Band 6.5 IELTS Writing Task 2 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 6.5 · Cambridge IELTS 21 · 2026-11-12

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 6.5)

It is often discussed that there should be a time period for under graduate students in all the universities for studying abroad or doing a job. In my opinion, it is a positive development and this essay will demonstrate why its advantages would outweigh the disadvantages.

The advantages of gaining international or workplace knowledge are very valuable for a students future. To begin with, a work placement allows a student to apply their classroom knowledge in real life situations. This helps them develop important skills such as discipline, teamwork and communication. These are very important for a student as organisations gives priority to these kind of skill sets while hiring new graduates. Furthermore, studying abroad makes young people more independent and confident. For instance, a student who spend six months in a foreign country learns how to solve problems all by himself as well as learn about other cultures, which is very useful in today's global job market.

In contrast, making overseas study or internship can cause problems for certain students. Students from poor or middle-class families may not be able to afford extra expenses without financial help from the university. Additionally, it can be difficult for universities to find suitable job for every single students, specially in theoretical subjects like history or literature. As a result, some students might waste time doing basic office work that does not help their studies.

In conclusion, while financial costs and limited placement opportunities are real challenges, the positive effects on a student's career and personal growth are far more significant. therefore, the advantages clearly outweigh the disadvantages.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response: Band 7.0

Your position is clear from the introduction: you believe the advantages outweigh the disadvantages, and the conclusion restates this view. You address both sides with relevant points, including practical skills from placements, independence gained abroad, affordability, and the difficulty of finding suitable placements. The examples help explain the benefits, particularly the six-month stay in a foreign country. This fits a response that addresses all parts and extends its ideas. However, some claims remain broad—for example, that organisations prioritise these skills and that the benefits are “far more significant”—without specific evidence or a fuller explanation of how the advantages outweigh the costs and unsuitable placements. Develop one or two points with more concrete examples or comparisons to make the argument more persuasive.

Coherence and Cohesion: Band 7.0

The essay has a clear four-paragraph structure, moving from your position to advantages, disadvantages, and a conclusion. The progression within the body paragraphs is generally logical, and signposts such as “To begin with,” “Furthermore,” and “In contrast” make the relationship between points easy to follow. Pronouns such as “These” also connect ideas to the preceding sentence. This is a clear, organised response with a consistent line of argument. To make the cohesion more flexible, avoid relying mainly on explicit transition phrases and strengthen links between claims and their explanations. For example, after noting that some placements involve basic office work, explain more directly how this limitation compares with the broader benefits you have described.

Lexical Resource: Band 6.0

You use an adequate range of vocabulary for the topic, including “work placement,” “teamwork,” “independent,” “financial help,” and “global job market.” These choices communicate the main ideas clearly, and some topic-specific expressions help the response sound relevant. However, several word choices and collocations are inaccurate or awkward, such as “a time period,” “a students future,” “making overseas study,” and “find suitable job.” There are also spelling and form issues, including “specially” where “especially” is intended. These do not prevent understanding, but they limit precision and naturalness. Aim to learn common academic collocations as complete phrases and check spelling and possessive forms during revision.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 6.5

You use a mix of simple and complex structures, including a conditional-style example (“a student who spend six months… learns…”) and a contrast clause beginning “while financial costs…”. Most sentences remain understandable, and the errors rarely obscure your meaning. Some grammatical inaccuracies persist, however: “a students future” needs a singular possessive, “organisations gives” has subject–verb disagreement, and “a student who spend” should use a verb agreeing with the singular subject. Plural forms are also inconsistent in “every single students.” Capitalisation after the full stop in “therefore” needs attention. To strengthen control, proofread each sentence for agreement, articles, and singular/plural forms while continuing to use varied sentence structures.

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