A Difficult Decision You Made That Had a Very Good Result

Part 3 follow-up questions

These are the discussion questions examiners asked after this cue card. Sample answers are shown where available.

1. 1. What difficulties might a society face if all decisions were made collectively?

   May–Aug 2026
   Compare Band 6.5 / 7.0 / 7.5 for this question

   Band 6.5

   This answer sticks to short, plain sentences joined by simple connectors like 'and' and 'so', giving one direct reason (speed) and one everyday example (the lobby colour) without any hedging or complex clause-building.

   I think the biggest problem would be speed. In my building, the residents' group took eight months just to choose a colour for the lobby, and that was only two hundred households talking about paint. If a whole country tried to decide everything together, something urgent like a flood would take too long to deal with. Also, when everyone decides together, people often pick the safest choice, not the best one. So collective decisions are fair, but they are usually too slow for real problems.

   Why this band

   • FC“Also, when everyone decides together,” — The answer moves between ideas using the plain linking word 'Also' rather than a more natural spoken discourse marker. A band 7 answer would likely use something like 'to be fair' or 'honestly' to signal a shift in the argument, while a band 6.5 candidate relies on the most basic additive connector available.
   • LR“the safest choice, not the best one” — The vocabulary here is entirely common, everyday word choice ('safest', 'best') with no attempt at a less frequent word or collocation. A higher band answer would likely reach for something like 'drift toward the least offensive option' instead of the flatter 'safest choice, not the best one'.
   • GRA“If a whole country tried to decide everything together, something urgent like a flood would take too long to deal with.” — This is a single, complete conditional sentence with one clause per idea, which is grammatically accurate but structurally simple. A band 7.5 response would likely compress this into a fronted or participial construction rather than laying out the condition and result as two plainly joined clauses.

   Band 7.0

   The natural spoken openers 'Honestly, I'd say' and 'To be fair' give this answer a reflective, conversational tone beyond the plain declarative style of a 6.5 response, while one sentence stacks two subordinate ideas together without reaching the fully compressed grammar of a 7.5 answer.

   Honestly, I'd say speed would be the biggest casualty. My building's residents' group needed eight months to agree on a colour for the lobby, and that was just two hundred households discussing paint, so imagine a whole society trying to agree on something urgent like a flood response. To be fair, there's also a quality issue, because collective decisions tend to drift toward whatever offends the fewest people rather than the boldest option. And someone still has to frame the question in the first place, which means power doesn't really disappear, it just becomes less visible. Collective input is useful, but deciding everything together would be paralysis.

   Why this band

   • FC“To be fair, there's also a quality issue” — The discourse marker 'To be fair' signals the speaker weighing a second point against the first, which is the kind of natural hedging typical of band 7 fluency. A 6.5 answer would more likely just say 'Also' or 'And', while a 7.5 answer might integrate the concession even more seamlessly into a single sentence.
   • LR“drift toward whatever offends the fewest people” — The collocation 'drift toward' is a step above basic vocabulary like 'choose' or 'pick', showing some range without being a genuinely rare word. A 6.5 candidate would likely just say 'people choose the safest option', while a 7.5 answer might reach for an even more precise or idiomatic phrase.
   • GRA“which means power doesn't really disappear, it just becomes less visible” — This clause is attached to the previous idea with 'which', building one moderately complex sentence out of two related thoughts, which goes beyond the short, separate sentences of a 6.5 answer. It stops short of the more compressed apposition or fronted structures a 7.5 response tends to use.

   Band 7.5

   The fronted imperative-style clause 'Scale that up to an entire society, and...' and the dash-interrupted opener show the flexible, compressed grammar of a 7.5 answer, reinforced by the less common word 'litigated' used figuratively and the evaluative semicolon closing the response.

   Speed, I'd wager, would be the first casualty — my building's residents' group took a full eight months just to settle on a lobby colour, and that was two hundred households weighing in on paint. Scale that up to an entire society, and time-sensitive crises like floods or epidemics would be litigated into irrelevance before anyone acted. There's a subtler quality problem too: collective decisions tend to gravitate toward whatever offends the fewest people, which is rarely the boldest or wisest option. And someone still has to frame the question being voted on, so power never actually vanishes, it simply goes underground. Collective input, in moderation, sharpens decisions; collective decision-making on everything would be outright paralysis.

   Why this band

   • FC“There's a subtler quality problem too” — This phrase signals a second, more nuanced layer of argument being added on top of the first, showing the kind of structured idea-progression that marks strong coherence. A 6.5 answer would flag this shift with a bare 'Also', while this response builds it into the flow of the argument itself.
   • LR“litigated into irrelevance” — Using 'litigated' figuratively to describe endless debate, rather than its literal legal sense, is a genuinely less-common word choice that a 6.5 or 7.0 answer would be unlikely to risk. A lower band would settle for something safer like 'discussed for too long'.
   • GRA“Scale that up to an entire society, and time-sensitive crises like floods or epidemics would be litigated into irrelevance before anyone acted.” — This fronted imperative clause functioning as a conditional is a compressed, flexible structure well beyond the plain if-clause a 6.5 answer would use. It packs a condition and a vivid consequence into one flowing sentence rather than two separate ones.

2. 2. Who are the best people to help teenagers make important decisions?

   May–Aug 2026
   Compare Band 6.5 / 7.0 / 7.5 for this question

   Band 6.5

   Written in short, plain sentences linked with 'but' and 'so', this answer gives a direct opinion, one concrete example (Ms Phương), and a simple reason, without any hedging language.

