Band 6.0 IELTS Writing Task 2 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 6.0 · Cambridge IELTS 21 · 2026-11-05

IELTS Writing Task 2 question

All university undergraduate courses should include a period of time spent studying abroad or doing a work placement.

Do you think the advantages of this would outweigh the disadvantages?

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

Student answer (Band 6.0)

Study is themost important thing for students. Some students go to abroad for further study. Some believe that universities have to include some period of time to spend studying in abroad for undergraduate courses to improve their knowledge. I believe studying abroad for an undergraduate course is more beneficial for students.

In this paragraph, I throw some light on positive site of studying abroad. Firstly, studying abroad is most important for gaining practical work experience. Students can apply their theoretical knowledge to real-world situations. Work placements help them to understand professional responsibilities. Students can develop their practical skills that can not be fully learn in the classrooms. Hands-on practice makes students more skillful and valuable. For example, medical students can gain valuable experience and hand-on practice through an internship.

Secondly, while studying abroad, students improve their social skills such as communication and interpersonal skills. Students can learn how to communicate with other people. They develop teamwork and leadership while studying abroad. These skills are essential for working in a professional environment.

On the other hand, studying abroad can increase financial burden for students. Studying abroad includes additional expenses such as living costs, accommodation, traveling , food etc. Students from low income families can not afford these costs. Spending more time in abroad can interrupt student's regular academic schedules. Different educational systems can also create difficulties in transferring academic credits.

To conclude, studying abroad brings more advantages for undergraduate students. It helps students to improve their social skills and experience by hand-on practice.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response: Band 6.0

Your position is clear: you believe the benefits outweigh the drawbacks, and you discuss relevant advantages—practical experience and social skills—as well as financial and academic disadvantages. The medical-internship example helps illustrate the first advantage. However, the response focuses mainly on studying abroad, while the prompt also proposes work placements; these are mentioned, but their value is not explored separately. Some points, such as improved communication and teamwork, are asserted rather than supported with a specific explanation or example. To strengthen the response, address both options directly and develop each main idea with a clear explanation of how it benefits undergraduates and why those benefits outweigh the costs or disruption.

Coherence and Cohesion: Band 6.0

The response has a clear overall structure, moving from an introduction to advantages, disadvantages and a conclusion. Paragraphing helps the reader follow the main points, and signposts such as “Firstly,” “Secondly” and “On the other hand” make the direction of the argument clear. However, the linking is somewhat mechanical, and the opening phrase “In this paragraph” does not accurately describe the essay’s structure. Some ideas are placed next to one another without enough explanation of their relationship, particularly the shift from studying abroad to work placements. The conclusion repeats the main position but does not bring the comparison of advantages and disadvantages together. Use more natural transitions and connect each supporting detail explicitly to your argument.

Lexical Resource: Band 5.5

You use a relevant range of vocabulary, including “theoretical knowledge,” “professional responsibilities,” “interpersonal skills” and “financial burden,” which helps communicate the topic. There are also attempts at more specific expressions, such as “real-world situations” and “academic credits.” However, several word choices and collocations are inaccurate or repetitive: “positive site” is unclear, “more skillful and valuable” is imprecise, and “hand-on practice” is used where a more natural expression is needed. Spelling and spacing issues, including “themost” and “traveling ,” also reduce accuracy. Aim for precise, natural collocations and check spelling and word forms during proofreading.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 5.5

You use a mix of simple sentences and some more developed structures, including “Students can apply their theoretical knowledge to real-world situations” and the sentence explaining that students from low-income families may not afford the costs. Most ideas remain understandable, but some grammatical errors recur. Examples include “go to abroad,” “can not be fully learn,” “Spending more time in abroad,” and “interrupt student's regular academic schedules.” These involve prepositions, verb forms and possessive/plural agreement. There is also inconsistent punctuation and spacing. To improve, check verb forms after modal verbs, use prepositions accurately, and review possessives and plural nouns. More accurate complex sentences would add range while keeping your meaning clear.

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

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