Compulsory Art and Music in Secondary School
A complete IELTS General Training Writing Task 2 question with a model answer of 293 words, plus a breakdown of the sentence structures, cohesive devices and vocabulary that answer uses. Write your own version first, then compare.
Written by Manish Sharma · CELTA and DELTA qualified · 8 years teaching IELTS
Score my answer to this questionThe question
You have 40 minutes. Write at least 250 words.
In many countries, art and music are optional once students reach the upper years of secondary school. Some people argue these subjects should remain compulsory until the end of secondary education, while others believe students should be free to focus on subjects that lead more directly to careers. Should art and music be compulsory subjects through to the end of secondary school? Write at least 250 words.
How to approach it
- 01State your opinion clearly in the introduction and maintain it throughout
- 02Use specific transferable skills (collaboration, observation, problem-solving) rather than vague benefits
- 03Engage with the strongest counter-argument and refute it
- 04Add an equity / fairness angle for a more sophisticated argument
- 05Use country examples (Finland, Singapore) to show world knowledge
- 06End with a memorable closing line about the purpose of education
Model answer
293 words in 5 paragraphs. Read it after you have written your own, not before: the point of a model answer is to show you what you missed, and you cannot miss anything you have not attempted.
Whenever school budgets come under pressure, art and music are typically the first subjects cut, with policymakers arguing that they are personal interests rather than essential skills. I disagree with this thinking and firmly believe that creative subjects should remain compulsory until students leave secondary school.
The most fundamental argument is that art and music develop forms of intelligence that no other part of the curriculum addresses. Playing in an ensemble teaches collaboration, listening, and disciplined practice, while creating visual work cultivates patience, observation, and the courage to share one's perspective. These habits transfer directly to fields as varied as medicine, engineering, and software design, where creative problem-solving is increasingly valued. A purely academic curriculum risks producing students who can pass exams but cannot generate original ideas.
Critics often respond that older students must concentrate on subjects relevant to their chosen careers and that compulsory arts simply add to an already heavy workload. While this concern is understandable, the trade-off is usually exaggerated. A weekly two-hour music or art class amounts to a small share of the timetable and can be assessed through portfolios and performances rather than high-stakes written exams. Moreover, evidence from countries such as Finland and Singapore shows that creative subjects can coexist with strong academic results.
There is also a powerful equity argument. When art and music become optional, only families wealthy enough to pay for private lessons preserve access. Compulsory provision ensures that every child, regardless of background, encounters the joys of creative expression — joys that may shape their identity for life.
In conclusion, art and music should remain compulsory throughout secondary school. They build skills the workplace demands, support student wellbeing, and uphold the fundamental principle that education must nurture the whole person, not just the test-taker.
What this answer actually does
Measured from the text above, and compared against the other 69 answers of the same type in this library. These are counts, not band scores: they describe what the writing does, which is the part you can copy.
2 more than the median answer for this task type
7 words at the shortest, 28 at the longest
1 fewer than the median answer for this task type
carry a subordinate or relative clause
Sentence rhythm
Sentences average 19.5 words and vary by 6.2 words either side of that, running from 7 words to 28. Variation is the point. Grammatical Range and Accuracy rewards a mix of simple and complex sentences, and an answer where every sentence is the same length reads as flat no matter how correct it is. 10 of the 15 sentences here carry a subordinate or relative clause.
The cohesive devices it uses
5 in total, spread across 4 different functions. Range matters more than count: an answer that opens every paragraph with a sequencer signals its structure but never signals a relationship between ideas, and Coherence and Cohesion is marked on both.
while
moreover
such as
in conclusion
Vocabulary and repetition
Ignoring grammar words, 83 per cent of the content words in this answer are distinct, and 74 per cent appear exactly once. Lexical Resource is where repetition costs the most marks, and the usual cause is not a small vocabulary but reaching for the same noun every time the topic is named.
The longest run of words copied straight from the question is 5 words. Examiners discount wording lifted from the question, so a short run here is the right outcome: the answer restates the topic in its own words rather than borrowing the question's.
What you are marked on
All four criteria carry equal weight, and your Writing band is their average rounded to the nearest half band.
Task Response
Clear opinion supported with multiple reasons and a counter-argument
Coherence & Cohesion
Paragraphs with clear topic sentences and linking
Lexical Resource
Education and creativity vocabulary precisely deployed
Grammatical Range & Accuracy
Range of complex sentences, concessions and modal verbs
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