Some people think that employers should focus on the personal qualities of potential job seekers instead of their academic qualifications and experience. To what extent do you agree with this opinion?

Same questionCompare 3 different answers (Band 7.5–8)

Sample Response

1

Some people point out that employers ought to placeput emphasis on the personal attributes of prospective candidatesprospective job candidates rather than their academic credentials and experience. I strongly disagree with this view and believe that academic qualifications and experience suggest that the candidates have job-specific skills and knowledge.

2

Academic qualifications refer to the evidence that a candidate has knowledge and competence in a particular field of study. This means that the job seeker has developed a foundational understandingattained a foundational comprehension of the subject matter andsubject matter, and has acquired the necessary skillsacquired necessary skills through assignments, coursework and exams. This indicatessuggests that the individual possesses the knowledge and skills to perform well in the role. A software development firm seeking to hireappoint a programmer, for instance, may focus more onput more focus on a job applicant with a computer science degree. The degree demonstrates the fact that the candidate has acquired a certain level of programming languages, algorithms and competencies required for the job.

3

Likewise, individuals gain experience through internships and part-timeinternships, and part-time or full-time jobs, allowing them to apply their academic knowledge in real-world settings. In fact, people developPeople, in fact, develop practical competencies, problem-solving skills and an understanding of workplace dynamicsa comprehension of workplace dynamics through experience. Therefore, an experienced candidate has more practical ability, knowledge and skills than his counterparts. For example, in the field of software development, a company hiringrecruiting developers may prioritize applicants with relevant coding experiencejob applicants who possess relevant coding experience. This experience demonstratesThe experience indicates their practical knowledge of how to carry out coding projects.

4

In conclusion, I believe that academic credentials and practical experience are important when hiring a candidatewhen it comes to hiring a candidate for a job because academic qualifications demonstrate that candidates haveacademic qualifications prove that the candidates have the knowledge and skills required for the joba certain level of knowledge and skills pertinent to the job, while experience demonstratesshowcases their ability to apply theoretical knowledge in real-world settings.

Overall assessment

Why this response received Band 7.5

The response’s strongest feature is its clear, well-supported case that qualifications establish foundational expertise while experience demonstrates practical application, illustrated consistently through software-development examples. Its main limitation is repetition of the same vocabulary and limited direct evaluation of when personal qualities might matter; the highest-priority improvement is to weigh those qualities briefly against technical evidence and explain why the latter should remain decisive.

Band score breakdown

IELTS Writing Criteria Scores

TR

Task Response

7.5
Scoring rule

The response maintains a clear position and develops two relevant, well-supported reasons for prioritising qualifications and experience.

Next step

Acknowledge one genuine value of personal qualities and explain why it remains secondary to demonstrable expertise and experience.

CC

Coherence and Cohesion

7.5
Scoring rule

The essay is logically organised into focused sections on qualifications and experience, with clear progression and effective examples.

Next step

Reduce repeated restatement of knowledge and skills so each sentence advances the argument rather than echoing the previous one.

LR

Lexical Resource

7.0
Scoring rule

A sufficient range of formal employment and education vocabulary is used accurately overall, though repetition and several awkward combinations limit flexibility.

Next step

Vary recurring terms carefully and replace phrases such as “a level of programming languages” with precise expressions such as “proficiency in programming languages.”

GRA

Grammatical Range and Accuracy

8.0
Scoring rule

A wide variety of complex structures is used accurately, and the few minor punctuation or reference issues do not affect clarity.

Next step

Refine comma placement and pronoun reference in long sentences to make the already strong grammatical control more economical.

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IELTS Writing Task 2

Some people think that employers should focus on the personal qualities of potential job seekers instead of their academic qualifications and experience. To what extent do you agree with this opinion?

Your response

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40:00

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