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Academic Discussion prompt

Is animal testing justified for medical research that could save human lives? Explain your view.

Every scored sample answer Reach120 publishes for this prompt, banded so you can see the range rather than one version of "good".

2 sample answersBiology

The prompt

As it appears in practice

Animal testing has contributed to many medical breakthroughs, but raises ethical questions about animal welfare and the reliability of results.

Sample answers, by band

2 published

Reach120 practice band estimate — not an official ETS score How we estimate

Strong response

Band 5.04.0/5 rubric
I believe that animal testing is justified for medical research that could save human lives, as it is a more practical and effective approach in many situations. While I appreciate the points made by both students, I agree with Student 1. This is because animal testing saves not only humans but also creatures. For example, many medical breakthroughs, such as insulin and antibiotics, have been developed through research on organisms, benefiting both people and animals. This clearly shows that animal testing has historically led to significant advancements in medicine. In addition, the potential to save millions of individuals outweighs the ethical costs, which makes this idea even more beneficial. While Student 2 argues that animal testing is increasingly unjustifiable given modern alternatives, I believe that this point is less convincing because these alternatives cannot yet fully replicate the complex biological systems of living organisms. Therefore, my opinion remains that animal testing is necessary for medical progress. Overall, I strongly support this view. For these reasons, I firmly believe that animal testing is justified in the context of medical research that could save human lives.
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Middle response

Band 4.53.5/5 rubric
strongly agree with Student 1. One important reason is that animal testing helps scientists determine whether new medicines are safe before they are used on humans. This reduces potential risks and protects public health. Furthermore, many medical breakthroughs, including vaccines and treatments for serious diseases, were developed through animal research. As a result, people today live longer and healthier lives. Therefore, although ethical concerns should be considered, animal testing continues to play a vital role in medical advancement.
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How attempts at this prompt actually score

Measured 2026-08-26

Across 40 scored practice attempts at the Reach120 practice prompt "Is animal testing justified for medical research that could save human lives? Explain your view.", the mean Reach120 practice band estimate is 3.0 of 6 (measured 2026-08-26; Reach120 practice band estimate — not an official ETS score).

Mean band estimate

3.0of 6

over 40 scored practice attempts

Reach120 practice band estimate — not an official ETS score How we estimate

Band spread

  • 1.0–1.51
  • 3.0–3.536
  • 4.0–4.51
  • 5.0–5.52

Where attempts lose points

  • Language use2.42 of 5
  • Organization2.54 of 5
  • Contribution2.94 of 5
  • Content3.01 of 5
  • Format3.01 of 5

Source: Reach120 practice corpus, every scored attempt at this prompt, internal and harness-created accounts excluded through the same rule as public_measured_stats(). Attempts scored before 2026-03-23 are excluded: Reach120 changed how it scores on that date, and pooling across the change would describe the change rather than the writing. Recomputed when this page is rebuilt; the date above is when this reading was taken.

Published only at or above 30 scored attempts from at least 10 learners; below that Reach120 shows nothing here.

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