Band 6.5 IELTS Writing Task 2 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 6.5 · Cambridge IELTS 11 · 2026-08-23

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)

There is an ongoing debate about educational institutions spending too much time and efforts on teaching facts and not sufficient time on teaching practical skills. I agree that more time should be spent on teaching practical skills, so that the students are prepared to face the real-world scenarios when they finish their education.

Though it is correct that students need to have some general knowledge and learn about some facts, especially if the student is a history or a literature student. In certain subjects, learning theoretical knowledge is important. Like in history, it is important to know the dates of the world war or when the roman era started and ended. Similarly in literature, it is important to know the name of the authors and the novels that they wrote.

That being said, it is also very important to give the same emphasis on practical skills that are going to be used in most jobs. The schools and universities do not spend enough time on teaching these skills. In result, the students end up doing practical courses at other learning centres, even after completing a degree. For example, in a lot of computer courses, students are not taught about practical coding languages, but instead they keep learning facts about when the language was founded, who the founder was and what the importance of the language is. These facts are not going to help the student in solving real-world problems at their jobs.

In conclusion, learning facts and figures is important and should be taught, but equivalent weightage should also be given to practical knowledge and skills, which can help the students to be prepared to work directly after college.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 7.0

The response addresses all parts of the prompt, clearly stating a position in favor of balancing theoretical knowledge with practical skills. The ideas are relevant and supported by examples, such as the comparison between history/literature and computer science courses. However, the development is somewhat limited; while the argument is clear, it could be further extended by discussing the long-term societal or economic benefits of this shift. The conclusion effectively summarizes the main point. Overall, the response is well-focused and maintains a consistent position throughout, meeting the requirements for a Band 7.

Coherence and Cohesion — Band 6.5

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 'Though it is correct', 'That being said', and 'In result' are used to link ideas. However, some transitions are slightly mechanical or non-standard, such as 'In result' (should be 'As a result'). Paragraphing is used appropriately to separate the acknowledgment of the opposing view from the main argument. The flow is generally smooth, though more sophisticated linking phrases would elevate the score.

Lexical Resource — Band 6.0

The vocabulary is sufficient to convey the intended meaning clearly. There is an attempt to use topic-specific vocabulary like 'educational institutions', 'theoretical knowledge', and 'real-world scenarios'. However, the range is somewhat limited, and there are minor inaccuracies in word choice, such as 'give the same emphasis' (should be 'place the same emphasis') and 'equivalent weightage' (a bit informal/regional). While the language is adequate for the task, it lacks the flexibility and precision required for a higher band score. The student communicates effectively but relies on fairly standard phrasing.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 6.0

The essay demonstrates a mix of simple and complex sentence structures. There is a good attempt at using complex sentences, such as 'I agree that more time should be spent on teaching practical skills, so that the students are prepared...'. However, there are recurring grammatical errors, such as 'too much time and efforts' (should be 'effort'), 'the students are prepared to face' (should be 'prepared to face'), and 'the name of the authors' (should be 'the names of the authors'). While these errors do not impede communication, they are frequent enough to prevent a higher score. Punctuation is generally accurate.

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

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