A Time You Made an Important Decision and Were Pleased With the 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 small decisions do people need to make in their everyday lives?

   Sep–Dec 2026
   Compare Band 6.5 / 7.0 / 7.5 for this question

   Band 6.5

   This 6.5 answer stays at band level through short, plainly connected sentences and the basic linker "So I think routines are useful, because", rather than any more complex construction.

   People make many small decisions every day. In my morning, I decide what to wear, whether to swim or sleep more, and which route to take to work. I also decide what to eat and how to reply to messages. These choices feel small, but there are so many of them that they can be tiring. So I think routines are useful, because they turn small decisions into habits and save energy for bigger choices.

   Why this band

   • FC“So I think routines are useful, because” — The simple linking word "so" gives a direct, mechanical connection between the example and the conclusion. A higher band would vary cohesion with a phrase like "that's why" or fold the reasoning into a single flowing sentence instead of starting a new one with "so".
   • LR“small decisions” — This phrase is lifted straight from the question, showing limited paraphrase. Higher bands would substitute synonyms like "minor choices" or "everyday calls" to demonstrate lexical range.
   • GRA“These choices feel small, but there are so many of them that they can be tiring.” — A single compound-complex sentence, but built from simple clauses joined mechanically with "but" and "that". A 7.5 answer would compress this into a participial or fronted structure for more flexibility.

   Band 7.0

   The spoken hedge "Honestly, people make dozens" and the correlative "until you're tired, and then suddenly they all do" mark this as a 7.0 answer, reflective but still built from fairly linear sentences.

   Honestly, people make dozens of small decisions before they even leave the house. My own mornings involve deciding what to wear, whether to swim or sleep a bit longer, which route to take, and whether the rain radar means I should leave now. Then there's what to eat, what to reply to first, and whether coffee happens at the café or the studio. I'd say none of these feel like real decisions until you're tired, and then suddenly they all do. That's why I think having a routine matters, because it turns these small choices into habits and saves your energy for the ones that actually count.

   Why this band

   • FC“Honestly, people make dozens” — The hedge "Honestly" opens the answer with a natural spoken register, a feature rare at 6.5. Still, the paragraph relies on straightforward chronological listing rather than the tighter, woven cohesion of a 7.5 response.
   • LR“whether the rain radar means I should leave now” — This shows more precise, personalised vocabulary than a generic "what to wear" list alone would. A 7.5 band would push further into idiomatic compactness, e.g. "the rain radar says go".
   • GRA“I'd say none of these feel like real decisions until you're tired, and then suddenly they all do” — This correlative structure ("until... then") shows more grammatical range than plain simple sentences, though it still uses two independent clauses joined by "and" rather than a subordinated or fronted structure.

   Band 7.5

   The cleft structure "What routines do, I think, is convert small decisions into habits" and the image "stitched together from small choices" push this into 7.5 territory through compact, idiomatic phrasing.

   Dozens of decisions get made before breakfast, most of them invisible until fatigue makes them loud. My own mornings are stitched together from small choices — what to wear, whether to swim or sleep in, which route beats the traffic, whether the rain radar means leaving now, and whether coffee happens at the café or the studio. People decide what to eat, what to spend, whether to say something or quietly let it go. Parents, meanwhile, are making these calls for two people at once. What routines do, I think, is convert small decisions into habits, freeing up mental energy for the choices that genuinely matter. A day with absolutely no routine is a day built from a thousand tiny choices, and that is simply exhausting.

   Why this band

   • FC“most of them invisible until fatigue makes them loud” — This participial phrase folds a whole extra idea into the opening sentence rather than starting a new one, giving tighter cohesion than a more sequential listing would.
   • LR“stitched together from small choices” — The metaphor "stitched together" is genuinely idiomatic and precise, well beyond the plain "involve deciding" of a lower band; a 6.5 answer would use no figurative language at all here.
   • GRA“What routines do, I think, is convert small decisions into habits, freeing up mental energy” — A fronted "what...is" cleft structure plus a participial clause ("freeing up") shows flexible, exam-topping grammar; a 6.5 response would instead write two short separate sentences joined by "so".

2. 2. What important decisions do people make at different stages of their lives?

   Sep–Dec 2026
   Compare Band 6.5 / 7.0 / 7.5 for this question

   Band 6.5

   Simple listing punctuated by the plain connector "So early decisions are about study and work" keeps this answer at 6.5, with ideas presented one after another rather than fused.

   People make different important decisions as they get older. My sister chose her subject to study at eighteen, then chose a city to work in at twenty-two, and got married at twenty-seven. Later she decided to have children. Now, at thirty-eight, she is deciding whether to move back to Hue to be near our parents. So early decisions are about study and work, and later ones are about family and taking care of parents.

