Many people believe that university students should study a full range of subjects, instead of some specific subjects. To what extent do you agree or disagree with this viewpoint?
Sample Response
It is often suggested that university studentsdisciples of tertiary institutions should study a wide range of subjectshave a wide range of subjects in their curriculum rather than a few particular subjects. I, however, disagree with this viewpoint primarily for two major reasons.
First, universities aim to provide specialized knowledge to their studentspupils, not to enhance their general knowledgenot enhance their general knowledge. Students are offered admission to universities after they complete many years of academic studies in various subjects. They attend universityThey are in a tertiary institution primarily to gain specific knowledge related to their field of interest. Creating undue pressureGiving redundant pressure by requiring students to study subjectsby imposing subjects unrelated to their field can hinder them from achievingcan become a hurdle in achieving the required goals in their life. For instance, there is little relationship between sociology and mathematics. Mathematics majors may struggle while learningwill get confused while learning various aspects of sociology and similarly, sociology students will be reluctant to solve complex mathematics problemsreluctant to solve complex mathematics.
In additionIn addition to this, many universities are already striving to maintaintrying hard to maintain their recognized status and some specialise onlyare providing only specializations in a few subjects. The addition of more subjects to each faculty will add unnecessary weight, and as a result, there will be discordant opinions and actions among them. For example, the 'Indian Institute of Technology Delhi' is among the top universities in India and specialises inprovides specialization in scientific research and technology. If it is forcedIf they are forced to add arts-related subjectsArts related subjects to their science majors, they will soon find themselves struggling to maintain its excellencestruggling for their excellence.
In conclusion, universities are meant for specialization and students should study subjects related to their majors or in which they are interestedsubjects related to their major or which they feel interested in. The urge to add a spectrum of irrelevant subjects will underminedetriment the true purpose of university education.
Why this response received Band 7.0
The essay states a clear disagreement and supports it with two relevant lines of argument: students need specialised knowledge, and universities may lack the capacity to broaden every programme. Its strongest feature is the clear structure and use of subject and institutional examples. The main limitation is that some claims are overstated and several lexical choices are unnatural; prioritise nuanced evidence showing how excessive compulsory breadth could displace essential specialist study.
IELTS Writing Criteria Scores
Task Response
A clear position is maintained and both main reasons are relevant and developed, though some examples and causal claims are insufficiently convincing.
Explain how limited course credits, workload, or staffing make compulsory unrelated subjects harmful, while acknowledging that carefully chosen electives can still add value.
Coherence and Cohesion
The introduction, two reasoned body paragraphs, and conclusion form a clear progression with effective overall paragraphing.
Use a more explicit link between the two arguments and ensure each example directly demonstrates the stated academic or institutional cost.
Lexical Resource
There is a good attempt at varied academic vocabulary, but frequent inaccurate choices such as 'disciples', 'redundant pressure', and 'detriment' reduce precision.
Use 'university students', 'unnecessary pressure', 'obstacle', 'institutional burden', and 'undermine the purpose'.
Grammatical Range and Accuracy
A range of complex sentences is generally controlled, with occasional errors in reference, articles, agreement, and relative structures.
Revise forms such as 'goals in their lives', 'subjects in which they are interested', and 'If the institute were forced to add arts-related subjects'.
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IELTS Writing Task 2
Many people believe that university students should study a full range of subjects, instead of some specific subjects. To what extent do you agree or disagree with this viewpoint?
Your response
Write the task yourself, then compare your choices with the annotated response.