Band 6.5 IELTS Writing Task 2 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 6.5 · Cambridge IELTS 17 · 2026-08-21

IELTS Writing Task 2 question

Some people believe that professionals, such as doctors and engineers, should be required to work in the country where they did their training. Others believe they should be free to work in another country if they wish.

Discuss both these views and give your own opinion.

Give reasons for your answer and include any relevant examples from your own knowledge or experience.

Student answer (Band 6.5)

Individuals believe that skilled workers, like doctors and engineers should be obliged to work in the country where they trained. Others, however, believe that they should have the freedom to pursue employment opportunities abroad if they choose. Although working in the country where they did their training could be beneficial for a number of reasons, I believe that they should be able to choose their own path.

Those who argue that experts, like doctors and engineers should work in the country of their training hold that view because their studies equipped them to deal with problems specific to their country. Doctors receive training to deal with disease that are particularly common in their country, while engineers may develop expertise in local infrastructure and environmental challenges.

On the other hand, allowing professionals to work abroad may broaden their horizon and provide them with valuable opportunities for career development. Working in a different country may expose the doctors and engineers to advanced technologies, specialized training and alternative approaches to their profession. They can also gain international experience and bring this knowledge back to their home countries in the future. I believe this argument is more convincing because, not every country faces the same problems regarding their health and neither do the countries have similar terrain and infrastructure problems.

In conclusion, although doctors and engineers staying in their country of origin may have some advantages, I believe that moving abroad for employment opportunities more beneficial as they gain knowledge about various matters related to their subject that could someday be applied to their home countries

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 6.5

The response addresses all parts of the prompt, discussing both views and providing a clear personal opinion. The ideas are relevant, such as the mention of local infrastructure challenges versus the benefits of international exposure. However, the development is somewhat limited; the arguments could be more thoroughly supported with specific examples or deeper analysis. For instance, the point about 'alternative approaches' could be expanded to explain how these specifically benefit a home country. The position is consistent throughout, but the depth of exploration is more characteristic of a Band 6.5 or 7.0 level.

Coherence and Cohesion — Band 6.5

The essay is logically organized with a clear introduction, body paragraphs, and a conclusion. Each paragraph has a central topic, and the progression of ideas is easy to follow. Cohesive devices such as 'On the other hand', 'Although', and 'In conclusion' are used effectively to link ideas. However, the transition between the second and third paragraphs could be smoother, and some referencing is slightly repetitive. Overall, the paragraphing is appropriate and the flow of information is logical, meeting the requirements for a Band 7.

Lexical Resource — Band 6.0

The vocabulary is generally appropriate and sufficient for the task. The student uses topic-specific terms like 'infrastructure', 'specialized training', and 'employment opportunities'. There are some minor issues with collocation and word choice, such as 'disease that are' (should be plural 'diseases') and 'neither do the countries have similar terrain', which is slightly awkward phrasing. While the range is adequate to convey meaning clearly, it lacks the sophistication and precision required for a higher band score. The vocabulary is functional but not particularly varied or nuanced.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 6.0

The essay demonstrates a mix of simple and complex sentence structures. There are several grammatical errors, such as subject-verb agreement issues ('disease that are') and missing articles ('not every country faces the same problems regarding their health'). Punctuation is generally correct, though there are some unnecessary commas, such as after 'engineers' in the first paragraph. While the errors do not impede communication, they occur frequently enough to prevent a higher score. The student shows an ability to use complex sentences, but control over these structures is not entirely consistent.

See this exact question answered at other band scores — the same prompt compared across bands.

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