   Why this band

   • FC“So early decisions are about study and work, and later ones are about family and taking care of parents.” — The summary sentence is tacked on at the end with the basic connector "so", giving a listed rather than integrated structure. A 7.5 response would weave this generalisation earlier and link it more tightly to the example with a dash or colon.
   • LR“important decisions” — This phrase simply repeats the question wording without paraphrase. Higher bands substitute terms like "life-stage choices" or "major turning points" to show lexical flexibility.
   • GRA“Later she decided to have children.” — A short, simple past-tense sentence typical of 6.5 control. A higher band would fold this into a longer list using a colon or dash, as the 7.5 answer does with "which subject... whom to marry... when to have children".

   Band 7.0

   The hedge "To be fair, there's also a quieter decision" and the colon-led list in "Take my sister: she chose which subject..." show the more natural, reflective register typical of 7.0.

   I'd say important decisions tend to come in a sequence, and each one narrows the next. Take my sister: she chose which subject to study at eighteen, which city to work in at twenty-two, and who to marry at twenty-seven, and now, at thirty-eight, she's deciding whether to move back to Hue to be near our ageing parents. Early decisions are usually about direction, like education and career, while later ones are more about commitment, such as a partner or a family. To be fair, there's also a quieter decision running through all of it, which is what to say no to.

   Why this band

   • FC“To be fair, there's also a quieter decision running through all of it” — The hedge "to be fair" signals a spoken, reflective tone that lower bands lack, though the idea is still added on as an afterthought rather than being woven through the whole answer as tightly as a 7.5 version would.
   • LR“narrows the next” — "Narrows" is a more precise, slightly abstract verb choice than a plain "chose" would be; it shows developing lexical control without yet reaching the more idiomatic density of a 7.5 answer.
   • GRA“Take my sister: she chose which subject to study at eighteen, which city to work in at twenty-two, and who to marry at twenty-seven” — The imperative opener "Take my sister" plus a colon shows some structural variety beyond simple sentences, though the list itself is still joined with plain "and" rather than a more compact dash construction.

   Band 7.5

   Ellipsis after the colon in "Middle-life ones are about commitment: a partner, children, perhaps a business" and the participial "each choice closing some doors while opening others" mark the compact, flexible grammar of 7.5.

   Important decisions arrive in a sequence, and each one quietly narrows the next. My sister's went like this: which subject to study at eighteen, which city to work in at twenty-two, whom to marry at twenty-seven, when to have children, and now, at thirty-eight, whether to move back to Hue as our parents age — each choice closing some doors while opening others. Early decisions tend to be about direction: education, career, where to live. Middle-life ones are about commitment: a partner, children, perhaps a business. Later ones shift toward care and letting go, including retirement and health. And running beneath every stage is the quieter decision of what to say no to, something people rarely count as a decision at all.

   Why this band

   • FC“each choice closing some doors while opening others” — This participial phrase is appended directly onto the long list without a new sentence, achieving denser cohesion than a separate "and now" clause would give.
   • LR“shift toward care and letting go” — "Shift toward" paired with "care and letting go" is vivid, near-idiomatic phrasing that a lower band would render more plainly as "decide about retirement"; it shows precise, topic-specific vocabulary.
   • GRA“Middle-life ones are about commitment: a partner, children, perhaps a business.” — The colon-plus-noun-phrase-list construction, with the verb dropped after the colon, is a compact, flexible structure that avoids the repetitive "she chose... she chose" pattern of lower bands and marks high-band grammatical control.

3. 3. Why do people sometimes ask for advice when making important decisions?

   Sep–Dec 2026
   Compare Band 6.5 / 7.0 / 7.5 for this question

   Band 6.5

   The flat opener "People ask for advice for different reasons" and the simple "so" clause at the end keep this response at 6.5, with each point stated separately.

   People ask for advice for different reasons. Before I voted on a gambling client, I called my old studio director, not because I needed her opinion, but because I wanted to think out loud with someone. People also ask for advice because other people have more experience, like someone who has changed jobs before. Some people just want someone to share the responsibility with, so if it goes wrong, it isn't only their fault.

   Why this band

   • FC“People ask for advice for different reasons.” — This generic topic sentence simply restates the question and adds little forward momentum. A 7.5 answer opens instead with a specific claim that immediately signals a position, rather than a restatement.
   • LR“not because I needed her opinion, but because I wanted to think out loud” — "Think out loud" is a reasonable everyday phrase but used plainly with no further development. Higher bands extend it into a fuller image like "thinking with a witness" for more precision.
   • GRA“Some people just want someone to share the responsibility with, so if it goes wrong, it isn't only their fault.” — Two clauses joined with the basic connector "so" show adequate but simple control. A 7.5 response would use a participial or reduced clause to compress the same idea more elegantly.

