Band 6.5 IELTS Writing Task 2 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 6.5 · Cambridge IELTS 11 · 2026-09-24

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)

Majority of the people argue that usually ample amount of time is spent on factual understanding in educational institutions. While, very less time is given to practical learning. In my perspective, it is true to a large extent.

Theoretical literacy is excessively emphasised across all educational levels from schools to universities all around the world. I can clearly remember while growing up our curriculum used to be severely structured around facts and figures. Throughout eight hours of school, we did not have even a single class involving practical applications of those concepts. It was only when we reached high school, we started having merely one hour a week in the laboratory performing the experiments. Similarly, the college and university were not different at all. If we look around, this is not a stand alone experience but majority of our peers have experienced the same.

Conversely, recently there has been institutes emerging which actually make sure the students gain skills via real-world experiences. Such as the new early childhood education system, which concentrates on equipping the children with skills needed for daily life activities. Likewise, arrangement of cooking, baking and science fares at some schools and colleges is another example.

To sum up, a large number of institutions worldwide focus on learning via reading and writing only. However, there are some which aim at experiential learning. Even though I agree that currently the former one occupies the majority. I still believe, with the emerging trends we have a hope for the future.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response: Band 6.5

The response successfully addresses all parts of the prompt by taking a clear position that too much time is spent on factual learning rather than practical skills. The introduction clearly outlines this standpoint, and the body paragraphs offer relevant supporting ideas drawn from personal experience and general observation. For instance, the writer discusses their own schooling, noting that 'throughout eight hours of school, we did not have even a single class involving practical applications.' While the ideas are somewhat generalized, they are adequately extended and supported to meet the requirements of the task. The conclusion neatly reiterates the position taken in the introduction. Overall, the task is fulfilled competently with a consistent and well-supported viewpoint throughout the essay.

Coherence and Cohesion: Band 6.5

The essay presents a clear logical organization with an overarching progression from introduction to body paragraphs and a concluding summary. Paragraphing is used sufficiently and appropriately, with each paragraph focusing on a distinct aspect of the argument. Cohesive devices are generally employed effectively, such as 'Conversely,' and 'Likewise,' which help guide the reader through the contrasting points. However, there are some minor mechanical issues with cohesion and referencing, such as the fragment 'While, very less time is given to practical learning,' which disrupts the smooth flow of the opening section. Additionally, the phrase 'the former one' in the conclusion is slightly awkward in its referencing. Despite these minor lapses, the arrangement is coherent and easy to follow.

Lexical Resource: Band 6.0

The student demonstrates an adequate range of vocabulary for the task, attempting several less common items and academic collocations such as 'educational institutions,' 'theoretical literacy,' and 'experiential learning.' However, there are noticeable inaccuracies in word choice and phrasing. For example, the phrase 'ample amount of time' is somewhat unnatural compared to 'a significant amount of time,' and 'very less time' should be 'much less time.' There are also instances of awkward collocation, such as 'stand alone experience' instead of 'isolated experience.' While these lexical errors occur occasionally, they do not impede communication, and the vocabulary remains generally appropriate for discussing educational concepts.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 6.0

The writer uses a mix of simple and complex sentence forms, demonstrating an ability to construct multi-clause sentences such as 'Even though I agree that currently the former one occupies the majority, I still believe, with the emerging trends we have a hope for the future.' However, there are several grammatical errors and punctuation slips throughout the text. Notable errors include sentence fragments or comma splices, such as 'While, very less time is given to practical learning' and 'It was only when we reached high school, we started having merely one hour a week...' Articles and prepositions are also occasionally misused, as seen in 'there has been institutes emerging' instead of 'institutes have been emerging.' Despite these recurring errors, the meaning remains clear and communication is not impeded.

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.