Band 7.5 IELTS Writing Task 2 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 7.5 · Cambridge IELTS 17 · 2026-09-07

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 7.5)

Some people argue that professionals such as doctors and engineers should be required to work in the country where they received their training. Others believe that these professionals should have the freedom to work in any country they choose. This essay will discuss both views before explaining why I believe professionals should be free to work abroad.

On the one hand, requiring professionals to work in the country where they were trained could benefit that country significantly. Governments often spend large amounts of public money on universities, hospitals and professional training. Therefore, it can be argued that trained professionals have a responsibility to contribute to the society that supported their education. For example, if a country spends public funds to train doctors, losing many of them to richer countries can create a shortage of medical staff and reduce the quality of healthcare. This problem is particularly serious in developing countries, where qualified professionals are already limited.

On the other hand, professionals should have the right to choose where they want to work. People may move to another country because of better salaries, improved working conditions, career opportunities or a higher standard of living. Allowing professionals to work internationally can also help them gain new knowledge and experience, which may benefit their home country if they eventually return. For instance, an engineer who works on advanced projects abroad may develop valuable technical skills that can later be used in their own country.

In my opinion, professionals should not be forced to remain in the country where they were trained. Although governments have a legitimate reason to expect some contribution from professionals whose education was publicly funded, restricting their freedom to work abroad is unfair. Instead, governments should improve salaries, working conditions and career opportunities to encourage skilled workers to remain in their home countries.

In conclusion, while requiring professionals to work in the country where they were trained could help prevent shortages of skilled workers, I believe individuals should have the freedom to choose where they work. Governments should focus on creating attractive working conditions rather than imposing restrictions on professionals.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 7.5

The response fully addresses all parts of the task. You have clearly discussed both perspectives—the obligation to serve one's home country due to public funding and the individual right to professional mobility. Your own position is clearly stated in the introduction and consistently maintained throughout the essay. The arguments are well-developed, particularly the point about developing countries facing medical shortages and the counter-argument regarding the potential for returning professionals to bring back advanced technical skills. The ideas are extended logically, providing a balanced view that meets the requirements of the prompt effectively.

Coherence and Cohesion — Band 7.5

The essay is logically organized with a clear progression of ideas. Each paragraph has a central topic sentence, and the transition between the two viewpoints and your own opinion is smooth. You use a range of cohesive devices effectively, such as 'On the one hand', 'On the other hand', 'Therefore', and 'Although'. The paragraphing is appropriate, with a clear introduction, two body paragraphs discussing the opposing views, a paragraph for your own opinion, and a concise conclusion. The flow of information is natural and easy to follow throughout the response.

Lexical Resource — Band 7.0

You demonstrate a sufficient range of vocabulary to discuss the topic with precision. You use topic-specific terminology such as 'public funds', 'professional training', 'qualified professionals', and 'career opportunities' accurately. There is an awareness of style and collocation, and your word choice is consistently appropriate for an academic essay. While the vocabulary is functional and accurate, it could be elevated further by incorporating more sophisticated or less common lexical items to reach the highest band, but it is certainly strong enough for a high score.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 7.5

The response displays a good variety of complex sentence structures, such as conditional sentences ('if a country spends...') and concessive clauses ('Although governments have...'). The majority of your sentences are error-free, and your control over punctuation and grammar is consistent. There are no significant errors that impede communication. To reach a higher band, you could experiment with a wider variety of advanced grammatical structures, such as inversion or more complex passive constructions, but your current control is very reliable and accurate.

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

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