Band 6.0 IELTS Writing Task 2 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 6.0 · Cambridge IELTS 11 · 2026-10-24

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 6.0)

I completely agree that our education system focuses too much memorizing facts and not enough on practical skills.This is a big problem in all levels of education.

Firstly,in school,children spend all day learning history dates and science facts by heart.For example,In Pakistan,students memorize long lessons just to pass exams,but they don't know how to do basic practical things like using a computer properly,managing money,or first aid.They get high marks but they are not ready for real life.

Secondly,even in universities,the situation is similar.Students study a lot of theories but they have no practical experience.For instance,a business student may know all the definitions of marketing from books,but he has never made a business plan or talked to real customer.Because of this,when they get a job,companies have to train them again for many months.If universities taught practical skills like communication,teamwork,and problem solving students would get jobs more easily.

Of course,some people say that learning facts is also important to build basic knowledge.I agree that facts are necessary, but practical skills are more important for survival in today's world.

In conclusion,I strongly believe that schools and universities should change their method.They should give more time to practical skills,workshops,and real life projects,not just memorizing facts.This will make students more confident and successful.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response: Band 6.0

Your position is clear from the opening: you agree that education gives too much attention to memorising facts and too little to practical skills. You address both school and university education, and relevant examples—such as first aid, managing money, and preparing a business plan—support your argument. The concession that facts provide basic knowledge also shows awareness of the opposing view. However, some points are asserted rather than fully explained: for example, you say practical skills help students get jobs more easily, but do not explain how or give a specific illustration. The response also does not meet the required minimum length, so there is limited space to develop your reasons and examples. Expand the explanation and support each main point more fully.

Coherence and Cohesion: Band 6.5

The response has a clear overall structure: an introduction, separate paragraphs about schools and universities, a brief concession, and a conclusion. Sequencing phrases such as “Firstly,” “Secondly,” and “In conclusion” make the progression easy to follow, and the examples generally appear beside the points they support. This meets the lower-band expectation of coherent organisation and shows some of the flexibility associated with stronger cohesion. However, the linking is somewhat formulaic, and some connections between ideas could be made more explicit. For instance, the move from university teaching to employers needing to retrain graduates would benefit from a clearer explanation of cause and effect. Develop the paragraphs further and use referencing and transitions that connect ideas naturally rather than relying mainly on signposting phrases.

Lexical Resource: Band 5.5

You use enough topic-related vocabulary to communicate your argument, including “memorize,” “practical experience,” “business plan,” “teamwork,” and “problem solving.” These examples show an appropriate range for discussing education and employment. However, the vocabulary is often general or repetitive, with “practical skills,” “facts,” and “students” recurring without much variation. Some word combinations are also unnatural or imprecise, such as “learning history dates” and “talked to real customer.” Aim for more precise collocations and a wider range of expressions, such as “historical dates,” “interact with clients,” or “apply theoretical knowledge.” Proofread spelling and word forms consistently, and choose vocabulary that expresses the intended meaning accurately.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 5.5

You use a mix of simple and complex sentence forms, including a conditional structure in “If universities taught practical skills … students would get jobs more easily” and a concession beginning “Of course.” Most ideas remain understandable, but some grammatical errors and punctuation problems are noticeable. For example, “focuses too much memorizing” needs a preposition and a gerund construction, while “a real customer” needs an article. In “If universities taught … problem solving students would,” a comma is needed after the introductory clause. There are also inconsistent capital letters after sentence breaks and commas. Work on articles, prepositions, and sentence punctuation, and check that longer sentences are clearly structured. Greater accuracy across these patterns would make the argument smoother to read.

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