The Perfect Job for You

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 kinds of jobs do children often say they want to do?

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

   Band 6.5

   The plain closing claim "Most of these ideas disappear by the teenage years" states the outcome directly, without the added observation the higher bands attach about how the surviving ones began.

   If you ask the children near my friend Vy's café, you get a list of whatever they can see from the street. A delivery rider, because the motorbike looks exciting; the woman who sells ice cream; a pilot; one boy who says he wants to 'own a dog' as a job; and a girl who wants to build bridges, like her father does. Young children choose jobs they can actually see, and adults they admire. By age ten or eleven, money and screens start to matter more, so singers and gamers appear. Most of these ideas disappear by the teenage years.

   Why this band

   • FC“If you ask the children near my friend Vy's café, you get a list of whatever they can see from the street.” — A plain, direct opening that states the method and the result in one simple sentence, without the hedge 7.0 adds or the more literary image 7.5 uses instead.
   • LR“the motorbike looks exciting” — Plain, functional phrasing for the appeal of the job, compared with 7.5's more vivid "the motorbike with the oversized box looks heroic".
   • GRA“Young children choose jobs they can actually see, and adults they admire.” — A short, simple sentence with one "and" — correct and clear, but far less layered than the long sentence built on the same idea at 7.0 and 7.5.

   Band 7.0

   The hedge "Honestly" and the closing "to be fair" frame the observation about children's job choices as a personal, considered reading rather than flat fact.

   Honestly, if you ask the children who hang around my friend Vy's café, the answers are basically a map of what they can see from where they're sitting. A delivery rider, because the motorbike with the big box looks heroic; the ice-cream seller; a pilot; one boy who's decided he'll 'own a dog' as a career; and a girl who wants to build bridges because her father does. I'd say small children pick from the jobs that pass their window and the adults who impress them, more than from any real plan. By ten or eleven, money and screens start creeping in, so singers and gamers show up too. Almost none of it, to be fair, survives adolescence.

   Why this band

   • FC“Honestly, if you ask the children who hang around my friend Vy's café, the answers are basically a map of what they can see from where they're sitting.” — A hedge-opened metaphor ("a map of what they can see") that frames the whole answer as personal reflection, more considered than 6.5's flatter opening statement.
   • LR“pick from the jobs that pass their window and the adults who impress them, more than from any real plan” — A more developed, reflective phrase than 6.5's plain account, though less pointed than 7.5's closing observation about street versus future.
   • GRA“A delivery rider, because the motorbike with the big box looks heroic; the ice-cream seller; a pilot; one boy who's decided he'll 'own a dog' as a career; and a girl who wants to build bridges because her father does.” — A semicolon-chained list of five fragments, a more flexible structure than 6.5's fully verbed listing sentence for the same five children.

   Band 7.5

   The closing observation "the choice says more about their street than about their future" turns the anecdote into a general claim the other bands don't make.

   Ask the children who hang around my friend Vy's café and the answers read like a map of whatever passes their window. A delivery rider, because the motorbike with the oversized box looks heroic; the woman selling ice cream from a cart, for obvious reasons; a pilot; one boy who has decided he'll 'own a dog' as a career; and a girl who'll build bridges one day, because her father does. Small children choose from the jobs that pass in front of them and the adults who happen to impress them, and the choice says more about their street than about their future. By ten or eleven, money and screens creep in, and singers and gamers start appearing on the list. Almost none of it survives adolescence, and what little does usually began with one adult who let a child simply watch them work.

   Why this band

   • FC“Ask the children who hang around my friend Vy's café and the answers read like a map of whatever passes their window.” — A confident, imperative-led opening that states the metaphor without a hedge, sharper than 7.0's hedge-softened version of the same image.
   • LR“the choice says more about their street than about their future” — A precise, evaluative closing observation that upgrades 7.0's plainer "more than from any real plan" and 6.5's absence of this point entirely.
   • GRA“A delivery rider, because the motorbike with the oversized box looks heroic; the woman selling ice cream from a cart, for obvious reasons; a pilot; one boy who has decided he'll 'own a dog' as a career; and a girl who'll build bridges one day, because her father does.” — A longer, more elaborated version of the same semicolon-chained list used at 7.0, with fuller detail in each fragment.

2. 2. Why are some jobs more popular than others?

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

   Band 6.5

   The plain opening "Mostly because of how they look, not how useful they are" states the main idea directly, without the numbers-driven anecdote the higher bands lead with instead.