   I think the best people are those who know the teenager well but are not too close, like parents. For me, it was my art teacher in Hue, Ms Phương. My parents wanted me to study medicine, but she noticed I always drew phone designs at lunchtime, and she told me there were degrees for that. Teachers, cousins or coaches can see things clearly because they don't need the teenager to become anything special. Parents are important too, but they often want too much, so they give advice that is not always helpful.

   Why this band

   • FC“Teachers, cousins or coaches can see things clearly because they don't need the teenager to become anything special.” — This sentence adds a generalising point directly after the personal example using the plain connector 'because', with no discourse marker to soften or frame the shift. A band 7 answer would likely introduce this move with something like 'honestly' or 'I'd say', while this response just states it outright.
   • LR“she noticed I always drew phone designs at lunchtime” — The vocabulary here ('noticed', 'drew phone designs') is basic and literal. A higher band answer would likely use a more vivid or precise phrase, such as 'sketching interfaces for imaginary phones', instead of the flatter 'drew phone designs'.
   • GRA“My parents wanted me to study medicine, but she noticed I always drew phone designs at lunchtime, and she told me there were degrees for that.” — This is a single sentence built from three short clauses joined by 'but' and 'and', which is accurate but repetitive in structure. A band 7.5 answer would likely compress this into one flowing sentence using a participial phrase or a dash, rather than three clauses strung together with basic conjunctions.

   Band 7.0

   The opener 'I'd say' and the aside 'honestly rules out most parents' add a layer of spoken reflection beyond a 6.5 answer's flat statements, and one sentence combines a relative clause with a contrast to show more grammatical range.

   I'd say the best people are the ones who know the teenager well but don't have a personal stake in the decision, which honestly rules out most parents. In my case, it was my art teacher in Hue, Ms Phương, who noticed I spent every lunch break drawing interfaces for imaginary phones while my parents were pushing me toward medicine. Teachers, older cousins or coaches can see a teenager clearly precisely because they're one step removed and don't need them to turn into anything in particular. Parents matter enormously, of course, but they're often too emotionally invested to advise rather than simply steer.

   Why this band

   • FC“which honestly rules out most parents” — The aside 'honestly' signals the speaker's own evaluation folded into the sentence, a natural spoken habit that shows more fluency than simply stating the fact. A 6.5 answer would likely state this as a separate, plain sentence rather than tucking it into a qualifying clause.
   • LR“don't have a personal stake in the decision” — 'Stake' used in this abstract sense is a moderately less common collocation than simple words like 'interest' or 'involvement'. It shows developing precision without reaching for a genuinely rare word, which is typical of band 7 lexical range.
   • GRA“who noticed I spent every lunch break drawing interfaces for imaginary phones while my parents were pushing me toward medicine” — This relative clause combined with a contrastive 'while' clause packs two ideas into one sentence, showing more complex sentence-building than the short, separate sentences of a 6.5 response. It is not yet as compressed as the dash- or participle-based structures a 7.5 answer would use.

   Band 7.5

   The dash-interrupted description 'who quietly clocked that...' and the evaluative closing line about advising versus steering give this answer the compact grammar and reflective finish typical of band 7.5, alongside the less common verb 'clocked' used informally.

   Someone who knows the teenager well yet has no real stake in the outcome tends to give the clearest advice, which usually rules out parents and best friends by default. Mine was an art teacher in Hue, Ms Phương, who quietly clocked that I spent every lunch break sketching interfaces for imaginary phones while my parents were busy steering me toward medicine. People one step removed — teachers, older cousins, coaches — can see a teenager for who they actually are, without needing them to become anything in particular. Parents matter enormously, naturally, but being so invested often tips them from advising into steering, which is a subtly different thing.

   Why this band

   • FC“Parents matter enormously, naturally, but being so invested often tips them from advising into steering, which is a subtly different thing.” — This closing sentence draws a fine evaluative distinction between two related ideas, showing the kind of nuanced, well-managed conclusion typical of the highest bands. A 6.5 or 7.0 answer would more likely end on a flatter statement like 'parents are too invested to help'.
   • LR“quietly clocked that I spent every lunch break sketching interfaces” — 'Clocked' is a genuinely less common, informal word choice for 'noticed', giving the answer a natural idiomatic flavour that lower bands tend to avoid in favour of safer vocabulary. It also pairs unusually well with 'quietly', adding to the vivid, specific tone.
   • GRA“People one step removed — teachers, older cousins, coaches — can see a teenager for who they actually are, without needing them to become anything in particular.” — The dash-set list functions as an appositive aside inside the main clause, a compact structure a 6.5 or 7.0 answer would be unlikely to attempt. It lets the speaker add examples without breaking the sentence into separate pieces.

3. 3. What key decisions will societies face in a global world?

   May–Aug 2026
   Compare Band 6.5 / 7.0 / 7.5 for this question

   Band 6.5

   Plain, separate sentences connected by 'but' and 'so' present one clear opinion (openness) with a concrete local example (Da Nang hotels) and a simple list of further points, all in common vocabulary.

   I think the main decision is how open a country should be to money, people and ideas from outside. In Da Nang, foreign hotels have brought more jobs and made the city nicer, but prices went up and now local people cannot always use the beaches. So societies will need to decide how much of this they want. Climate change is another big decision, because no country can fix it alone. Technology is also important, because global companies now decide how people communicate. These are not easy questions, so many countries will probably try to avoid deciding.