   Band 7.0

   The hedge "Honestly, I don't think people always want an actual answer" and the balanced "wasn't her opinion but a chance to think out loud" structure are typical 7.0 features, more natural than 6.5 but not yet fully compact.

   Honestly, I don't think people always want an actual answer when they ask for advice. Before the vote on a gambling client, I called my old studio director, and what I really needed wasn't her opinion but a chance to think out loud with someone who would push back a little. People also ask because someone else has already been through the same thing, like a career change, and that experience is hard to get just by thinking alone. I'd say some people are also hoping to share the responsibility, so a bad result isn't entirely theirs to carry.

   Why this band

   • FC“Honestly, I don't think people always want an actual answer” — The hedge "Honestly" and the personal stance "I don't think" create a more natural spoken register than a flat topic sentence, though the paragraph still moves through ideas in a fairly linear list.
   • LR“someone who would push back a little” — "Push back" is an idiomatic, precise collocation for the topic; it is slightly less developed than a fuller version folded into a longer sentence, as a 7.5 answer would do.
   • GRA“what I really needed wasn't her opinion but a chance to think out loud with someone who would push back a little” — The "wasn't X but Y" contrastive structure shows good control of balanced grammar; a 6.5 answer would likely split this into two shorter, separate sentences instead.

   Band 7.5

   The appositive "advice, in that sense, is a way of thinking with a witness" and the idiomatic "knows things no amount of solitary thinking supplies" give this answer its 7.5 precision and cohesion.

   Often it isn't the answer people are really after. Before the vote on a gambling client, I called my old studio director, and what I needed wasn't her opinion so much as a chance to hear my own reasoning spoken aloud to someone willing to push back — advice, in that sense, is a way of thinking with a witness. People also ask because others have lived through it, and someone who has changed careers or raised children simply knows things no amount of solitary thinking supplies. Some are quietly hoping for permission to do what they've already decided, while others genuinely don't know, and a second mind catches what theirs has missed.

   Why this band

   • FC“advice, in that sense, is a way of thinking with a witness” — The appositive "in that sense" ties the abstract claim directly back to the concrete anecdote just given, creating tighter cohesion than a more sequential "I'd say some people are also..." transition.
   • LR“knows things no amount of solitary thinking supplies” — This is a genuinely idiomatic, compact way of expressing a common idea, more precise than a plainer "that experience is hard to get just by thinking alone".
   • GRA“what I needed wasn't her opinion so much as a chance to hear my own reasoning spoken aloud to someone willing to push back” — The "not X so much as Y" construction plus an embedded passive participial ("reasoning spoken aloud") shows flexible, exam-topping grammar rarely attempted at lower bands, which tend to keep clauses short and separate.

4. 4. Is it better for people to make decisions quickly or slowly?

   Sep–Dec 2026
   Compare Band 6.5 / 7.0 / 7.5 for this question

   Band 6.5

   This answer sticks to short, separately stated sentences, closing with the basic connector in "So people should not waste time deciding things that do not really matter," which is characteristic of 6.5.

   I think it depends on the decision. I took a month to decide about the gambling client because it was a big decision, but I decided to hire Linh in only five seconds after her interview, and both were right. Slow decisions are better for big things like marriage or buying a house. Quick decisions are fine for small things that can be changed later. So people should not waste time deciding things that do not really matter.

   Why this band

   • FC“So people should not waste time deciding things that do not really matter.” — The closing generalisation is bolted on with "so" as a separate short sentence. A 7.5 answer integrates the same idea into a longer sentence with a connecting clause rather than stopping and restarting.
   • LR“Slow decisions are better for big things like marriage or buying a house.” — "Big things" is vague, everyday vocabulary. Higher bands replace it with more precise, topic-specific terms such as "irreversible and expensive" choices.
   • GRA“I took a month to decide about the gambling client because it was a big decision, but I decided to hire Linh in only five seconds after her interview, and both were right.” — This long sentence strings three clauses together with "but" and "and" in a fairly mechanical way. A 7.5 response achieves the same content with a dash and tighter subordination for more variety.

   Band 7.0

   The hedge "Honestly, I'd say it depends on whether the decision can be reversed" and the noun clause "when a slow decision is actually just avoidance" reflect the more reflective, moderately complex style of 7.0.

   Honestly, I'd say it depends on whether the decision can be reversed. I spent a whole month deciding about the gambling client, because the effects would last for years, but I hired Linh in about five seconds at the end of her interview, and both decisions turned out fine. Slow decisions suit things that are expensive or irreversible, like a marriage or a business direction, while quick ones suit almost everything else, since most choices can be corrected later. I think the real problem is when a slow decision is actually just avoidance, and the delay becomes the decision itself.