   Mostly because of how they look, not how useful they are. My design studio got forty people applying for one job last year, while a ward hospital needed a night nurse for three months and only got two people. Money matters too — jobs that pay well attract more people. Working conditions matter, like hours and safety. TV shows also affect this — a drama about lawyers makes more people want to be lawyers. And parents often push their children toward jobs that were respected in their own generation.

   Why this band

   • FC“Mostly because of how they look, not how useful they are.” — A plain, direct topic sentence stating the answer's core claim immediately, simpler than 7.0's hedge-opened version and 7.5's unhedged but more idiomatic one.
   • LR“attract more people” — Plain phrasing for the pull of good pay, compared with 7.5's more developed "attract crowds almost regardless of anything else".
   • GRA“My design studio got forty people applying for one job last year, while a ward hospital needed a night nurse for three months and only got two people.” — A single "while"-clause sentence — correct and clear, but simpler than the dash-linked version of the same contrast built at 7.0 and 7.5.

   Band 7.0

   The hedge "Honestly" opens the answer as personal judgement, and the dash-linked clause turns the studio-versus-nursing numbers directly into a general claim.

   Honestly, mostly visibility and status, far more than how useful the job actually is. My design studio received forty applications for a single post last year, while a ward hospital advertised for a night nurse for three months and got only two — the jobs people chase tend to be the ones that sound good, not the ones society most needs. Money obviously plays a role, since well-paid jobs attract crowds regardless of anything else. Conditions matter too — hours, safety, whether you're on your feet all day. Media, I'd say, shapes it heavily; every drama about doctors or chefs produces a small wave of applications. And parents keep pushing the jobs their own generation respected.

   Why this band

   • FC“Honestly, mostly visibility and status, far more than how useful the job actually is.” — A hedge-opened claim that reads as considered reflection, more reflective than 6.5's flat topic sentence and closer to spoken register than 7.5's unhedged version.
   • LR“the jobs people chase tend to be the ones that sound good, not the ones society most needs” — A more developed, natural phrase for the same contrast, less pointed than 7.5's "sound good in conversation" but well above 6.5's plain account.
   • GRA“My design studio received forty applications for a single post last year, while a ward hospital advertised for a night nurse for three months and got only two — the jobs people chase tend to be the ones that sound good, not the ones society most needs.” — A long dash-linked sentence turning the anecdote directly into a general claim, more complex than 6.5's plainer "while"-clause sentence on the same numbers.

   Band 7.5

   The closing qualifier "whether or not it still deserves that respect" adds an evaluative twist to the point about parental influence that the other bands leave out.

   Mostly visibility and status, well ahead of how useful the job actually is. My design studio received forty applications for a single post last year, while a ward hospital advertised for a night nurse for three months and landed exactly two — the jobs people chase are the ones that sound good in conversation, not the ones a society most urgently needs. Money obviously plays its part, since well-paid roles attract crowds almost regardless of anything else. Conditions matter too: hours, safety, whether the job has you standing or sitting all day. Media shapes it more than people admit; every drama built around doctors or chefs sends a small wave of applications in that direction. And parents keep steering their children toward whatever their own generation once respected, whether or not it still deserves that respect.

   Why this band

   • FC“Mostly visibility and status, well ahead of how useful the job actually is.” — A confident, unhedged opening fragment that states the claim in one breath, sharper than 7.0's hedge-softened version of the identical idea.
   • LR“the jobs people chase are the ones that sound good in conversation, not the ones a society most urgently needs” — A more precise, idiomatic phrase ("sound good in conversation") than 7.0's plainer "sound good", with a stronger adverb ("urgently") sharpening the contrast.
   • GRA“parents keep steering their children toward whatever their own generation once respected, whether or not it still deserves that respect” — A closing sentence extended with a concessive "whether or not" clause, a more flexible structure than 7.0's shorter, unqualified closing sentence on the same point.

3. 3. Why does people's idea of the perfect job change as they grow older?

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

   Band 6.5

   The plain contrast "want excitement and status" versus "want stability and time" states the age shift directly, without the reflective idiom the higher bands build around the same idea.

   Because what people want from work changes as their life changes. At twenty-two, my perfect job was working at a famous design studio with my name on beautiful projects. Now, at thirty-four, I just want something useful and calmer. Young people want excitement and status because they don't have any yet. Older people want stability and time, because they know what work really costs. Having children changes everything too — a perfect job becomes one that finishes early enough to see them. What seemed exciting at twenty can feel boring by fifty.

