Band 6.5 IELTS Writing Task 2 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 6.5 · Cambridge IELTS 11 · 2026-09-22

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)

It is a notion that the education system focuses on teaching factual information to students, rather than practical skills, such as art and sports are given less priority. I totally agree with the statement, as I believe knowledge regarding practical subjects should be given equal importance.

On the one hand, schools and universities prioritize teaching factual subjects such as mathematics and science, because of that learners lack practical abilities. To elaborate on this, students in the recent era are expected to spend their entire study time in front of screens learning important lessons and are being compared with their peer groups at all levels. These higher expectations pressurize youngsters to do better on their scores, which can significantly affect their health and abilities. Due to this, they disconnect from their social groups and may suffer from mental health problems at an early age. For example, it has been seen that cases of anxiety and depression in teenagers are increasing compared to the students before decades.

On the other hand, some individuals believe that students should be encouraged to learn practical skills such as following their field of interest. One reason could be that learning factual subjects such as mathematics and science and practical skills can go hand in hand. If children prioritize learning their hobbies, they are more likely to do better at them, which ultimately helps improve focus on other factual subjects at school. Due to this, youngsters have a sense of satisfaction with what they do, and they enjoy the process. Moreover, learning practical skills can foster communication and sportsmanship with peers, as these activities can be done in groups. Students learn faster with their friends, and doing so can boost their confidence and cooperation.

To recapitulate, even though teaching facts in schools and universities is important, preparing them to follow their hobbies can not be ignored. I completely agree that the education system prioritizes teaching only facts should be changed to focusing more on practical skills which can benefit learners in a sense of satisfation and preparing themselves

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 7.0

The response successfully addresses the prompt by clearly stating a position agreeing that too much time is spent on factual learning over practical skills. The writer covers all parts of the task well, providing supporting arguments in the body paragraphs. In the first body paragraph, the writer explores how an overemphasis on factual subjects like mathematics and science creates academic pressure and mental health concerns. The second body paragraph discusses the benefits of pursuing hobbies and practical skills, noting how they can enhance overall focus and foster peer communication. While some ideas, such as the discussion on mental health, could be linked more tightly back to the core question of practical versus factual learning, the main position is clearly sustained and supported throughout, aligning well with the Band 7 descriptors.

Coherence and Cohesion — Band 7.0

The essay demonstrates a clear overall progression and logical organisation. Ideas are appropriately divided into paragraphs, each with a distinct focus. Cohesive devices are employed to guide the reader through the arguments, as seen with transitional phrases like 'On the one hand', 'On the other hand', and 'To recapitulate'. However, there are minor issues with referencing and cohesion at sentence level, such as the slightly abrupt transition in the final sentence where the conclusion trails off grammatically. Despite these minor lapses, the logical structure remains clear and easy to follow, placing the essay comfortably within the Band 6.5 to 7 range.

Lexical Resource — Band 6.0

The writer uses an adequate and generally appropriate vocabulary range suitable for a general task. Words and phrases such as 'education system', 'prioritize', 'factual information', and 'sportsmanship' demonstrate an ability to use subject-specific language. However, there are occasional inaccuracies in word choice and collocation, such as 'learning factual subjects' rather than 'academic subjects' or 'theoretical subjects', and the misspelled word 'satisfation' in the conclusion. The range allows the writer to convey their message clearly and with some precision, but the presence of awkward collocations and minor slips prevents it from reaching a higher band.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 6.0

The essay displays a mix of simple and complex sentence structures, including conditional clauses ('If children prioritize learning their hobbies, they are more likely to do better...') and relative clauses ('...practical skills which can benefit learners...'). There are, however, several grammatical errors and awkward phrasings throughout the text. For instance, the opening sentence has a structural mismatch ('It is a notion that...'), and the concluding sentence is incomplete and ungrammatical ('...the education system prioritizes teaching only facts should be changed to focusing more on practical skills which can benefit learners in a sense of satisfation and preparing themselves'). Because these errors occasionally impede smooth reading and disrupt the complexity of sentences, a score of 6.0 is appropriate.

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