   Why this band

   • FC“Honestly, I'd say it depends on whether the decision can be reversed.” — The hedge "Honestly, I'd say" softens the claim in a natural spoken way, an improvement on a flatter "I think it depends" opener, though the rest of the answer still moves fairly sequentially rather than looping back to the opening claim.
   • LR“Slow decisions suit things that are expensive or irreversible” — "Suit" is a nicely precise verb choice here, more developed than a plain "are better for"; it stops just short of the fuller idiomatic phrasing used at 7.5.
   • GRA“I think the real problem is when a slow decision is actually just avoidance, and the delay becomes the decision itself” — The noun clause after "is" shows reasonable complexity, though joining the final idea with "and" is simpler than a fronted "What's worst... is" cleft structure.

   Band 7.5

   The dash-linked contrast "at the end of her interview — and both turned out right" and the fronted cleft "What's worst, I think, is the slow decision that's really just avoidance in disguise" mark this as 7.5.

   It really depends on whether the decision can be undone. I took a month over the gambling client, since the consequences would last years, yet I hired Linh in five seconds flat at the end of her interview — and both turned out right. Slow decisions suit the irreversible and the expensive: a marriage, a house, a business direction. Quick ones suit almost everything else, which is most things, and people waste huge amounts of energy agonising over choices that barely matter. Speed even has a hidden benefit, giving you time left over to learn from the result. What's worst, I think, is the slow decision that's really just avoidance in disguise, where the delay becomes the choice.

   Why this band

   • FC“yet I hired Linh in five seconds flat at the end of her interview — and both turned out right” — The dash lets the second half of the contrast land as a punchy aside rather than a new sentence, giving tighter, more spoken-sounding cohesion than a plain "but" clause would.
   • LR“people waste huge amounts of energy agonising over choices that barely matter” — "Agonising over" is a vivid, precise collocation well beyond a flat "waste time deciding"; it captures the emotional texture of the idea, not just the fact of it.
   • GRA“What's worst, I think, is the slow decision that's really just avoidance in disguise, where the delay becomes the choice.” — The fronted cleft "What's worst... is" plus an embedded relative clause demonstrates flexible, high-band syntax; a 6.5 answer would simply state this as two short separate sentences.

5. 5. Is it possible for a large group of people to reach a good decision?

   Sep–Dec 2026
   Compare Band 6.5 / 7.0 / 7.5 for this question

   Band 6.5

   The plain summary sentence "So large groups can be good at decisions, but without a clear process, they usually fail" is typical of 6.5, restating the point rather than developing it further.

   Yes, I think it is possible, but only if there is a clear process. Eleven people at my studio made a difficult decision in just one meeting, because someone asked the question clearly, everyone spoke, and then we voted. But sixty people in my street's group chat took a whole month to choose a paint colour, and in the end one person just decided anyway. So large groups can be good at decisions, but without a clear process, they usually fail.

   Why this band

   • FC“So large groups can be good at decisions, but without a clear process, they usually fail.” — This closing sentence restates the point already made rather than adding anything new, a pattern typical of lower-band conclusions. A 7.5 answer would close with a more specific, forward-moving condition instead.
   • LR“made a difficult decision” — This is plain, general vocabulary. Higher bands substitute a more evaluative phrase such as "reached a hard, good decision", combining precision with judgement in fewer words.
   • GRA“because someone asked the question clearly, everyone spoke, and then we voted” — A simple three-item list joined with commas and "and" shows adequate coordination. A 7.5 band achieves the same content but links it with a semicolon to a contrasting clause, producing a more complex single sentence.

   Band 7.0

   The hedge "To be fair, large groups often know more between them than any one person does" and the more precise term "what they lack is coherence" show 7.0's developing reflection and vocabulary.

   I'd say yes, but structure makes all the difference. Eleven people at my studio reached a difficult, good decision in a single meeting, because someone framed the question clearly, everyone spoke once, and then there was a vote. On the other hand, sixty people in my alley's group chat spent a whole month failing to choose a paint colour, and eventually let one person decide anyway. To be fair, large groups often know more between them than any one person does, but what they lack is coherence, so without a clear process, the loudest voices tend to win.

   Why this band

   • FC“To be fair, large groups often know more between them than any one person does” — The hedge "To be fair" signals balanced, natural reasoning that lower bands lack, though the sentence is still linked to the rest with the simple connector "so" rather than the semicolon-based contrast used at 7.5.
   • LR“what they lack is coherence” — "Coherence" is precise, slightly abstract vocabulary appropriate to the topic, a step up from a vaguer "fail"; this phrase already sits near top-band level.
   • GRA“On the other hand, sixty people in my alley's group chat spent a whole month failing to choose a paint colour, and eventually let one person decide anyway.” — This sentence relies on "on the other hand" plus "and" to link ideas, a workable but fairly linear structure. A 7.5 version instead uses a semicolon to fuse two contrasting examples into one sentence, which is more compact.