   Why this band

   • FC“So societies will need to decide how much of this they want.” — The plain connector 'So' bluntly signals a conclusion drawn from the previous sentence, which is functional but basic. A band 7 answer would more likely soften this transition with a phrase like 'so societies will have to work out', adding a touch of reflection rather than a flat statement.
   • LR“brought more jobs and made the city nicer” — 'Made the city nicer' is a simple, everyday phrase where a higher band would likely reach for something more specific or evaluative, such as a less common word for the trade-off, like 'bargain' or 'cost'. The vocabulary here is accurate but plain.
   • GRA“In Da Nang, foreign hotels have brought more jobs and made the city nicer, but prices went up and now local people cannot always use the beaches.” — This sentence strings four short ideas together with 'and' and 'but', a grammatically correct but repetitive pattern. A 7.5 answer would likely compress this into a single sentence built around a relative clause introduced by 'where'.

   Band 7.0

   The opener 'Honestly, I think' and the closing aside 'to be honest' frame this as natural spoken reflection, and the sentence about the Da Nang coastline links a relative clause to two contrasting outcomes, showing more range than the short sentences of a 6.5 answer.

   Honestly, I think the biggest one is how open to be — to money, people and ideas — and at what cost. You can actually watch this happen along the Da Nang coastline, where foreign hotel investment has brought jobs and a nicer city, but also higher prices and beaches that locals increasingly can't use. So societies will have to work out how much of that trade-off they're willing to accept. Closely tied to it are climate decisions, since no single country can solve those alone, and questions about technology, like whether to let global platforms set the rules for communication. None of these have a clean answer, to be honest.

   Why this band

   • FC“None of these have a clean answer, to be honest.” — Ending on the spoken tag 'to be honest' softens the claim and signals the speaker's own stance, which is a natural discourse habit associated with band 7. A 6.5 answer would more likely just state 'These are not easy questions' without the reflective tag.
   • LR“how much of that trade-off they're willing to accept” — 'Trade-off' is a moderately less common word than 'this' or 'the cost', showing developing precision in describing an abstract exchange. It sits between the plain vocabulary of a 6.5 answer and a more idiomatic phrase a 7.5 response might choose, like 'bargain'.
   • GRA“where foreign hotel investment has brought jobs and a nicer city, but also higher prices and beaches that locals increasingly can't use” — This relative clause beginning with 'where' packs two contrasting outcomes into a single flowing sentence, which is more complex than the short separate sentences of a 6.5 response. It stops short of the further compression, like dropping connecting words entirely, that a 7.5 answer tends to use.

   Band 7.5

   One long opening sentence fronts the main claim before folding in the Da Nang example through a relative clause, and the closing line's parallel phrasing gives the answer a polished, evaluative finish typical of band 7.5.

   The big one, I'd argue, is how open to be — to money, to people, to ideas — and at what cost, and you can watch that trade-off play out in real time along the Da Nang coastline, where foreign hotel investment has brought jobs and a smarter-looking city alongside rising prices and beaches locals can no longer really claim as their own. Societies will have to decide how much of that bargain they're prepared to accept. Bound up with it are climate decisions, since no country can solve those in isolation, and questions of technology — whether global platforms get to set the rules for how people communicate. None of these come with a tidy answer, and the temptation will always be to dodge the decision altogether.

   Why this band

   • FC“and the temptation will always be to dodge the decision altogether” — This closing clause adds a final evaluative twist that ties the whole answer together, going beyond simply restating the difficulty. A 6.5 or 7.0 answer would be more likely to end flatly on 'these are not easy questions' rather than layering in this extra observation.
   • LR“beaches locals can no longer really claim as their own” — 'Claim as their own' is a more idiomatic, figurative way of describing lost access than the plain 'use' a lower band would choose. It adds a slightly literary, precise flavour that marks genuinely wide lexical resource.
   • GRA“where foreign hotel investment has brought jobs and a smarter-looking city alongside rising prices and beaches locals can no longer really claim as their own” — This relative clause compresses two contrasting outcomes into one continuous structure using 'alongside' instead of a repeated conjunction, avoiding the choppier 'but... and...' pattern of lower bands. It shows the flexible, economical grammar expected at 7.5.

4. 4. What are the benefits of involving individuals in decision making for their local community?

   May–Aug 2026
   Compare Band 6.5 / 7.0 / 7.5 for this question

   Band 6.5

   This answer uses short declarative sentences and the simple connector 'so' to link the example directly to its cause, giving one plain reason (fit) and one plain consequence (responsibility) without any spoken hedging.

   The main benefit is that decisions fit the place better. In the lane behind my parents' house in Hue, residents were asked where to put new street lights and speed bumps, and they chose spots the city planners would never have picked, like the dark corner where motorbikes cut through. It worked well because the people who use the street every day designed it. It also makes people feel more responsible, so they do not damage things they helped to choose. The only problem is that it takes more time, but for small local matters, that is okay.

   Why this band

   • FC“It also makes people feel more responsible, so they do not damage things they helped to choose.” — The idea is added with the bare word 'also' and linked to its result with 'so', a functional but basic way of sequencing points. A band 7 answer would more likely fold this into the flow with a phrase like 'Involvement also builds a sense of ownership, since...' rather than starting a fresh short sentence.
   • LR“decisions fit the place better” — 'Fit the place better' is simple, everyday phrasing. A higher band would likely choose a more precise or idiomatic way to express the same idea, such as 'genuinely fitting the place' or a less common word like 'breeds ownership' used elsewhere.
   • GRA“In the lane behind my parents' house in Hue, residents were asked where to put new street lights and speed bumps, and they chose spots the city planners would never have picked, like the dark corner where motorbikes cut through.” — This is one long sentence, but it is built by simply chaining clauses with 'and' and 'like', rather than through more flexible subordination. A 7.5 answer would likely use a dash to set off the examples as an appositive list instead of tacking them on with 'like'.

