Band 6.0 IELTS Writing Task 2 Model Answer
Overall Band Score: 6.0 · Cambridge IELTS 21 · 2026-11-14
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)
It is a common suggestion that the inclusion of work placement or a period of studying abroad should be included in all undergraduate courses at a university.This essay will emunciate on the merits and demerits of it before it reaches a reasoned conclusion.
First and foremost, this proposal has some disadvantages. To begin with, the expense of studying abroad is exorbitant, and not everyone can afford to pay such a huge amount of money for higher education. At a university there are students from varied economic background who enroll themselves in wide variety of courses. Inclusion of foreign education might not be a feaseble option for students from economically weaker background. Meanwhile, inclusion of work placement may have some disadvantages as well. Students might not be well equipped with the relevant skills that are needed for a job role. So instead of preparing students for job by providing them the necessary skills may not work in favour of the students.
In contrast, there are substantial pros to this proposal. Inclusion of period of studying abroad can be advantageous for students in different ways.For instance, it can provide wide range of opportunities which can enhance their careers. It can also help students to develope their personality which can assist in their holistic growth. If we talk about inclusion of work placement, there are many advantages of it. For example, it can provide the experience of working at an organization which helps to gain skills that can not be taught in a classroom and can only be acquired at a work place. The skiils aquired during that time period can be useful in long term career of a student.
To conclude, considering the advantages and the disadvantages of the given proposal i think the advantages outweight the disadvantages
AI examiner evaluation
| Criterion | Band |
|---|---|
| Task Achievement / Task Response | 6.0 |
| Coherence and Cohesion | 6.0 |
| Lexical Resource | 6.0 |
| Grammatical Range and Accuracy | 6.0 |
| Overall | 6.0 |
Task Achievement / Task Response: Band 6.0
You address both sides of the proposal and give a clear overall view: the conclusion says the advantages outweigh the disadvantages. Relevant points include the cost of overseas study, students’ readiness for placements, career opportunities, personal development and practical workplace skills. This covers the task, but some ideas are asserted rather than fully explained. For example, the claim that studying abroad can “enhance their careers” would be stronger with a specific explanation of how international experience helps, while the concern about students lacking job skills is not developed with an example or a clear link to why placements should be avoided. Make your position explicit earlier and support each main point with a concrete example or consequence.
Coherence and Cohesion: Band 6.0
The response has a clear overall structure: an introduction, a paragraph on disadvantages, a paragraph on advantages and a conclusion. Signposting such as “First and foremost,” “In contrast” and “To conclude” helps readers follow the discussion. However, the progression within paragraphs is sometimes mechanical, and some links between ideas are unclear. For instance, “So instead of preparing students for job by providing them the necessary skills may not work in favour of the students” does not clearly connect the proposed placement to the concern about students’ existing skills. The conclusion also repeats the position without summarising the main reasons. Use more precise referencing and develop a clear sequence of claim, explanation and example within each paragraph.
Lexical Resource: Band 6.0
You use an adequate range of topic-related vocabulary, including “exorbitant,” “economically weaker background,” “holistic growth” and “relevant skills.” These choices help communicate the main ideas, and meaning remains clear despite some inaccurate or awkward expressions. For example, “emunciate on the merits” is not a natural collocation, and “wide variety of courses” does not fit the intended point about students’ backgrounds. There are also spelling errors such as “feaseble,” “develope,” “skiils,” “aquired” and “outweight.” Aim for accurate, natural phrasing rather than choosing formal-sounding words, and proofread carefully. More precise vocabulary for the benefits and limitations of placements would also make the argument more convincing.
Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 6.0
You attempt a mix of simple and complex sentence forms, including clauses beginning with “who,” “which” and “that,” and most sentences communicate their meaning. Some grammatical errors remain, particularly with articles, sentence construction and punctuation. For example, “at a university.This essay” needs a space after the full stop, while “from varied economic background” needs an article or plural form. The sentence beginning “So instead of preparing students…” is structurally incomplete, and “the advantages outweight the disadvantages” lacks appropriate capitalisation and punctuation in the conclusion. Review article use and make sure each sentence has a complete, clearly connected main clause. These corrections would improve accuracy without sacrificing your attempts at complex structures.
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