   Why this band

   • FC“Because what people want from work changes as their life changes.” — A plain, direct topic sentence stating the cause immediately, simpler than 7.0 and 7.5's near-identical but more reflective opening clause.
   • LR“want something useful and calmer” — Plain phrasing for the shift in priorities, compared with 7.0 and 7.5's more precise idiom "from wanting to be seen to wanting to be useful".
   • GRA“At twenty-two, my perfect job was working at a famous design studio with my name on beautiful projects.” — A single, simple sentence — correct and clear, but far plainer than the semicolon-linked comparison built on the same two ages at 7.0 and 7.5.

   Band 7.0

   The hedge "Honestly" and the inserted "which I suspect is common" frame the personal shift in priorities as a considered, generalisable observation.

   Honestly, because what people want from work shifts along with what they've already had. At twenty-two my perfect job was a famous design studio with my name attached to something beautiful; at thirty-four it's something calmer and more useful, and the shift really is from wanting to be seen to wanting to be useful, which I suspect is common. Young people value excitement, status and growth, mainly because they have none of it yet. In middle life, I'd say, people start valuing stability, meaning and time instead, having discovered what work actually costs them. Family changes everything too — a perfect job with children is simply one that ends early. What looked glamorous at twenty often looks exhausting by ten at night.

   Why this band

   • FC“Honestly, because what people want from work shifts along with what they've already had.” — A hedge-opened claim that reads as reflective judgement, more considered than 6.5's flat statement of the identical idea.
   • LR“the shift really is from wanting to be seen to wanting to be useful” — A precise, developed idiom for the change in priorities, more natural than 6.5's plain "want something useful and calmer".
   • GRA“At twenty-two my perfect job was a famous design studio with my name attached to something beautiful; at thirty-four it's something calmer and more useful, and the shift really is from wanting to be seen to wanting to be useful, which I suspect is common.” — A semicolon-linked comparison feeding into an inserted hedge clause, more complex than 6.5's two separate short sentences for the same two ages.

   Band 7.5

   The closing aphorism "The perfect job at fifty is often the one you'd have found deadly dull at twenty" delivers the whole idea as a single punchy final verdict.

   Because what people want from work shifts in step with what they've already had. At twenty-two my perfect job was a famous design studio with my name attached to something beautiful; at thirty-four it's something calmer with a clearer purpose, and the shift is really from wanting to be seen to wanting to be useful, which I suspect is fairly universal. The young value excitement, status and growth, mainly because they haven't had any of it yet. In middle life, people start valuing stability, meaning and time instead, having discovered exactly what work costs them. Having children changes everything else — a perfect job simply becomes one that ends by six. And experience strips away the illusions; you learn what the glamorous job actually feels like at ten at night. The perfect job at fifty is often the one you'd have found deadly dull at twenty.

   Why this band

   • FC“what people want from work shifts in step with what they've already had” — An idiom ("in step with") that frames the claim more vividly than 7.0's plainer "shifts along with", though the two openers are otherwise structurally identical.
   • LR“experience strips away the illusions” — A vivid, active metaphor for how experience changes perception, more developed than 7.0's plainer "having discovered what work actually costs them" and 6.5's bare statement.
   • GRA“The perfect job at fifty is often the one you'd have found deadly dull at twenty.” — A short, punchy closing sentence acting as a stand-alone aphorism, a more flexible final move than 7.0's longer explanatory closing sentence on the same idea.

4. 4. Do you agree or disagree that money is the only reason why people choose certain jobs?

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

   Band 6.5

   The plain reason "because she wanted to help people directly" states the cousin's motive simply, without the sharper phrasing the higher bands give the same anecdote.

   I disagree, although money is almost never completely absent from the decision. My cousin chose a low-paid night job in a hospital because she wanted to help people directly. A friend of mine took a bank job he doesn't enjoy, just for the salary. Both choices are real. Money decides which jobs people can even consider, especially if they support a family. But after that, people choose based on interest, hours, location, or what they enjoy. I think people who say money is the only reason have never had to choose between money and something they wanted more.

   Why this band

   • FC“I disagree, although money is almost never completely absent from the decision.” — A plain, direct statement of position joined by "although", simpler than 7.0's hedge-opened version and 7.5's unhedged but more compact one.
   • LR“because she wanted to help people directly” — Plain phrasing for the cousin's motivation, compared with 7.5's more specific "because she wanted to be the person actually in the room when it mattered".
   • GRA“My cousin chose a low-paid night job in a hospital because she wanted to help people directly.” — A simple sentence with one "because" clause — correct and clear, but plainer than the semicolon-and-dash sentence built on the same two anecdotes at 7.0 and 7.5.

   Band 7.0

   The hedge "Honestly, I'd disagree" and the closing "To be fair" frame the whole position as considered, personal judgement rather than a flat rule.