   Band 7.0

   The reflective opener 'Mainly, I'd say' and the closing aside 'to be fair' mark this as natural spoken English, while one sentence links three related benefits with 'since' and 'and' to show more range than a 6.5 answer's separate short sentences.

   Mainly, I'd say, it's that the decisions actually fit the place, rather than following some generic plan. In the lane behind my parents' house in Hue, residents were asked where the new street lights and speed bumps should go, and they picked spots the city planners would never have thought of, like the dark corner where motorbikes cut through. The result works precisely because the people who use it every day designed it. Involvement also builds a sense of ownership, since nobody really vandalises something they argued for, and it teaches people that institutions actually listen. It's slower, to be fair, but for local matters that seems like a fair trade.

   Why this band

   • FC“It's slower, to be fair, but for local matters that seems like a fair trade.” — The aside 'to be fair' signals the speaker weighing a downside against the benefits just listed, which is a natural way native-like speakers manage concession in speech. A 6.5 answer would more likely state this as a flat, separate sentence: 'The only problem is that it takes more time'.
   • LR“builds a sense of ownership” — 'Builds a sense of ownership' is a moderately less common collocation than simpler phrasing like 'makes people feel responsible'. It shows developing precision in expressing an abstract psychological effect, sitting between the plain vocabulary of 6.5 and the more idiomatic 'breeds ownership' a 7.5 answer might use.
   • GRA“Involvement also builds a sense of ownership, since nobody really vandalises something they argued for, and it teaches people that institutions actually listen.” — This sentence links three ideas with 'since' and 'and', showing more complex clause combination than the short separate sentences of a 6.5 response. It doesn't yet reach the dash-based compression a 7.5 answer tends to use for listing related points.

   Band 7.5

   The dash-set list of concrete examples and the closing evaluative line give this answer the compact, judgement-laden finish typical of band 7.5, alongside the slightly literary phrase 'breeds ownership'.

   Mainly, it's that the decisions end up genuinely fitting the place, rather than following some plan drawn up far away. In the lane behind my parents' house in Hue, residents were asked where the new street lights and speed bumps should go, and they chose spots the city planners would never have picked — the dark corner where motorbikes cut through, the stretch where kids play. It works precisely because the people using it daily designed it. Involvement also breeds ownership, since nobody vandalises something they fought to have included, and it teaches communities that institutions are actually listening, which makes them far more willing to cooperate next time round. Slower, undeniably, but for local matters that's a small price worth paying.

   Why this band

   • FC“which makes them far more willing to cooperate next time round” — This trailing clause extends the previous point with a further consequence, showing the kind of layered, cause-and-effect reasoning that marks strong coherence at the top band. A 6.5 or 7.0 answer would be more likely to stop the sentence earlier rather than adding this extra step.
   • LR“Involvement also breeds ownership” — 'Breeds ownership' is a genuinely less common collocation, using 'breeds' figuratively rather than the more predictable 'builds' or 'creates' that lower bands would default to. It gives the answer a slightly literary edge without sounding unnatural.
   • GRA“they chose spots the city planners would never have picked — the dark corner where motorbikes cut through, the stretch where kids play” — The dash introduces an appositive list of examples directly inside the sentence, avoiding a separate sentence or the connector 'like' that a lower band would use. This compressed, flexible structure is characteristic of the grammatical range expected at 7.5.

5. 5. How far does advertising influence people's everyday decisions?

   May–Aug 2026
   Compare Band 6.5 / 7.0 / 7.5 for this question

   Band 6.5

   Plain sentences with the basic connectors 'but' and 'so' present a direct claim, a personal example, and a simple contrast between big and small decisions, all in everyday vocabulary.

   I think advertising has more influence than most people admit, especially on small everyday decisions. I used to think I ignored ads completely, but then I noticed I had bought the exact coffee brand that kept appearing in the Grab app. Advertising does not really change what we want, but it changes which brand we choose. For big decisions, like buying a house or choosing a job, advertising has less effect because people research more and ask other people. But small choices happen quickly, without much thinking, so advertising works well on them.

   Why this band

   • FC“But small choices happen quickly, without much thinking, so advertising works well on them.” — This final point is added as a short, separate sentence linked with the plain connectors 'but' and 'so', clearly stating the conclusion. A band 7 answer would more likely weave this into the same sentence as the earlier contrast using a comma, showing smoother idea progression.
   • LR“it changes which brand we choose” — This is plain, direct vocabulary. A higher band would likely use a more abstract or precise phrase here, such as 'which version of it we reach for', to describe the same idea with more nuance.
   • GRA“I used to think I ignored ads completely, but then I noticed I had bought the exact coffee brand that kept appearing in the Grab app.” — This sentence uses a straightforward past-tense narrative joined with 'but then', which is accurate but a common, low-risk structure. A 7.5 answer would likely use a more dramatic construction, such as 'right up until I caught myself...', to build tension into the same idea.

   Band 7.0

   The opener 'Honestly, I think' and the aside 'I'd have said' mark this as reflective spoken English, and the semicolon sentence shows a more complex, balanced structure than a 6.5 answer's short sentences.

   Honestly, I think it goes further than most of us would like to admit, mainly on the small decisions we make without really thinking. I'd have said I ignore ads completely, and then I noticed I'd bought the exact coffee brand that had been following me around the Grab app for a week. Advertising rarely changes what we want; it just changes which version of it we reach for. On bigger decisions, like a house or a career, its influence is weaker, since people tend to research and talk to others first, but everyday choices are made on a kind of autopilot, which advertising is very good at programming.