   Band 7.5

   The fragment opener "Yes, with structure, and badly without it" and the long semicolon-joined sentence contrasting the two meetings show the compact, confident grammar of 7.5.

   Yes, with structure, and badly without it. Eleven people at my studio reached a hard, good decision in a single meeting, because someone framed the question, everyone spoke once, and a vote followed; sixty people in my alley's group chat, by contrast, took a month to choose a paint colour and then let one person decide anyway. Large groups genuinely hold more knowledge and more perspectives than any individual, so on questions of fact or of what people actually want, they can be wiser than experts. What they lack is coherence — without a process, the loudest voices win, discussion loops endlessly, and responsibility quietly dissolves. So large groups reach good decisions when the question is clear, the process is fair, and someone is willing to end it.

   Why this band

   • FC“Yes, with structure, and badly without it.” — This clipped opening fragment immediately states the whole argument in miniature, a confident, economical move well beyond a fuller but more conventional opening sentence.
   • LR“the loudest voices win, discussion loops endlessly, and responsibility quietly dissolves” — The triad of vivid verbs paints a precise picture of dysfunction, considerably more evocative than a flatter "the loudest voices tend to win".
   • GRA“Eleven people at my studio reached a hard, good decision in a single meeting, because someone framed the question, everyone spoke once, and a vote followed; sixty people in my alley's group chat, by contrast, took a month to choose a paint colour and then let one person decide anyway.” — The semicolon fuses two parallel, contrasting examples into a single long sentence, a mark of genuine control over complex punctuation that lower bands avoid by keeping such examples in separate sentences.

6. 6. Are the best decisions based on logic, not emotion?

   Sep–Dec 2026
   Compare Band 6.5 / 7.0 / 7.5 for this question

   Band 6.5

   Short, separately stated sentences such as "So I think the best decisions use both logic and emotion" keep this response at a plain, direct 6.5 level.

   I don't think the best decisions come from logic alone. The spreadsheet said I should take a certain contract, but I remembered my uncle, who lost a whole year to card games, and that memory told me it was risky. So I think the best decisions use both logic and emotion. Logic helps you compare options, but emotion helps you know what you really care about in the first place. Without emotion, logic can lead you to the wrong goal.

   Why this band

   • FC“So I think the best decisions use both logic and emotion.” — The thesis statement is delayed until after the example and introduced with the basic connector "so". A 7.5 answer states a similar claim more assertively earlier and threads it directly to the anecdote with a semicolon rather than a new sentence.
   • LR“that memory told me it was risky” — "Told me it was risky" is functional but plain. Higher bands render the same idea more vividly, personifying the memory for effect, as in "the memory turned out to be the better analyst".
   • GRA“Logic helps you compare options, but emotion helps you know what you really care about in the first place.” — A balanced sentence using "but" to contrast two simple clauses. A 7.5 band achieves a similar contrast with two full sentences joined by "and", each carrying an extra subordinate clause, showing greater range.

   Band 7.0

   The reframing hedge "Honestly, I don't think it's really logic versus emotion at all" and the parallel "while purely emotional ones can just be reckless" are typical 7.0 features.

   Honestly, I don't think it's really logic versus emotion at all. The spreadsheet said take the contract, but the memory of my uncle losing a whole year to card games said no, and that memory turned out to be the better judge. I'd say logic is great for comparing options once you already know what you value, but emotion is often how you find out what you value in the first place. Purely logical decisions can be reasoned very carefully toward completely the wrong goal, while purely emotional ones can just be reckless.

   Why this band

   • FC“Honestly, I don't think it's really logic versus emotion at all.” — The hedge "Honestly" plus the direct reframing of the question shows confident, natural spoken cohesion, an improvement on a flatter opening; the rest of the answer still lists points with "I'd say" and "while" rather than fusing them as tightly as a 7.5 version.
   • LR“that memory turned out to be the better judge” — "The better judge" is a nice personification, similar in spirit to "the better analyst" but slightly less precise in context; it shows developing but not yet fully idiomatic control.
   • GRA“Purely logical decisions can be reasoned very carefully toward completely the wrong goal, while purely emotional ones can just be reckless.” — The parallel structure "purely X... while purely Y..." is a solid complex sentence, though a 7.5 band would tighten the same idea into two shorter clauses joined by a semicolon instead, removing padding like "very carefully" and "completely".

   Band 7.5

   The semicolon-joined opening "The spreadsheet said take the contract; the memory of my uncle... said no" and the vivid "unease about a deal is often a pattern recognised before it's understood" mark this as 7.5.

   The spreadsheet said take the contract; the memory of my uncle losing a year to card games said no, and the memory turned out to be the better analyst. I'd argue the best decisions use both, and that the split between logic and emotion is largely false. Logic excels at comparing options once you already know what you value, and it guards against panic and wishful thinking. Emotion is how you discover what you value in the first place, and it carries real information — unease about a deal is often a pattern recognised before it's understood. Purely logical decisions can be perfectly reasoned toward the wrong goal; purely emotional ones can be reckless. The good ones let feeling set the direction while reasoning checks the route.

