Band 6.0 IELTS Writing Task 2 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 6.0 · Cambridge IELTS 11 · 2026-09-29

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 6.0)

There has been a long debate and numerous controversies revolving around skills in education sectors mainly in private schools and colleges. Both soft and hard skills are important in today's world because of evolving and trending technologies.

Schools and universities these days are more concerned about giving theoretical knowledge to students. This will only equip them with understanding the concepts and principles of a certain domain or topic. Practical skills on the other hand, are left behind and not taken care of, by educational institutions which is as crucial as learning facts in the class. Furthermore, the type of learning which is mostly followed by considerable number of schools, colleges and universities these days relies on class room learning rather on practical learning, leading to skill shortage in the job market thus high unemployment rates over a decade of time.

Additionally, it is also indispensable to note that exposure to industries and companies and implementation of conceptual knowledge in real world is highly significant due to ever changing dynamics of jobs, demanding continuous professional development and constant skills upgrade. Subsequently, organizations can also play a pivotal role in sustaining job market demands by arranging career campaigns, apprenticeship and internships to fresh graduates immediately after studies are completed by students. Therefore, schools, colleges and universities shall being about a change in their system while relies more on practical learning with real life exposure to industry practices to inculcate ready-for-job skills in students.

In conclusion, it can be said that soft skills are highly important due to new technologies being developed and efficient workforce requirement by industries to cater to the needs of the company.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response: Band 6.0

The response addresses the prompt by discussing whether too much time is spent on learning facts versus practical skills in education. You take a clear position supporting the view that education focuses too heavily on theory at the expense of practical application. The ideas presented, such as the relationship between theoretical learning, skill shortages, and unemployment rates, are generally relevant and extended with supporting arguments about industry exposure and career campaigns. However, the development tends to be slightly repetitive, and the final conclusion introduces a new focus on 'soft skills' rather than tying back neatly to the core argument of practical facts versus practical skills. Nonetheless, all parts of the task are addressed, and a clear position is maintained throughout, fitting the Band 6 descriptor well.

Coherence and Cohesion: Band 6.5

The essay is divided into logical paragraphs with an introduction, body paragraphs, and a conclusion, showing an overall coherent arrangement. Progression of ideas is generally clear, moving from the current state of education to consequences in the job market, followed by proposed solutions. However, some cohesive devices feel slightly mechanical or forced, such as 'Furthermore', 'Additionally', and 'Consequently' (spelled as 'Subsequently'). Referencing is occasionally slightly unclear, for example, 'This will only equip them...' where 'this' points broadly to giving theoretical knowledge. Paragraphing is used sufficiently to structure the essay, though the conclusion is notably brief and shifts the focus somewhat awkwardly. Overall cohesion is functional but exhibits some minor faults.

Lexical Resource: Band 6.0

You demonstrate an adequate range of vocabulary for the task, attempting some less common lexical items such as 'indispensable', 'inculcate', 'pivotal role', and 'continuous professional development'. However, there are notable word choice and collocation inaccuracies. For instance, 'schools, colleges and universities shall being about a change' contains a typo ('being' instead of 'bring'), and phrases like 'taking care of, by educational institutions' are awkwardly phrased. Additionally, you use 'soft skills' interchangeably with 'practical skills' in the conclusion, which demonstrates a slight lack of precision in lexical selection. The errors present do not impede communication, allowing the reader to follow your main arguments without serious difficulty.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 6.0

The essay displays a mix of simple and complex sentence forms, demonstrating an attempt at varied syntactic structures. You successfully construct some multi-clause sentences, such as 'Practical skills on the other hand, are left behind and not taken care of, by educational institutions which is as crucial as learning facts in the class.' However, there are noticeable grammatical errors and punctuation issues throughout the text. For example, missing commas around non-defining clauses, subject-verb agreement slips ('which relies more' following a plural system or relative clause mismatch), and prepositional inaccuracies ('relies more on practical learning with real life exposure'). Despite these frequent minor errors, they rarely impede overall communication.

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