   Why this band

   • FC“I'd have said I ignore ads completely, and then I noticed” — This phrase sets up a small narrative twist, admitting a previous wrong assumption before correcting it, which shows the kind of self-aware, natural storytelling typical of band 7. A 6.5 answer would more likely state this more flatly as 'I used to think I ignored ads completely, but then'.
   • LR“which advertising is very good at programming” — Using 'programming' figuratively to describe how advertising shapes automatic behaviour is a moderately less common word choice than simpler alternatives like 'influencing' or 'affecting'. It shows some lexical range without being a rare or idiomatic phrase.
   • GRA“Advertising rarely changes what we want; it just changes which version of it we reach for.” — The semicolon joins two closely related but contrasting ideas into one balanced sentence, which is more sophisticated than simply separating them with a full stop as a 6.5 answer would. It is not yet as compressed as the dash-based or fronted structures a 7.5 answer tends to use.

   Band 7.5

   The vivid phrase 'trailing me around the Grab app' and the closing admission give this answer a precise, self-aware finish, while the semicolon sentence shows compact, balanced grammar.

   Further than most of us would like to admit, I'd say, mainly on the small decisions made without a second thought. I'd have sworn I ignore ads completely, right up until I caught myself buying the exact coffee brand that had been trailing me around the Grab app for a week. Advertising rarely reshapes what we want; it just quietly decides which version of it we reach for. Its grip loosens on bigger decisions — a house, a career — because people actually research those and talk to others, but everyday choices run on autopilot, and advertising is remarkably good at programming autopilot. Being aware of that helps a little, though admittedly not as much as I'd like.

   Why this band

   • FC“though admittedly not as much as I'd like” — This trailing qualification softens the previous claim with a note of self-critical honesty, adding a layer of nuance to the closing statement. A 6.5 or 7.0 answer would more likely end the point flatly without this extra reflective turn.
   • LR“had been trailing me around the Grab app” — 'Trailing' is a genuinely less common, almost predatory word choice for describing a persistent ad, more vivid than the plainer 'following' a lower band would use. It adds a slightly idiomatic, image-rich quality to the sentence.
   • GRA“Advertising rarely reshapes what we want; it just quietly decides which version of it we reach for.” — The semicolon links two tightly related but contrasting clauses into one compact, balanced sentence, a flexible structure that avoids the repetition of a subject across two separate sentences. This kind of economical joining is characteristic of the grammatical control expected at 7.5.

6. 6. Is it hard to make decisions because there is too much information on the internet?

   May–Aug 2026
   Compare Band 6.5 / 7.0 / 7.5 for this question

   Band 6.5

   Short sentences joined with 'but' and 'so' give a direct opinion, one personal example, and one simple takeaway, using plain, common vocabulary throughout.

   Yes, but I think the real problem is not the amount of information, it is that a lot of it is trying to sell you something. I spent three evenings reading reviews before buying a new monitor for work, and the hard part was not reading, it was finding out which reviews were honest. Too much information usually makes decisions slower, but it does not really make them better after a certain point. People who are good at deciding often set a limit first, like reading only two sources in one evening. So the internet makes decisions harder mainly for people who think more research is always better.

   Why this band

   • FC“So the internet makes decisions harder mainly for people who think more research is always better.” — The conclusion is signalled with the plain connector 'So', stated as a fresh, separate sentence. A band 7 answer would more likely end on a slightly softened version of the same idea using a tag like 'to be fair', showing more natural spoken concession.
   • LR“the hard part was not reading, it was finding out which reviews were honest” — The vocabulary here is direct and simple. A higher band answer would likely phrase the same contrast more precisely, for instance 'what actually took the time... was working out which reviews were honest', showing more careful word choice.
   • GRA“I spent three evenings reading reviews before buying a new monitor for work, and the hard part was not reading, it was finding out which reviews were honest.” — This sentence joins two ideas with 'and', followed by a simple contrast built from two short clauses. A 7.5 answer would likely compress the contrast using 'but' plus a fronted phrase, such as 'what ate the time wasn't X but Y', for a tighter structure.

   Band 7.0

   The spoken opener 'Yes, but honestly I'd say' and the closing tag 'which, to be fair, is most of us' frame this as natural reflective speech, while the sentence about deciding well links three short steps with commas, showing more range than a 6.5 answer's plain sentences.

   Yes, but honestly I'd say the problem isn't really the amount, it's that most of it is trying to sell you something. I spent three evenings reading monitor reviews before buying one for design work, and what actually took the time wasn't the reading, it was working out which reviews were honest. Too much information mainly delays decisions rather than improving them past a certain point. The people I know who decide well tend to set a limit in advance, like two sources and one evening, then just choose. So the internet only makes decisions harder for people who treat more research as automatically better, which, to be fair, is most of us.

   Why this band

   • FC“which, to be fair, is most of us” — This trailing tag softens the final claim by including the speaker in the criticism, a natural concessive habit typical of band 7 fluency. A 6.5 answer would more likely leave this out and end on a flatter, more absolute statement.
   • LR“working out which reviews were honest” — 'Working out' is a natural, moderately idiomatic phrasal verb rather than the more basic 'finding out' a 6.5 answer might use. It shows developing range without being a genuinely rare or literary word choice.
   • GRA“The people I know who decide well tend to set a limit in advance, like two sources and one evening, then just choose.” — This sentence embeds a relative clause and a listed example inside one flowing structure, going beyond the short separate sentences of a 6.5 response. It falls short of the dash-set apposition a 7.5 answer would likely use for the same list.