   Honestly, I'd disagree, though money is rarely completely absent from the picture. My cousin chose an underpaid night ward because she wanted to be the person actually in the room; a friend of mine took a bank job he dislikes purely for the salary — both choices are genuine, and I'd say most people sit somewhere between the two. Money decides what jobs people can afford to even consider, especially once a family enters the picture. But within that limit, people choose for meaning, interest, hours, location, and who they'll be working alongside. To be fair, the idea that only money matters is usually held by people who've never had to choose between money and something they wanted more.

   Why this band

   • FC“Honestly, I'd disagree, though money is rarely completely absent from the picture.” — A hedge-opened statement of position that concedes the exception in the same breath, more reflective than 6.5's plainer "although"-joined version.
   • LR“most people sit somewhere between the two” — A natural, developed phrase for the middle ground between the two anecdotes, more reflective than 6.5's flat "Both choices are real".
   • GRA“My cousin chose an underpaid night ward because she wanted to be the person actually in the room; a friend of mine took a bank job he dislikes purely for the salary — both choices are genuine, and I'd say most people sit somewhere between the two.” — A semicolon-and-dash structure linking two anecdotes into one evaluative sentence, more complex than 6.5's three separate short sentences for the same two stories.

   Band 7.5

   The closing adverb "frankly" gives the final judgement a dry, confident edge the other bands' equivalent closing sentence doesn't have.

   Disagree, though money is rarely entirely absent from the picture. My cousin chose an underpaid night ward because she wanted to be the person actually in the room when it mattered; a friend of mine took a bank job he dislikes purely for the salary — both choices are genuine, and most people sit somewhere between the two. Money decides what jobs people can even afford to consider, and for anyone supporting a family, it's usually the first filter applied. But within that filter, people choose for meaning, status, interest, hours, location, and who they'll actually be sitting beside all day. The idea that only money matters, frankly, is mostly held by people who've never had to choose between money and something they wanted more.

   Why this band

   • FC“Disagree, though money is rarely entirely absent from the picture.” — A confident, unhedged one-word opening followed by a concession, more compact than 7.0's fuller "Honestly, I'd disagree" version of the same move.
   • LR“who they'll actually be sitting beside all day” — A vivid, concrete phrase for choosing colleagues over pay, more developed than 7.0's plainer "who they'll be working alongside".
   • GRA“for anyone supporting a family, it's usually the first filter applied” — A comma-inserted conditional clause built into the main sentence, a more flexible structure than 7.0's separate short sentence stating the same point about family.

5. 5. How do colleagues in the workplace affect the way people work?

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

   Band 6.5

   The two anecdotes are told as separate, plainly linked sentences ("One year... Another year..."), rather than the semicolon-joined parallel the higher bands build instead.

   More than the job itself does. One year our studio had a senior designer who was cynical about everything, and soon everyone around him started cutting corners too. Another year, a colleague called Linh was preparing for a big presentation, and suddenly half the office started practising their own presentations. Colleagues decide what feels like normal effort at work. Most learning happens by watching the person next to you, not from any manual. Good colleagues make hard work feel easier, and bad ones make even easy work feel hard. Choosing a job is really choosing who you'll sit next to.

   Why this band

   • FC“More than the job itself does.” — A short, direct opening fragment stating the claim immediately, plainer than 7.0's hedge-opened version, though 7.5 uses the identical fragment unhedged.
   • LR“decide what feels like normal effort at work” — Plain phrasing for the idea, compared with 7.0's more precise triad "set the pace, the mood, and what counts as normal effort".
   • GRA“One year our studio had a senior designer who was cynical about everything, and soon everyone around him started cutting corners too.” — A simple sentence with "and" — correct and clear, but plainer than the semicolon-joined parallel sentence built on both anecdotes together at 7.0 and 7.5.

   Band 7.0

   The hedge "Honestly" opens the answer, and the semicolon lets both workplace anecdotes sit inside a single sentence rather than two.

   Honestly, colleagues matter more than the job description ever does. The year our studio had a cynical senior designer, everyone around him quietly started cutting corners too, because he'd somehow made it look sophisticated; the year Linh was preparing for a big conference talk, half the office suddenly started rehearsing their own presentations. Colleagues set the pace, the mood, and what counts as normal effort. They're where most learning genuinely happens, since nobody reads the manual but everybody watches the person at the next desk. Good colleagues, I'd say, make hard work feel shared, while bad ones make even easy work feel heavy. Picking a job, in the end, is largely picking who you'll be sitting next to.

