Universities should accept equal numbers of male and female students in every subject. To what extent do you agree or disagree?
Sample Response
Some people believe thatIt is believed that men and women should have the equalsame educational opportunities. However, I do not agree with the idea of admitting equal numbers of students of each genderthe idea of accepting equal proportions of each gender in every university subject. This essay explains whyThis essay will explain the reasons why admitting equal numbers of male and female students in every major is impractical.
First, having the same number of men and women on all degree courses is simply unrealistic. Enrolment on any courseStudent numbers on any course depend on the applications received by the institutionapplications that the institution receives. If a university decided to enrol equal numbers of male and female studentsfill courses with equal numbers of males and females, it would need enough applicants of each gender. In reality, many courses are attract more applicants from one gender than the othermore popular with one gender than the other, and it would not be practical to aim for equal proportions. For example, nursing courses tend to attract more female applicants, and it would be difficult to fill these courses if fifty percent of the places had to be allocated to male studentsneeded to go to males.
Beyond these practical concernsApart from the practical concerns expressed above, I also believe that it would be unfair to base university admissions on genderbase admission to university courses on gender. Universities should continue to select the best candidates for each course according to their qualifications. In this way, both men and women have the same opportunities, and applicants know that they will be successful if they work hard to achieve good grades at school. If a female student is the best candidate for a place on a course, it would be wrong to reject her in favour of a male student with lower grades or fewer qualifications.
In conclusion, the selection of university students should be based on merit, and it would be both impractical and unfair to change to a selection procedure based on gender.
Why this response received Band 8.5
The response is highly focused, with a clear position, well-developed arguments, and examples that directly support the rejection of fixed gender quotas. Its main limitation is that the practical case relies heavily on one subject example, leaving little exploration of how the policy might operate across different disciplines. A brief qualification or second contrasting example would make the reasoning even more comprehensive.
IELTS Writing Criteria Scores
Task Response
The response answers the question directly, maintains a clear disagreement, and develops two highly relevant reasons with effective support.
Add a brief qualification or contrasting subject example to make the case against fixed quotas still more comprehensive.
Coherence and Cohesion
Ideas progress logically through a clear introduction, two well-focused body paragraphs, and a concise conclusion, with cohesive devices used naturally.
Preserve this controlled progression while making paragraph openings slightly less formulaic where possible.
Lexical Resource
Vocabulary is wide, precise, and consistently appropriate for discussing admissions, gender proportions, practicality, and merit.
Reduce minor repetition of equal numbers, proportions, and gender by using occasional precise reformulations without sacrificing clarity.
Grammatical Range and Accuracy
A wide range of complex structures is used accurately and flexibly, with virtually no grammatical disruption.
Maintain the same level of control while continuing to vary the structure of conditional and concessive sentences.
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IELTS Writing Task 2
Universities should accept equal numbers of male and female students in every subject. To what extent do you agree or disagree?
Your response
Write the task yourself, then compare your choices with the annotated response.