   Band 7.5

   The dash-set list 'two sources, one evening, then choose' and the closing concessive tag give this answer compact, idiomatic phrasing, reinforced by the vivid verb 'ate' describing how the reviews consumed time.

   Yes, though I'd argue the problem isn't the sheer amount, it's that most of it is trying to sell you something. I spent three evenings comparing monitor reviews before buying one for design work, and what ate the time wasn't the reading itself but working out which reviews were actually honest. Beyond a certain point, too much information mainly delays a decision rather than improving it. The people I know who decide well tend to set a limit in advance — two sources, one evening, then choose — rather than chasing certainty that never quite arrives. So the internet only makes decisions harder for those who treat more research as inherently better, which, to be fair, describes most of us.

   Why this band

   • FC“rather than chasing certainty that never quite arrives” — This trailing clause adds a reflective, almost philosophical observation on top of the practical point just made, which is the kind of evaluative extension typical of the top band. A 6.5 or 7.0 answer would be more likely to stop the sentence without this extra layer of comment.
   • LR“what ate the time wasn't the reading itself” — Using 'ate' figuratively to describe time being consumed is a genuinely less common, vivid word choice compared to the more predictable 'took' that a lower band would use. It gives the sentence a slightly idiomatic, conversational edge.
   • GRA“two sources, one evening, then choose — rather than chasing certainty that never quite arrives” — The dash sets off a compressed, verbless list of steps before pivoting into a contrastive clause, avoiding the need for a full second sentence. This kind of flexible, economical punctuation-based structure is characteristic of the grammatical control expected at 7.5.

7. 7. How much influence do other young people have on the decisions teenagers make?

   May–Aug 2026
   Compare Band 6.5 / 7.0 / 7.5 for this question

   Band 6.5

   This answer relies on plain connectors like 'because' and 'so' to link the personal example to a general claim, using everyday vocabulary such as 'very strong influence' and 'big decisions'.

   I think other young people have a very strong influence, especially on things other people can see. My cousin Nam is sixteen, and he stopped playing football, which he was good at, because his friends started skateboarding instead, and within a month he had changed completely. At that age, belonging to a group feels very important, so friends influence clothes, music, hobbies, and sometimes riskier things more than parents do. Parents are still more important for big decisions like university, because friends usually do not know much more than the teenager does. I think parents should try to make sure their child has good friends, instead of fighting against their influence.

   Why this band

   • FC“At that age, belonging to a group feels very important, so friends influence clothes, music, hobbies, and sometimes riskier things more than parents do.” — The link between the observation and the list of examples is made with the plain connector 'so', stated directly. A band 7 answer would likely phrase the cause more idiomatically, such as 'belonging feels almost like survival', before drawing the same conclusion.
   • LR“he had changed completely” — This is very general, everyday phrasing. A higher band answer would likely describe the same change more vividly and specifically, for instance saying an identity 'reshuffled' or 'shifted along with' the friend group, rather than the vague 'changed completely'.
   • GRA“My cousin Nam is sixteen, and he stopped playing football, which he was good at, because his friends started skateboarding instead, and within a month he had changed completely.” — This long sentence strings four clauses together using 'and' and 'because' repeatedly, which is accurate but repetitive. A 7.5 answer would likely use an apposition, such as 'sixteen and genuinely talented at football', to compress some of this information instead of adding another full clause.

   Band 7.0

   The reflective opener 'Honestly, I'd say' and the dash-set aside show more natural spoken structure than a 6.5 answer's plain statements, while the phrase 'belonging feels almost like survival' adds a touch of figurative vocabulary.

   Honestly, I'd say it's enormous, especially on anything visible. My cousin Nam, who's sixteen, gave up football — a sport he was genuinely good at — because his group of friends got into skateboarding, and within a month his whole identity had shifted along with them. At that age, belonging feels almost like survival, so peer influence tends to beat parental influence on clothes, music, hobbies and, worryingly, riskier things too. Where parents still win out is on longer-term decisions like university, mostly because friends have no more idea than the teenager does. I think the healthiest thing adults can do is make sure the peer group is a good one, rather than trying to fight its influence directly.

   Why this band

   • FC“Where parents still win out is on longer-term decisions like university” — This fronted structure signals a shift to the counter-point in a slightly more sophisticated way than simply starting a new sentence with 'But'. A 6.5 answer would more likely just say 'Parents are still more important for big decisions like university' as a plain, separate statement.
   • LR“belonging feels almost like survival” — This is a moderately vivid, figurative comparison rather than plain description, showing some lexical reach beyond basic vocabulary. It's less startling than a genuinely rare word but goes further than the flat 'belonging to a group feels very important' a 6.5 answer uses.
   • GRA“My cousin Nam, who's sixteen, gave up football — a sport he was genuinely good at — because his group of friends got into skateboarding, and within a month his whole identity had shifted along with them.” — The dash-set aside inserts extra information about the football skill without starting a new clause, showing more flexible sentence-building than a 6.5 answer's chain of clauses. It stops short of folding the biographical detail directly into an apposition the way a 7.5 answer does.

   Band 7.5

   The compact apposition 'sixteen and genuinely talented at football' and the vivid participial phrase 'his whole identity reshuffling itself' replace a full extra clause with compressed grammar, while 'eclipse' and 'hold sway' offer genuinely less common vocabulary for influence.

