Public Scored Example

Free University Education IELTS Essay Sample with Band 6.5 Evaluation

Read a free university education IELTS essay sample with Band 6.5 evaluation, criterion notes, and practical ways to improve.

IELTS question

Some people believe that university education should be free for all students. To what extent do you agree or disagree?

Sample essay

University education is very expensive in many countries. Some people think it should be free for everyone. I partially agree with this view because free education has both advantages and disadvantages. There are several benefits of free university education. First, it gives everyone equal opportunity to study. Many talented students from poor families cannot afford university fees. However, there are also problems with free education. Universities need money to pay teachers and maintain buildings. If the government pays for everything, taxes will have to increase. In conclusion, I believe university education should be free or very cheap for students from poor families, but not necessarily for everyone.

Band breakdown

Overall

6.5

Task Response

6.5

Coherence

6.5

Lexical

6.0

Grammar

6.5

Evaluation summary

This is a decent mid-band essay because it stays organized and shows a clear qualified position.
The main weakness is limited development of each side of the argument.

What works well

Reasonable balance between access and cost considerations.
Clear paragraphing and a stable point of view.
Appropriate answer to the exact question.

What still limits the score

The support is still generic and lacks evidence.
Vocabulary is plain and repetitive in several places.
The position could be framed more confidently in the introduction.

How to improve this essay next

Add one concrete policy example or country comparison.
Use more precise education and funding vocabulary.
Strengthen the thesis so the partial-agreement position is sharper.

Use this sample properly

Compare your own essay against the question, the band breakdown, and the weaknesses listed here. The goal is not to copy the writing. It is to see which scoring behaviors you need to improve in your own draft.

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