   Why this band

   • FC“The spreadsheet said take the contract; the memory of my uncle losing a year to card games said no” — Opening directly with a semicolon-linked contrast, with no framing sentence beforehand, throws the reader straight into the anecdote — a more confident, economical opening than a softer "Honestly, I don't think..." lead-in.
   • LR“unease about a deal is often a pattern recognised before it's understood” — This is a precise, almost aphoristic formulation of a common idea, well beyond a plainer "emotion is often how you find out what you value" phrasing; it shows genuine idiomatic density.
   • GRA“Purely logical decisions can be perfectly reasoned toward the wrong goal; purely emotional ones can be reckless.” — The semicolon joins two grammatically parallel independent clauses without any connector at all, a compact structure that requires confident control of punctuation; lower bands would default to "while" or "but" to join the same two ideas.

7. 7. What kinds of important decisions might leaders have to make?

   Sep–Dec 2026
   Compare Band 6.5 / 7.0 / 7.5 for this question

   Band 6.5

   Plain, separately stated facts, including "The decision was still correct with the information he had at the time," keep this answer at 6.5.

   Leaders often make decisions that nobody else wants to make. Two years ago, the mayor of my city ordered coastal areas to evacuate before a typhoon, but the typhoon turned away, and the mayor was criticised for a week. The decision was still correct with the information he had at the time. Leaders also decide where money goes, and that means deciding who does not get it. They must choose between safety and freedom, like during a pandemic, and sometimes they must decide fast, without enough time to wait.

   Why this band

   • FC“The decision was still correct with the information he had at the time.” — This justification is stated as a flat, separate fact after the story rather than being folded into the sentence describing the criticism. A 7.5 answer links the two ideas in one sentence with a semicolon, tying cause and consequence together.
   • LR“Leaders often make decisions that nobody else wants to make.” — This is a serviceable but literal phrasing. A 7.5 band compresses the same idea into the punchier fragment "The ones nobody else wants", which is more economical and idiomatic.
   • GRA“They must choose between safety and freedom, like during a pandemic, and sometimes they must decide fast, without enough time to wait.” — Repeating "must" twice across the sentence is grammatically correct but slightly repetitive; a higher band would vary the verbs, as with "weigh", "hire and fire", and "choose".

   Band 7.0

   The hedge "To be fair, the hardest kind is probably deciding under pressure with a deadline" shows the more reflective, moderately complex style of 7.0.

   I'd say leaders often have to make the decisions nobody else wants to. Two years ago, the mayor ordered the coastal districts evacuated a day before a typhoon that then turned away, and he was criticised for a week, even though the decision was right given the information he had at the time. Leaders decide where money goes, which really means deciding who doesn't get it. They have to weigh safety against freedom, as happened during the pandemic, and they hire and fire people too. To be fair, the hardest kind is probably deciding under pressure with a deadline, when even waiting for better information counts as a decision in itself.

   Why this band

   • FC“To be fair, the hardest kind is probably deciding under pressure with a deadline” — The hedge "To be fair" and the ranking "the hardest kind" show a more evaluative, reflective stance than a plain listing of examples, though it is still introduced as a fairly separate final point rather than woven into the flow as tightly as a 7.5 closing sentence.
   • LR“which really means deciding who doesn't get it” — "Which really means" is a natural spoken hedge that adds precision to the plain fact stated; it is close to a near-identical phrase used at 7.5, showing this level of lexical control is already emerging.
   • GRA“even though the decision was right given the information he had at the time” — The concessive clause "even though" shows good subordination; a 7.5 band achieves a similar concession but fuses it into an even longer sentence using a semicolon to add a further consequence clause, showing an extra level of structural ambition.

   Band 7.5

   The fragment-and-dash opener "The ones nobody else wants — that's often what leadership decisions boil down to" and the semicolon-joined clause about the mayor mark this as 7.5.

   The ones nobody else wants — that's often what leadership decisions boil down to. Two years ago the city ordered the coastal districts evacuated a day before a typhoon that then turned away, and the mayor was criticised for a week, even though the decision was correct given the information available; leaders make those calls knowing they'll be judged on the outcome. Leaders decide where money goes, which quietly means deciding who doesn't get it. They weigh safety against freedom, as during a pandemic, hire and fire, and choose between two goods, or sometimes two harms. In business, they decide what the company is for, which sounds abstract yet determines everything. Hardest of all is deciding under uncertainty with a deadline looming, when even waiting for better information is itself a decision.

