Band 6.5 IELTS Writing Task 2 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 6.5 · Cambridge IELTS 17 · 2026-10-30

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)

While some people think that doctors and engineers should work in the country they studied in, others argue that they should get a chance to pursue their jobs elsewhere. I personally think that the latter view makes more sense, this is because people from any profession should have no restriction whatsoever on where they want to work.

On one hand, professionals like doctors and engineers should benefit the country that invested on them. The training of professionals like doctors and engineers costs a lot of money, most of which comes from taxpayers. Students from both these professions study for 4 years at the very least, and this period costs the institution largely - both financially and physically. For example, an average MBBS student in Pakistan has to pay at least Pkr 10,000,000 every year to their respective institutes. Since most of these students get a certain percentage of scholarships on their tuition fees, the cost is passed on to the residents of the country. Thus, doctors and engineers should serve the people who invested heavily on them.

On the other hand, doctors and engineers should have the right to work in an economy that pays them handsomely. Since there is a huge gap in earnings worldwide, certain developed countries pay doctors and engineers substantially higher amounts than other developing ones. For example, there is an evident disparity in the incomes of doctors and engineers in the US in comparison to their counterparts in Pakistan. Thus, pursuing a career in the US is a far more desirable option for the majority.

In conclusion, patriotically, professionals like doctors and engineers should professionally support their countries. However in my opinion, people from all professions should have an equal chance at getting better career opportunities anywhere in the world.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response: Band 6.0

You discuss both positions and state your own view clearly: the introduction supports freedom to work abroad, and the conclusion repeats that professionals should have equal access to opportunities. The taxpayer-funded training argument is relevant and supported with a Pakistan example, while the higher salaries available overseas explain the opposing view. However, the two sides are not developed equally. The first paragraph makes a broad claim that professionals should repay investment, but does not consider whether a service period or other arrangement could address this without restricting mobility. The second side relies mainly on income and would be stronger with another reason, such as better facilities or career development. These unevenly developed points keep the response from fully extending its ideas.

Coherence and Cohesion: Band 7.0

The essay has a clear, effective structure: an introduction, separate paragraphs for each view, and a conclusion. The progression from the investment argument to the salary argument is easy to follow, and signposts such as “On one hand,” “On the other hand,” and “In conclusion” make the organisation explicit. Examples are placed alongside the claims they support, which helps the reader understand the reasoning. Some linking is a little mechanical, particularly the repeated “Thus” at the ends of both body paragraphs. The conclusion also shifts abruptly from “patriotically” supporting one view to your own position. More varied transitions and a clearer connection between the two concluding sentences would make the cohesion more flexible and natural.

Lexical Resource: Band 6.0

You use an adequate range of topic vocabulary, including “taxpayers,” “scholarships,” “tuition fees,” “earnings,” and “career opportunities.” Phrases such as “huge gap in earnings” and “substantially higher amounts” communicate the salary argument clearly. There are, however, some inaccurate or unnatural choices and collocations. “Invested on them” should be “invested in their training,” while “the cost is passed on to the residents” does not express the intended point as precisely as “the cost is ultimately borne by taxpayers.” “Costs the institution largely” is also unclear, and “pursue their jobs elsewhere” is less natural than “pursue careers abroad.” Improving precision and collocation would make the vocabulary more controlled and effective.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 6.5

You use a mix of simple and complex sentence forms, and several longer sentences are controlled well, including “Since there is a huge gap in earnings worldwide, certain developed countries pay doctors and engineers substantially higher amounts.” The meaning remains clear throughout. Some grammatical and punctuation issues persist, however. The opening sentence joins two independent clauses with a comma in “I personally think that the latter view makes more sense, this is because…”. The sentence about students studying for four years also has an unclear subject and structure: “this period costs the institution largely.” In the conclusion, “However in my opinion” needs punctuation after “However,” and the two adverbs make the sentence awkwardly constructed. More accurate clause boundaries and clearer sentence structures would strengthen control.

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