Band 6.5 IELTS Writing Task 2 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 6.5 · Cambridge IELTS 11 · 2026-08-31

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 believe that most of educational academies put emphasis and spend majority of time on learning facts and less time behind practical skills. I partially agree with the given statement, as factual knowledge is essential for their academic development, whereas practical abilities encourage them to deal with the real-life situation.

On the one hand, memorising important subjects encourage students to perform well in the examinations and get good grades. For instance, studying History, Maths and Science and spending more time to remember detailed information of those topics facilitate them to showcase their talent for clearing tuff exams and secure top position with higher marks. As a result, they can build their successful academic career and raise the chances of getting standard job. Apart from that, getting vast information about factual subjects promote learners to understand the world around them.

On the other hand, practical learning is also important part of their study because it can make education more engaging and meaningful. Spending more time in practical activities facilitate them to build professional skills and makes them able to deal with daily situations for their overall growth. For instance, a doctors need to get exposure of theoretical concepts and clinical posting for encouraging to inculcate good communication, cooperation, critical-thinking and decision-making skills. As a result, they can use their bookish knowledge to diagnose diseases and practical experience to build healthy relationship with patients and convence them to continue treatment plan. Therefore, in every situation, memorization of theoretical concepts are unable to work alone for learners' overall growth.

In conclusion, a balanced approach would be considerable rather than totally reliant on a factual knowledge or practical skills, both play a pivotal role for building successful and professional career, and overcome the real-life unforeseen difficulties quickly.

AI examiner evaluation

CriterionBand
Task Achievement / Task Response7.0
Coherence and Cohesion7.0
Lexical Resource6.5
Grammatical Range and Accuracy6.0
Overall6.5

Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 7.0

The response addresses all parts of the prompt, providing a clear position that is maintained throughout. The student acknowledges the value of factual knowledge while arguing for the necessity of practical skills. Ideas are generally well-developed, particularly the example of medical training, which effectively illustrates the need for a balanced approach. While the argument is logical, some points could be extended further to reach a higher band; for instance, the discussion on 'standard jobs' is a bit generic. Overall, the response is relevant and fulfills the requirements of the task effectively.

Coherence and Cohesion — Band 7.0

The essay is logically organized with a clear introduction, body paragraphs, and a conclusion. Cohesive devices such as 'On the one hand', 'Apart from that', and 'Therefore' are used to guide the reader through the argument. Paragraphing is used appropriately to separate the two sides of the debate. However, some transitions are slightly mechanical, and there is occasional awkwardness in the flow of ideas, such as the transition between the benefits of factual knowledge and the introduction of practical skills. Despite this, the progression of ideas remains clear throughout the text.

Lexical Resource — Band 6.5

The student demonstrates a sufficient range of vocabulary to discuss the topic with some precision. Phrases like 'academic development', 'critical-thinking', and 'pivotal role' are used effectively. However, there are some inaccuracies in word choice and collocation, such as 'tuff exams' (spelling error: tough), 'standard job' (should be 'stable' or 'professional'), and 'convence' (spelling error: convince). While these errors do not impede communication, they prevent the response from reaching a higher band. The vocabulary is generally adequate for the task but lacks the sophisticated control required for higher scores.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 6.0

The essay uses a mix of simple and complex sentence structures. There are several grammatical errors, such as subject-verb agreement issues ('a doctors need', 'memorization... are unable'), and some awkward phrasing ('facilitate them to build'). Punctuation is generally functional, though some sentences are slightly clunky. While the student attempts complex structures, the control is inconsistent. The errors are noticeable but do not significantly impede the reader's understanding of the main points. To improve, the student should focus on subject-verb agreement and refining the use of articles and pluralization.

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.