   Enormous, I'd say, especially on anything visible. My cousin Nam, sixteen and genuinely talented at football, dropped the sport within a month of his friend group discovering skateboarding, his whole identity reshuffling itself to match theirs almost overnight. At that age, belonging feels like survival, so peer influence tends to eclipse parental influence on clothes, music, hobbies and, worryingly, riskier behaviour too. Where parents still hold sway is on long-horizon decisions like university, largely because friends know no more about that than the teenager does. The healthiest move adults can make, I think, is curating a good peer group rather than fighting its pull head-on.

   Why this band

   • FC“The healthiest move adults can make, I think, is curating a good peer group rather than fighting its pull head-on.” — This closing sentence delivers a considered, generalised recommendation with the aside 'I think' folded naturally into the middle of the clause rather than tacked onto the front. A 6.5 or 7.0 answer would more likely place 'I think' at the very start as a simple, separate opener.
   • LR“peer influence tends to eclipse parental influence” — 'Eclipse' is a genuinely less common, vivid word for describing one influence overtaking another, well beyond the plain 'beat' or 'is stronger than' that a lower band would default to. It's a precise, slightly literary choice that fits the abstract comparison being made.
   • GRA“his whole identity reshuffling itself to match theirs almost overnight” — This participial phrase attaches directly to the previous clause without a connecting word, compressing what a lower band would likely express as a separate sentence with 'and'. This kind of absolute/participial construction is a hallmark of the flexible grammar expected at 7.5.

8. 8. What kinds of important decisions do young people have to make?

   May–Aug 2026
   Compare Band 6.5 / 7.0 / 7.5 for this question

   Band 6.5

   This answer lists points with the plain connectors 'but' and 'or' and states each idea as its own short sentence, using everyday vocabulary such as 'hardest one' and 'take a loan'.

   The classic decisions are still there, like what to study, which job to choose, and whether to stay or move away. But I think the hardest one now is about location. Some of my friends are deciding whether to work abroad, in Japan or Australia, or stay in Vietnam near their family, and our parents did not usually have this choice. Young people also have to decide things earlier now, like what to share online, because it stays there forever, or whether to take a loan for education. There is also a quieter decision about what kind of adult to become, which used to be decided by the community but is now left to each person.

   Why this band

   • FC“But I think the hardest one now is about location.” — This shift to the main point is made with the basic connector 'But' at the start of a fresh, short sentence. A band 7 answer would more likely weave the same shift into a longer sentence with a marker like 'honestly, I think', showing smoother idea progression.
   • LR“because it stays there forever” — This is simple, literal phrasing. A higher band answer would likely use a more precise or slightly abstract word here, such as 'permanent', instead of the plainer 'stays there forever'.
   • GRA“Some of my friends are deciding whether to work abroad, in Japan or Australia, or stay in Vietnam near their family, and our parents did not usually have this choice.” — This sentence joins the example and the contrast with 'and', a straightforward additive structure. A 7.5 answer would likely turn the second half into an appositive noun phrase instead, avoiding the extra 'and' clause.

   Band 7.0

   The reflective aside 'honestly, I think' and the connector 'On top of that' give this answer a natural spoken structure beyond a 6.5 response's plain listing, while the relative clause shows more grammatical range.

   The classic ones are still around — what to study, which career, whether to stay or move — but honestly, I think the geography question has become the hardest. Several of my friends are currently deciding whether to work abroad, in Japan or Australia, or stay in Vietnam near family, which is a decision our parents' generation mostly never had to make. On top of that, young people now have to decide things earlier, like what to share online, which becomes permanent, or whether to take on debt for education. And there's the quieter decision of what kind of adult to be, which used to be answered by the community and is now left up to each person.

   Why this band

   • FC“On top of that, young people now have to decide things earlier” — This phrase signals the addition of a new category of point in a more natural, spoken way than a bare 'Also' or 'And'. A 6.5 answer would more likely just start the next sentence with 'Young people also have to decide things earlier now'.
   • LR“our parents' generation mostly never had to make” — Referring to 'our parents' generation' rather than simply 'our parents' shows a slightly more precise, sociological way of framing the comparison. It is a modest step up in register from the plainer phrasing a 6.5 answer tends to use.
   • GRA“which is a decision our parents' generation mostly never had to make” — This relative clause attaches an evaluative comment directly onto the previous statement without starting a new sentence, showing more complex sentence-building than the short, separate sentences of a 6.5 response. It is not yet as compressed as the appositive noun phrase a 7.5 answer would use for the same idea.

   Band 7.5

   The appositive phrase 'a choice our parents' generation mostly never had to face' replaces a full relative clause with compressed grammar, and the closing balanced phrase gives the answer a precise, evaluative finish.

   The classic decisions are still there — what to study, which career, whether to stay or move — but the geography question, I'd argue, has become the hardest one of all. Several of my friends are currently weighing up working abroad, in Japan or Australia, against staying in Vietnam near family, a choice our parents' generation mostly never had to face. Alongside that, young people now settle things earlier than they used to: what to share online, which becomes essentially permanent, and whether to take on debt for an education. And then there's the quieter question of what kind of adult to become, once answered by the community and now left entirely to the individual, which is freeing and exhausting in roughly equal measure.

   Why this band

   • FC“which is freeing and exhausting in roughly equal measure” — This closing phrase draws two contrasting emotional consequences together into one balanced judgement, rounding off the whole answer with a reflective observation. A 6.5 or 7.0 answer would be more likely to end the point on a single, simpler emotional word rather than this paired contrast.
   • LR“young people now settle things earlier than they used to” — 'Settle things' is a moderately idiomatic way of saying 'decide things', giving the sentence a slightly more natural, native-like rhythm than the plainer phrasing a lower band would use. It reads as more compact and less literal.
   • GRA“a choice our parents' generation mostly never had to face” — This appositive noun phrase attaches directly to the previous clause without any connecting word, compressing information a lower band would likely express as a separate 'and' clause or relative clause. This kind of noun-phrase apposition is characteristic of the flexible, economical grammar expected at 7.5.

