideas. However, some transitions feel slightly mechanical, and the referencing within sentences could be smoother. Paragraphing is used appropriately, and the overall structure supports the argument well, making the text easy to read and understand.

Lexical Resource — Band 6.0

The vocabulary is generally adequate for the task, allowing the writer to express their ideas clearly. There are some attempts at less common vocabulary, such as 'troubleshooting' and 'theoretical concepts'. However, there are several spelling errors, such as 'practicle' (used twice) and 'emphasize' (used as a noun instead of 'emphasis'). Additionally, some word choices are slightly awkward, such as 'create more scientists' or 'at their an early stage'. While the meaning is never in doubt, these inaccuracies prevent the essay from reaching a higher band in this criterion.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 6.0

The essay uses a mix of simple and complex sentence structures. There are some successful complex sentences, but they are often marred by grammatical errors. For example, 'which could develops' contains a subject-verb agreement error, and 'became aware about' is an incorrect collocation. There are also minor punctuation and article errors throughout the text, such as 'in their an early stage'. While the errors do not impede communication, they occur frequently enough to limit the score. A greater focus on proofreading for basic grammatical accuracy would significantly improve the quality of the writing.

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

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