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)

Nowadays, many peope believe that students must spend some time studying abroad or working fpr their work placements. I highly believe that advantages of this may outweigh its disadvantages as it is very beneficial in terms of getting experiences and better understanding.

One major advantage of studying abroad is that students can gain practical knowledge and develop a wider perspective. They get the opportunity to interact with alien people and get to know about other culture, languages, livestyles and surroundings. This makes people very good at public dealing and building confidence.

If we talk about work placements, it is also a significant part of every job to claim practical knowledge. IT also helps to understand the actual work environment rather than just theoretical knowledge. For example, a business studies student will get more to know about their task management skills in actual work place rather than in theoretical exams. Work placements also help young people to grab knowledge and experience of their work that might be very helpful in further job placements.

However, the disadvantages of this approach maybe the feeling of homesickness or some people are not able to biuld external relations to fit in the environment, culture or atmosphere. People living abroad may also struggle in the management of their expenses or not able to fulfill it.

Despite the drawbacks, it is an beneficial approach to work on as problems such as expenses sometimes may be solved by the scholarship providing universities or providing better work placements.

In conclusion, the advantages of studying aborad or having work placements totally outweigh the disadvantages as it provides students with better lifestyle,experiencing and developing a broader perspective.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response: Band 6.5

Your position is clear from the introduction and conclusion: you believe the benefits outweigh the drawbacks. You address both study abroad and work placements, giving relevant points about cultural awareness, confidence, practical knowledge and homesickness or expenses. The business-studies example also helps make the work-placement argument more concrete. However, the two advantages are not developed equally: the study-abroad paragraph lists possible benefits but does not explain in detail how they affect students’ future study or careers. The disadvantages are also mentioned briefly, and the response does not fully compare their impact with the benefits. To strengthen the argument, explain one or two points in greater depth and show why the advantages are more significant.

Coherence and Cohesion: Band 6.5

The response has a clear overall structure, moving from an introduction to separate advantages, a drawbacks paragraph and a conclusion. Linking phrases such as “One major advantage,” “However,” “Despite the drawbacks” and “In conclusion” make the direction of the argument easy to follow. The main limitation is that some connections are mechanical or unclear. For example, “If we talk about work placements” is a conversational transition, while “this approach” in the drawbacks paragraph could refer to either studying abroad or placements. The final paragraph also repeats the position without adding a clear comparison. Use more precise references and connect each example directly to the point it supports; this would make the progression more flexible and cohesive.

Lexical Resource: Band 5.5

You use some relevant topic vocabulary, including “practical knowledge,” “work environment,” “homesickness” and “broader perspective,” so the main ideas are generally understandable. There are also attempts at less common expressions, but several choices are inaccurate or unnatural and sometimes make the meaning less clear. For instance, “interact with alien people” is not an appropriate way to describe meeting people from another culture, and “public dealing” does not naturally express communication skills. Spelling errors such as “peope,” “fpr,” “biuld” and “aborad” are noticeable, alongside awkward phrases such as “grab knowledge.” Build a more reliable range of collocations and check spelling, word forms and natural phrasing before submitting.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 5.5

You attempt both simple and more complex sentence forms, including clauses with “as,” “rather than” and “that,” and the overall meaning can usually be followed. However, grammatical control is inconsistent, particularly in longer sentences. For example, “some people are not able to biuld external relations to fit in the environment” has an unclear construction, and “People living abroad may also struggle in the management of their expenses or not able to fulfill it” lacks parallel structure and a clear verb pattern. There are also article and agreement problems, as in “it is an beneficial approach” and “other culture.” Practise building accurate clauses and parallel lists, and check articles, plurals and verb forms; this will help you express your ideas more clearly.

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

Browse more IELTS Writing model answers or get your own writing scored by the same AI examiner.