9. 9. Is it necessary to allow children of any age to make some decisions themselves?

   May–Aug 2026
   Compare Band 6.5 / 7.0 / 7.5 for this question

   Band 6.5

   Short sentences linked with 'but' and 'so' state a direct opinion, a personal example (Vy), and a simple rule about matching decisions to age, using plain vocabulary like 'strange' and 'big decisions'.

   Yes, but the decisions need to match the child's age. My sister Vy started choosing her own clothes at four years old, and the outfits were often strange, but I think that is why she is so confident now, because she was trusted to decide something every day. Children who never get to choose anything will have to make big decisions at eighteen with no practice. So the decisions should be small, like what to wear, which book to read, or how to spend pocket money. But letting a six-year-old decide whether to go to school is not respect, it is just not doing your job as a parent. Still, some real choice every day is necessary.

   Why this band

   • FC“So the decisions should be small, like what to wear, which book to read, or how to spend pocket money.” — The rule is introduced with the plain connector 'So' as a fresh, separate sentence listing examples with 'like'. A band 7 answer would more likely fold this into ongoing reflection with a phrase such as 'The trick is keeping the stakes low', showing a smoother, less mechanical transition.
   • LR“the outfits were often strange” — 'Strange' is a very common, general adjective. A higher band answer would likely choose a more vivid or precise word for the same idea, such as 'ridiculous', which carries a stronger, more specific connotation.
   • GRA“Children who never get to choose anything will have to make big decisions at eighteen with no practice.” — This is a single, grammatically simple sentence with one subordinate clause. A 7.5 answer would likely turn this into a more dramatic conditional structure, such as 'Deprive children of any say at all, and...', for a more flexible, spoken-sounding effect.

   Band 7.0

   The opener 'Yes, honestly' and the aside 'I'm convinced that's actually where' add natural spoken reflection beyond a 6.5 answer's flat statements, while the dash before the ownership claim shows a more flexible way of adding emphasis.

   Yes, honestly, as long as the decisions match the child's age. My sister Vy was choosing her own clothes at four, and the results were often ridiculous, but I'm convinced that's actually where her stubborn confidence comes from — she's been trusted with a decision every single day of her life. Children who are never allowed to decide anything tend to arrive at eighteen having to make huge choices with basically zero practice. The trick is keeping the stakes low: what to wear, which book, how to spend pocket money. Letting a six-year-old decide whether to go to school isn't exactly respect, though, it's more like abandoning the job. But some genuine choice, every day, does seem necessary.

   Why this band

   • FC“Letting a six-year-old decide whether to go to school isn't exactly respect, though, it's more like abandoning the job.” — The trailing 'though' softens the contrast slightly while still making a firm point, a natural spoken habit of qualifying a strong claim mid-sentence. A 6.5 answer would more likely state this as a flatter, separate sentence without the softening tag.
   • LR“that's actually where her stubborn confidence comes from” — 'Stubborn confidence' pairs an unexpected, slightly negative word with a positive one, giving a more nuanced character description than a simple word like 'confident' alone. This is a moderately more sophisticated lexical choice than a 6.5 answer's plainer descriptions.
   • GRA“Children who are never allowed to decide anything tend to arrive at eighteen having to make huge choices with basically zero practice.” — The participial phrase 'having to make huge choices' is attached without a separate connecting clause, showing slightly more complex sentence-building than a 6.5 response's more basic subordinate clause. It doesn't yet reach the fully compressed imperative-conditional structure that a 7.5 answer uses for the same idea.

   Band 7.5

   The imperative-conditional opener 'Deprive children of any say at all, and they arrive at eighteen...' and the closing balanced phrase show the compressed, flexible grammar typical of band 7.5, alongside the idiomatic aside 'results be damned'.

   Yes, provided the decisions are scaled to the child's age. My sister Vy was choosing her own clothes at four, results be damned, and I'm convinced that's precisely where her stubborn confidence comes from — she's been trusted with a real decision every single day of her life. Deprive children of any say at all, and they arrive at eighteen having to make enormous choices with zero practice behind them. The trick lies in keeping the stakes low: what to wear, which book, how to spend pocket money. Letting a six-year-old decide whether to go to school isn't respect, though, it's abdicating the job of parenting. But some genuine choice, exercised daily, seems less a luxury than a necessity.

   Why this band

   • FC“But some genuine choice, exercised daily, seems less a luxury than a necessity.” — This closing sentence rounds off the whole answer with a compact, balanced contrast, giving a polished final judgement rather than simply restating the opinion. A 6.5 or 7.0 answer would more likely end with a plainer statement like 'some real choice every day is necessary'.
   • LR“it's abdicating the job of parenting” — 'Abdicating' is a genuinely less common, more formal word than 'abandoning', typically associated with giving up a position of responsibility, which fits precisely with the point about parental duty. It is a more sophisticated lexical choice than the more general verb a lower band would default to.
   • GRA“Deprive children of any say at all, and they arrive at eighteen having to make enormous choices with zero practice behind them.” — This imperative-plus-conditional structure replaces a more conventional relative clause with a punchier, more flexible construction. This kind of grammatical risk-taking for stylistic effect is characteristic of the range expected at 7.5.