   Why this band

   • FC“Honestly, colleagues matter more than the job description ever does.” — A hedge-opened claim that reads as personal conviction, more reflective than 6.5's bare fragment stating the identical idea.
   • LR“set the pace, the mood, and what counts as normal effort” — A precise triad naming three separate effects of colleagues, more developed than 6.5's single plain phrase for the same idea.
   • GRA“The year our studio had a cynical senior designer, everyone around him quietly started cutting corners too, because he'd somehow made it look sophisticated; the year Linh was preparing for a big conference talk, half the office suddenly started rehearsing their own presentations.” — A semicolon joins two parallel anecdotes into a single sentence, more complex than 6.5's two separate short sentences for the same two stories.

   Band 7.5

   The closing idiom "people leave managers... but they also quietly leave rooms" caps the answer with a compact, memorable evaluative twist.

   More than the job description ever does. The year our studio had a cynical senior designer, everyone around him quietly began cutting corners too, simply because he'd made it look sophisticated; the year Linh was preparing for a big conference talk, half the office suddenly found itself rehearsing its own presentations. Colleagues set the pace, the mood, and whatever passes for normal effort in a given office. They're where most real learning happens, since almost nobody reads the manual but everybody watches whoever sits at the next desk. Good colleagues make hard work feel shared rather than solitary; bad ones make even easy work feel heavy. And they decide, more than anything else, whether someone stays — people leave managers, the saying goes, but they also quietly leave rooms.

   Why this band

   • FC“More than the job description ever does.” — The identical opening fragment used at 7.0 but delivered without the hedge "Honestly", a more confident, unqualified version of the same claim.
   • LR“whatever passes for normal effort in a given office” — A slightly wry, idiomatic phrase ("whatever passes for") that upgrades 7.0's more literal "what counts as normal effort".
   • GRA“people leave managers, the saying goes, but they also quietly leave rooms” — A closing sentence built on a quoted idiom with an inserted attribution ("the saying goes") and a contrastive "but" clause, a more flexible final structure than 7.0's plainer closing sentence.

6. 6. Why do some people lose their motivation to work hard?

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

   Band 6.5

   The plain explanation "it just stopped feeling worth the extra effort" states the designer's reasoning directly, without the sharper contrast the higher bands draw between laziness and rationality.

   Usually because their effort stopped making a difference. A designer at our studio had his three best ideas rejected without any real reason, and now he just does exactly what's asked, nothing more. He didn't become lazy — it just stopped feeling worth the extra effort. People lose motivation when they can't see the result of their work, or when nobody notices it, or when the goals keep changing. Bad management causes most of this. Sometimes it's simple tiredness after years of hard work. And sometimes life changes, like a sick parent or a new baby, and work just isn't the centre anymore.

   Why this band

   • FC“Usually because their effort stopped making a difference.” — A plain, direct topic sentence stating the cause immediately, simpler than 7.0's near-identical but hedge-opened version.
   • LR“it just stopped feeling worth the extra effort” — Plain phrasing for the designer's changed behaviour, compared with 7.0 and 7.5's sharper contrast "he didn't become lazy, he became rational".
   • GRA“A designer at our studio had his three best ideas rejected without any real reason, and now he just does exactly what's asked, nothing more.” — A simple sentence joined by "and" — correct and clear, but plainer than the dash-linked contrastive sentence built on the same anecdote at 7.0 and 7.5.

   Band 7.0

   The hedge "Honestly" opens the answer, and the dash-linked contrast "he didn't become lazy, he became rational" reframes the anecdote as a considered judgement.

   Honestly, usually because effort simply stopped producing anything. A designer at our studio had his three best ideas rejected without any real explanation, and he now does precisely what's asked and not a line more — he didn't become lazy, he became rational about it. People lose motivation, I'd say, when they can't see the result of their work, when it goes unnoticed, or when the goal keeps shifting under them. Bad management is behind most of it. Some of it is plain exhaustion, since someone who's been sprinting for years eventually can't keep going. And some of it is simply life — a sick parent or a new baby moves the centre of a person's energy, and the job quietly feels it.

   Why this band

   • FC“Honestly, usually because effort simply stopped producing anything.” — A hedge-opened claim that reads as personal reflection, more considered than 6.5's flatter version of the identical idea.
   • LR“he didn't become lazy, he became rational about it” — A sharp, analytical contrast that upgrades 6.5's plain "it just stopped feeling worth the extra effort" with a more precise psychological distinction.
   • GRA“A designer at our studio had his three best ideas rejected without any real explanation, and he now does precisely what's asked and not a line more — he didn't become lazy, he became rational about it.” — A dash-linked sentence turning the anecdote into a pointed contrast, more complex than 6.5's plainer coordinated sentence on the same story.

