Higher education is no longer the sole path to success, yet a university degree remains a hard threshold that many employers insist upon in recruitment. In an era where knowledge is freely accessible and vocational skill courses are increasingly prevalent, does the core value of a university education lie in imparting specialized knowledge, or in cultivating critical thinking and the capacity for lifelong learning? Based on your observations, please elaborate on which view you support, and explain your reasons with concrete 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