In today's knowledge-driven economy, a university degree remains a golden ticket to an ideal career, yet the growing number of self-taught tech titans and skill-based entrepreneurs seems to validate an alternative path beyond the classroom. Should all young people be encouraged to pursue higher education, or should they be steered earlier toward vocational training or hands-on entrepreneurship to align with a rapidly shifting job market? Take a position on whether the core value of a university education has been undermined in this global skills revolution, and support your stance with specific reasons and examples.
IELTS Writing Task 2 Band Descriptors
Task Response: Address all parts of the task, present a clear position, support ideas with evidence
Coherence and Cohesion: Logical paragraphing, clear progression, appropriate linking devices
Lexical Resource: Wide range of vocabulary, accurate and natural collocations
Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Variety of sentence structures, error-free grammar
Overall band score is 0-9, each criterion weighted equally.
Answering Tips
Spend 5 minutes planning your position and main arguments
Use the structure: Introduction - Body 1 - Body 2 - Concession - Conclusion
Develop each body paragraph with: topic sentence + explanation + example + summary
Use a variety of linking words, avoid repetition
Reserve 5 minutes at the end to check grammar and spelling