   Band 7.5

   The four-part parallel list of causes ("when they can't see... when it goes unnoticed... when the goal keeps shifting... or when effort and reward quietly come apart") is more fully developed than the shorter lists at 6.5 and 7.0.

   Usually because effort simply stopped producing anything worth having. A designer at our studio had his three best ideas rejected without a reason ever given, and he now does precisely what's asked and not a line more — he didn't become lazy, he became rational. People lose motivation when they can't see where their effort has gone, when it goes unnoticed, when the goal keeps shifting under them, or when effort and reward quietly come apart. Bad management accounts for most of it. Some of it is plain exhaustion, since anyone who's been sprinting for years eventually can't. Some of it is that the work itself stopped meaning anything, which happens to almost everyone in a job that never changes. And some of it is simply life — a sick parent or a new baby moves the centre of a person's energy, and the job feels it.

   Why this band

   • FC“Usually because effort simply stopped producing anything worth having.” — An unhedged, slightly sharper version of 7.0's identical opening clause, with "worth having" adding a compact evaluative edge 7.0 lacks.
   • LR“he didn't become lazy, he became rational” — The same sharp contrast used at 7.0 but trimmed of "about it", a more compact, aphoristic version of the identical idea.
   • GRA“People lose motivation when they can't see where their effort has gone, when it goes unnoticed, when the goal keeps shifting under them, or when effort and reward quietly come apart.” — A four-part parallel list joined by repeated "when" clauses, more fully developed than 7.0's shorter three-part version of the same list.

7. 7. What are the advantages and disadvantages for individuals of working from home?

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

   Band 6.5

   The plain closing recommendation "a mix of some days at home and some in the office works best" states the conclusion directly, without the image of a closing door the higher bands add.

   The advantages showed up for me while I was sitting in a hospital corridor — no interruptions, no commute, and actually the best design work I'd done in a year. The disadvantages appeared the month after, when I realised I'd stopped talking to people, and my ideas felt smaller because of it. Working from home gives you focus and freedom, and it suits people with families or long commutes. But it removes the small conversations where good ideas usually start. Junior staff suffer most, since they learn by watching others. I think a mix of some days at home and some in the office works best.

   Why this band

   • FC“The advantages showed up for me while I was sitting in a hospital corridor” — A plain, direct way of introducing the personal anecdote, simpler than 7.0's hedge-opened version and 7.5's more reflective "oddly enough".
   • LR“my ideas felt smaller because of it” — Plain phrasing for the creative cost of isolation, compared with 7.5's more precise "my ideas had shrunk for it".
   • GRA“Working from home gives you focus and freedom, and it suits people with families or long commutes.” — A simple sentence joined by "and" — correct and clear, but plainer than the longer two-clause sentence built on the same idea at 7.0 and 7.5.

   Band 7.0

   The hedge "Honestly" and the aside "of all places" frame the hospital-corridor anecdote as a slightly ironic personal discovery.

   Honestly, the advantages turned up for me in a hospital corridor of all places — no interruptions, no commute, work fitted around life instead of the other way round, and the best design I'd produced in a year. The disadvantages arrived the month after, when I realised I'd stopped talking to anyone and my ideas had quietly got smaller for it. Working from home gives focus, time and freedom, and it suits people with families or long commutes well. What it takes away, though, are the accidental conversations where most careers actually get built, and it blurs the line between work and rest until neither feels complete. Junior people, I'd say, suffer the most, since they learn largely by watching others.

   Why this band

   • FC“Honestly, the advantages turned up for me in a hospital corridor of all places” — A hedge-opened anecdote with an ironic aside ("of all places"), more reflective than 6.5's plainer statement of the same fact.
   • LR“the accidental conversations where most careers actually get built” — A developed, natural phrase for informal workplace interaction, more vivid than 6.5's plain "the small conversations where good ideas usually start".
   • GRA“What it takes away, though, are the accidental conversations where most careers actually get built, and it blurs the line between work and rest until neither feels complete.” — A two-clause sentence joined by "and", building the disadvantage into a single, layered statement rather than 6.5's two separate short sentences.

   Band 7.5

   The closing image "a door that closes at six" gives the final recommendation a concrete, memorable shape the other bands' plainer conclusion lacks.

