Band 6.5 IELTS Writing Task 2 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 6.5 · Cambridge IELTS 11 · 2026-08-22

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)

Some people assert that schools and universities devote most of their time to factual knowledge rather than practical skills. I partly agree with this viewpoint because, although practical skills are useful for future jobs prospects, theoretical learning creates a stronger foundation for the students.

To begin with, learning facts are important for the early development of students. For example, learning about history helps students to understand their culture and heritage more deeply. Moreover, it improves general knowledge and broadens their perspective. Furthermore, for medical students theory is very crucial because before treating patients they must know biology and anatomy. Similarly, with mathematics students as they cannot solve any problem before learning the basic formulas and concepts. Therefore, schools and universities should continue to devote a substantial amount of time to theoretical knowledge.

On the other hand, practical skills are beneficial for getting employment in the future. Schools and universities mainly focuses on memorization and examinations because of this students may graduate with good grades but they lack basic skills such as problem solving, communication, and financial management. In addition, universities should focuses on giving real life projects to students so that they get an idea of how to deal a difficult situation. For instance, instead of giving a presentation in classroom teacher can assign real life case studies which improves the problem solving skills in students.

To conclude, theoretical knowledge is a crucial part of a student's life and educational institutions should continue spending time on learning it. However, a considerable amount of time should be given to practical skills because they make students future ready. Additionally, knowing a formula can only solve problems in the book, but practical skills helps a person to implement theoretical knowledge to solve real life problems. Hence a balanced approach is necessary.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 7.0

The response addresses all parts of the prompt, providing a clear position that advocates for a balanced approach between theoretical knowledge and practical skills. The ideas are relevant and well-supported with examples, such as the necessity of anatomy for medical students and the use of case studies for problem-solving. The argument is developed logically throughout the essay, and the conclusion effectively synthesizes the main points. To reach a higher band, ensure that the discussion on practical skills is as deeply explored as the theoretical side, as the latter currently feels slightly more detailed. Overall, the response is well-focused and directly answers the question.

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 begin with', 'Moreover', 'On the other hand', and 'To conclude' are used effectively to link ideas. However, there is some minor mechanical use of transitions. The referencing is generally clear, though some sentences could be more tightly connected to improve the flow. Paragraphing is used appropriately to separate the different sides of the argument, which helps the reader navigate the text easily.

Lexical Resource — Band 6.5

The vocabulary is sufficient to convey the intended meaning clearly. You have used some topic-specific terms like 'theoretical knowledge', 'future job prospects', and 'financial management'. However, the range is somewhat limited, and there are occasional errors in collocation or word choice, such as 'deal a difficult situation' (should be 'deal with') and 'teacher can assign' (should be 'teachers can assign'). To improve, try to incorporate more sophisticated synonyms and idiomatic expressions. While the current vocabulary is adequate for the task, expanding your range of academic collocations would help elevate the score.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 6.0

The essay demonstrates a mix of simple and complex sentence structures. While the meaning is always clear, there are several grammatical errors that persist. For example, 'learning facts are important' (subject-verb agreement error; should be 'is'), 'universities mainly focuses' (should be 'focus'), and 'practical skills helps' (should be 'help'). Additionally, there are minor punctuation and article usage issues. Despite these errors, they do not impede communication. To achieve a higher score, focus on ensuring subject-verb agreement and refining the use of complex structures to ensure they are error-free.

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