   Why this band

   • FC“The ones nobody else wants — that's often what leadership decisions boil down to.” — Opening with a fragment and a dash creates an immediate, confident hook, far more striking than a more conventional "I'd say leaders often have to make..." opening sentence.
   • LR“which sounds abstract yet determines everything” — This concise contrast packs a full evaluative judgement into a short relative clause, more compact and idiomatic than a plainer equivalent phrasing.
   • GRA“even though the decision was correct given the information available; leaders make those calls knowing they'll be judged on the outcome” — The semicolon fuses a concessive clause with a fresh independent clause containing its own participial phrase ("knowing they'll be judged"), a layered structure well beyond the simpler subordination seen at 7.0 or the short separate sentences at 6.5.

8. 8. To what extent should leaders be influenced by public opinion when they are making important decisions?

   Sep–Dec 2026
   Compare Band 6.5 / 7.0 / 7.5 for this question

   Band 6.5

   The plain closing sentence "So leaders should listen carefully, but then make the final decision themselves" is typical of the direct, simply connected 6.5 style.

   I think leaders should listen to public opinion, but not always follow it completely. The evacuation before the typhoon was unpopular, but it was the right decision. Before that, a road project was very popular, but it caused flooding in one area, because people wanted the road and did not think about drainage. Public opinion shows leaders what people care about, but the public does not always have all the information. So leaders should listen carefully, but then make the final decision themselves.

   Why this band

   • FC“So leaders should listen carefully, but then make the final decision themselves.” — The conclusion is presented as a short, separate final sentence introduced by "so", rather than being integrated into a longer closing statement. A 7.5 answer folds a similar idea into one flowing sentence using a participial clause instead of stopping there.
   • LR“Public opinion shows leaders what people care about” — "Shows" and "care about" are simple, general verbs. Higher bands choose more precise collocations like "reveals what matters to people" to convey the same idea with more nuance.
   • GRA“The evacuation before the typhoon was unpopular, but it was the right decision.” — A short sentence joined by "but" shows basic but correct contrast. A 7.5 band compresses a very similar contrast into a single clause using a semicolon, which is tighter and more advanced.

   Band 7.0

   The correlative structure "listen closely enough to understand what people need, but not so closely that they only do whatever is popular" reflects 7.0's moderate complexity.

   I'd say leaders should listen closely enough to understand what people need, but not so closely that they only do whatever is popular. The evacuation was unpopular but correct, while a road scheme a few years earlier was popular and ended up flooding a whole district, because everyone wanted the road and nobody wanted to hear about drainage. Public opinion tells leaders where the pain points are and what people will accept, and a leader who completely ignores it risks becoming either a tyrant or unemployed. But the public usually lacks the information and time that leaders have, so in the end, leaders should listen, explain honestly, and then decide.

   Why this band

   • FC“But the public usually lacks the information and time that leaders have, so in the end, leaders should listen, explain honestly, and then decide.” — The concluding sentence chains three ideas with "so... and then", giving reasonable but fairly linear cohesion; a 7.5 version achieves a similarly layered ending but attaches an extra participial clause for a more integrated finish.
   • LR“risks becoming either a tyrant or unemployed” — "Unemployed" is a plain, almost blunt word choice; a near-equivalent at 7.5, "a former leader", achieves the same idea with a touch more wit and register-appropriate phrasing.
   • GRA“I'd say leaders should listen closely enough to understand what people need, but not so closely that they only do whatever is popular” — The "enough... that... not so... that" correlative pattern shows solid complex grammar; a 7.5 answer opens with the same idea but strips it down to a bare fragment, requiring even more confident control of ellipsis.

   Band 7.5

   The verbless fragment opener "Just enough to know where people are hurting, not so much that policy becomes whatever is popular this week" and the simile "its mood shifts like the weather" mark this as 7.5.

   Just enough to know where people are hurting, not so much that policy becomes whatever is popular this week. The evacuation was unpopular yet correct; a road scheme a few years earlier was the opposite — popular, and it went on to flood an entire district, because everyone wanted the road and nobody wanted to hear about drainage. Public opinion is useful precisely because it reveals what matters to people and what they're willing to tolerate, and a leader who dismisses it outright tends to become either a tyrant or a former leader. Yet the public seldom has the information or the time a leader has, and its mood shifts like the weather. The honest approach is to listen, explain plainly, and then decide anyway, accepting that being right might still cost the next election.

   Why this band

   • FC“Just enough to know where people are hurting, not so much that policy becomes whatever is popular this week.” — Opening with a verbless fragment that directly answers the question's "to what extent" phrasing shows an economical, confident cohesion device that lower bands avoid, both of which open instead with a fuller subject-verb sentence.
   • LR“its mood shifts like the weather” — The simile "shifts like the weather" is vivid and idiomatic, more evocative than a flatter equivalent like "opinion changes"; it shows genuine figurative control rather than literal description.
   • GRA“a road scheme a few years earlier was the opposite — popular, and it went on to flood an entire district” — The dash introduces an appositive contrast ("the opposite — popular") before the clause continues, a flexible punctuation-driven structure; a lower band would more simply write "but it was popular" as a separate clause joined with "but".