   The advantages, oddly enough, turned up for me in a hospital corridor — no interruptions, no commute, work finally fitted around life instead of the reverse, and the best design work I'd produced in a year. The disadvantages arrived the month after, when I realised I'd quietly stopped talking to anyone and my ideas had shrunk for it. Working from home gives focus, time and freedom, and suits anyone with a family or a punishing commute. What it strips away are the accidental conversations where most ideas, and most careers, actually get built, and it blurs the line between work and rest until neither one is ever quite complete. Junior staff suffer most, since they learn largely by watching. The right dose, for most people, seems to be some days rather than all of them — and a door that closes at six.

   Why this band

   • FC“The advantages, oddly enough, turned up for me in a hospital corridor” — A confident, unhedged aside ("oddly enough") replacing 7.0's spoken hedge "Honestly", a more literary way of flagging the same irony.
   • LR“a punishing commute” — A vivid, evaluative adjective ("punishing") that upgrades 6.5 and 7.0's plain, unmodified "long commutes".
   • GRA“The right dose, for most people, seems to be some days rather than all of them — and a door that closes at six.” — A dash-linked closing sentence ending in a compact image rather than a full clause, a more flexible final move than 6.5's plainer, fully stated recommendation.

8. 8. What disadvantages might people have if they have flexible work patterns?

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

   Band 6.5

   The plain phrase "a problem for everyone else" states the core idea directly, without the sharper "friction" metaphor the higher bands use instead.

   Mainly that one person's flexibility becomes a problem for everyone else. A colleague with fully flexible hours is never really at work and never really off it — messages arrive at midnight, then silence until ten in the morning, and the team can't find a time when everyone is available. Flexible hours can make work spread into every part of the day. They also make people less visible, which can hurt their chances of promotion. It's harder for junior staff, who need more structure to learn. And sometimes employers use 'flexibility' to mean unpredictable hours that suit the company, not the worker.

   Why this band

   • FC“Mainly that one person's flexibility becomes a problem for everyone else.” — A plain, direct topic sentence stating the paradox immediately, simpler than 7.0's hedge-opened version, though 7.5 uses an almost identical unhedged sentence.
   • LR“make work spread into every part of the day” — Plain phrasing for the loss of boundaries, compared with 7.0's more precise "erode boundaries, so work leaks into every corner of the day".
   • GRA“A colleague with fully flexible hours is never really at work and never really off it — messages arrive at midnight, then silence until ten in the morning, and the team can't find a time when everyone is available.” — A dash-linked list of three details — correct and clear, but a plainer version of the same sentence pattern developed further at 7.0 and 7.5.

   Band 7.0

   The hedge "Honestly" opens the answer, and the metaphor "friction for everyone else" reframes the whole paradox more sharply than 6.5's plainer "a problem for everyone else".

   Honestly, mainly that flexibility for one person quietly becomes friction for everyone else. A colleague with fully flexible hours ends up never quite at work and never quite off it — messages land at midnight, then silence until ten the next morning, and the team can no longer find a single hour when everyone actually exists. Flexible patterns can erode boundaries, so work leaks into every corner of the day. They make people less visible too, which quietly costs them promotions. They're harder on junior staff especially, who need structure in order to learn. And employers, I'd say, sometimes use 'flexibility' as a polite word for unpredictable hours that serve the company rather than the worker.

   Why this band

   • FC“Honestly, mainly that flexibility for one person quietly becomes friction for everyone else.” — A hedge-opened metaphor ("friction") that reads as considered judgement, more reflective than 6.5's plainer statement of the same paradox.
   • LR“erode boundaries, so work leaks into every corner of the day” — A vivid, developed metaphor ("erode", "leaks") that upgrades 6.5's plain "make work spread into every part of the day".
   • GRA“messages land at midnight, then silence until ten the next morning, and the team can no longer find a single hour when everyone actually exists” — A three-part listed clause ending in the vivid "a single hour when everyone actually exists", slightly more elaborated than 6.5's otherwise similar structure.

   Band 7.5

   The closing dash clause "which is what a fair amount of shift and gig work actually amounts to" extends the argument to a wider pattern the other bands stop short of naming.

   Mainly that flexibility for one person quietly becomes friction for everyone else. A colleague with fully flexible hours ends up never quite at work and never quite off it — messages land at midnight, silence stretches until ten the next morning, and the team can no longer find a single hour when everybody actually exists at once. Flexible patterns can erode boundaries until work leaks into every corner of the day. They also make people less visible, which quietly costs them promotions down the line. They're hardest on junior staff, who need structure to learn anything at all. And employers can use 'flexibility' as a polite word for unpredictable hours that serve the company rather than the worker — which is what a fair amount of shift and gig work actually amounts to.