9. 9. Should business leaders always consider the wider impact of their decisions on society?

   Sep–Dec 2026
   Compare Band 6.5 / 7.0 / 7.5 for this question

   Band 6.5

   Plain, separately stated sentences, closing with "The best leaders also think about what kind of world their company is helping to create," keep this answer at 6.5.

   I think business leaders should think about the impact on society, and in my experience it is not really a sacrifice. When we turned down a gambling client, it cost us money for three months, but we got a better reputation, and that brought us better work later. Businesses need society, because society gives them workers, customers, and roads. Small businesses cannot always think about everything, but at least they should avoid causing clear harm. The best leaders also think about what kind of world their company is helping to create.

   Why this band

   • FC“The best leaders also think about what kind of world their company is helping to create.” — This final idea is added as a new, separate sentence at the end rather than being connected back to the earlier point about avoiding harm. A 7.5 answer links the two with "and" inside one longer sentence, showing tighter overall cohesion.
   • LR“it cost us money for three months” — This is a literal, low-precision way of expressing lost income. Higher bands use the more idiomatic, business-register phrase "cost us a quarter's income".
   • GRA“Businesses need society, because society gives them workers, customers, and roads.” — Repeating "society" as both subject and object in two clauses is grammatically correct but slightly clumsy. A 7.5 band avoids this repetition with a relative clause instead: "a society that supplies their workers, customers, roads and laws".

   Band 7.0

   The hedge "Of course, 'always' is a strong word" and the phrase "lined up, just on different timescales" show 7.0's reflective, moderately complex style.

   I'd say yes, and honestly it's less of a sacrifice than people assume. Turning down a gambling client cost us a quarter's income, but it gained us a reputation that brought better work afterwards, so the interests of the business and of society lined up, just on different timescales. Businesses exist inside a society that supplies their workers, customers, roads and laws, so damaging that society really means damaging their own foundation. Of course, 'always' is a strong word, and a small business under pressure can't weigh every decision like a philosopher, but at minimum leaders should avoid clear harm.

   Why this band

   • FC“Of course, 'always' is a strong word, and a small business under pressure can't weigh every decision like a philosopher, but at minimum leaders should avoid clear harm.” — The hedge "Of course" concedes a counterpoint smoothly before returning to the main argument, a more sophisticated move than simply listing points; the sentence is, however, quite long and relies on repeated "and... but" coordination rather than the varied punctuation a 7.5 answer uses for the equivalent idea.
   • LR“the interests of the business and of society lined up, just on different timescales” — "Lined up... on different timescales" is a precise, slightly abstract way of expressing alignment, more developed than a plain "we got a better reputation"; it approaches but doesn't quite match the more vivid "turned out to be identical" phrasing used at 7.5.
   • GRA“so damaging that society really means damaging their own foundation” — The parallel repetition of "damaging" across a cause-and-effect clause is a controlled rhetorical device; a 7.5 band achieves a similar effect but with a relative clause and the adverb "quietly" inserted mid-clause, showing slightly more flexible word placement.

   Band 7.5

   The vivid closing image "turned out to be identical, just running on different timescales" and the compact noun phrase "the leaders worth admiring" mark this as 7.5.

   Yes, and in my experience it's less of a sacrifice than it looks from the outside. Turning down a gambling client cost us a quarter's income and earned us a reputation that brought in better work — the interests of society and the business turned out to be identical, just running on different timescales. Businesses exist inside a society that supplies their workers, customers, roads and laws, and a company that damages that society is quietly damaging its own foundation. 'Always' is admittedly a strong word, and a small business under financial pressure can't weigh every decision like a philosopher. But the minimum is avoiding obvious harm, and the leaders worth admiring go further, asking what their company is making the world more like. Profit without that question tends to be short-lived.

   Why this band

   • FC“the interests of society and the business turned out to be identical, just running on different timescales” — Describing the two interests as "identical... on different timescales" resolves the whole argument in a single vivid image, a more unified and memorable closing move than a plainer "lined up" phrasing for the same idea.
   • LR“the leaders worth admiring go further, asking what their company is making the world more like” — "The leaders worth admiring" is a compact, evaluative noun phrase doing the job that a lower band would need a full relative clause for, e.g. "leaders that I admire"; it shows economical, idiomatic control of English.
   • GRA“a company that damages that society is quietly damaging its own foundation” — Inserting the adverb "quietly" between the auxiliary and main verb is a subtle, natural placement that shows fine-grained control of word order; lower bands tend to place adverbs only at clause boundaries.