   Why this band

   • FC“Mainly that flexibility for one person quietly becomes friction for everyone else.” — The identical metaphor used at 7.0 delivered without the hedge "Honestly", a more confident, unqualified statement of the same paradox.
   • LR“silence stretches until ten the next morning” — A more vivid verb choice ("stretches") than 7.0's plainer "then silence until ten the next morning", giving the image a slightly more active, drawn-out feel.
   • GRA“employers can use 'flexibility' as a polite word for unpredictable hours that serve the company rather than the worker — which is what a fair amount of shift and gig work actually amounts to” — A dash-linked closing clause extending the sentence beyond 7.0's stopping point, connecting the personal observation to a broader pattern in a single flexible structure.

9. 9. Do you agree or disagree that people today must be prepared to relocate to another region to get work?

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

   Band 6.5

   The plain contrast "But for someone in my field, it's different" links the two halves of the answer directly, without the semicolon-joined structure the higher bands use instead.

   Partly agree, and it really depends on the type of work. Most young men from a village near my friend's hometown have moved to the city, because the only jobs at home are farming jobs — for them, moving isn't really a choice. But for someone in my field, it's different. I did some of my best work from a hospital corridor while I was away from my usual office, so remote work is making location matter less. Moving is still necessary for manual and service jobs, but less necessary for jobs done through a screen.

   Why this band

   • FC“Partly agree, and it really depends on the type of work.” — A plain, direct statement of position, simpler than 7.0's hedge-opened version and 7.5's near-identical but unhedged one.
   • LR“for them, moving isn't really a choice” — Plain phrasing for the lack of options facing the villagers, compared with 7.0's more developed "relocating isn't a choice so much as the price of earning a wage at all".
   • GRA“Most young men from a village near my friend's hometown have moved to the city, because the only jobs at home are farming jobs — for them, moving isn't really a choice.” — A single sentence with one "because" clause plus a dash-linked conclusion — correct and clear, but plainer than the more layered dash-linked sentence built on the same anecdote at 7.0 and 7.5.

   Band 7.0

   The hedge "Honestly" opens the answer, and the dash-linked clause turns the villagers' situation directly into a general claim about choice and necessity.

   Honestly, partly agree, and it depends heavily on the kind of work someone actually does. Nearly every young man from a village my friend's grandparents come from has moved to the city, simply because the only jobs at home are in the fields — for them, relocating isn't a choice so much as the price of earning a wage at all. For someone in my field, though, it's increasingly the opposite; I did some of my best design work from a hospital corridor, and remote work is steadily loosening the tie between a job and a place. The pressure to move, I'd say, stays real for manual and service work, while it keeps falling for anything done through a screen.

   Why this band

   • FC“Honestly, partly agree, and it depends heavily on the kind of work someone actually does.” — A hedge-opened statement of position that reads as considered judgement, more reflective than 6.5's flatter version of the same claim.
   • LR“relocating isn't a choice so much as the price of earning a wage at all” — A precise, developed idiom for the lack of options, more vivid than 6.5's plain "moving isn't really a choice".
   • GRA“Nearly every young man from a village my friend's grandparents come from has moved to the city, simply because the only jobs at home are in the fields — for them, relocating isn't a choice so much as the price of earning a wage at all.” — A dash-linked sentence turning the anecdote directly into a general claim, more complex than 6.5's plainer "because"-clause sentence on the same story.

   Band 7.5

   The closing observation "the people most forced to move are usually those with the least to move with" adds a final evaluative twist the other bands leave out.

   Partly agree, and it depends heavily on the kind of work involved. Nearly every young man from the village near my friend's grandparents has moved to a city, simply because the only jobs back home are in the fields — for them, relocating isn't a choice so much as the price of a wage. For someone in my line of work, the opposite increasingly holds true; some of my best design work has come from a hospital corridor, and remote work is steadily loosening the tie between a job and a place. The pressure to move, then, remains real for manual and service work and keeps falling away for anything done through a screen. What's harsh is that the people most forced to move are usually those with the least to move with in the first place.

   Why this band

   • FC“Partly agree, and it depends heavily on the kind of work involved.” — The same basic opener used at 7.0 but delivered without the hedge "Honestly", a slightly more confident, unqualified statement of the same nuanced position.
   • LR“the people most forced to move are usually those with the least to move with in the first place” — A vivid, paradoxical closing phrase that upgrades 7.0's plainer, more procedural closing sentence about pressure rising and falling.
   • GRA“For someone in my line of work, the opposite increasingly holds true; some of my best design work has come from a hospital corridor, and remote work is steadily loosening the tie between a job and a place.” — A semicolon links a general claim to the personal anecdote supporting it, a compact structure matching 7.0's but trimmed of the softer "though it's increasingly" framing.