Band 6.5 IELTS Writing Task 2 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 6.5 · Cambridge IELTS 21 · 2026-07-31

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)

Tertiary education provides a wide range of practical knowledge to the students. It is believed by some people that, all university undergraduate courses should add an internship period or to manage a study abroad program for a certain time, while others argue that it has serious negative consequences. I consider that, internship period or studying abroad for a certain time has a many more advantages than their drawbacks.

The main disadvantage that people argue is that, work placement can create a study gap of the students, which may lead them to lack of concentration to their further study. Secondly, studying abroad for a certain time is a costly event, not all the students can afford it. If it is include with course outline, eventually it will bring a barrier for the students belong to the middle class family. As a result, higher education enrollment rate will decline.

On the other hand, placement and studying abroad have a lot of advantages. Firstly, doing an internship before joining the jobs brings some practical experiences to the students. Which helps them to decide their career path. Additionally, studying abroad makes this undergraduate study life enjoyable. Besides this, it will increase their real world knowledge. Only bookish knowledge is not enough for a student to shine in their career, practical knowledge is also important. A work placement and a short period of studying abroad shape the undergraduate course outline perfect.

To conclude, I would like to reiterate my opinion by saying that, include a job placement and a short time of abroad study has many positive impacts on the students than the drawbacks.

AI examiner evaluation

CriterionBand
Task Achievement / Task Response6.5
Coherence and Cohesion7.0
Lexical Resource6.5
Grammatical Range and Accuracy6.0
Overall6.5

Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 6.5

The response addresses all parts of the prompt, clearly stating a position that the advantages outweigh the disadvantages. The ideas are relevant, though some points, such as the claim that studying abroad makes undergraduate life 'enjoyable', are somewhat superficial and lack depth. The argument regarding the financial burden on middle-class families is a strong, relevant point. To reach a higher band, you should provide more specific examples or evidence to support your claims, rather than relying on general statements. Overall, the position is consistent throughout the essay.

Coherence and Cohesion — Band 7.0

The essay is logically organized into clear paragraphs, each with a distinct focus. You use basic cohesive devices such as 'Firstly', 'Secondly', 'On the other hand', and 'To conclude' to guide the reader. However, the use of these devices is sometimes mechanical, and there are instances where the flow between sentences is slightly disjointed, such as the abrupt transition in the third paragraph: 'Which helps them to decide their career path.' Improving the variety of linking words and ensuring smoother transitions between ideas would enhance the coherence of your writing.

Lexical Resource — Band 6.5

The vocabulary used is generally adequate for the task, allowing you to express your ideas clearly. You use some topic-specific vocabulary like 'tertiary education', 'undergraduate', and 'internship'. However, there is a reliance on simpler phrasing, and some word choices are slightly unnatural, such as 'bookish knowledge' or 'shape the undergraduate course outline perfect'. To improve, try to incorporate more precise collocations and academic vocabulary to demonstrate a wider range and better control over nuance.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 6.0

You demonstrate a mix of simple and complex sentence structures. While the meaning is generally clear, there are frequent grammatical errors, particularly with articles ('a many more advantages'), subject-verb agreement, and preposition usage ('If it is include with course outline'). Some sentences are also slightly awkward in their construction, such as 'It is believed by some people that, all university undergraduate courses should add...'. Focusing on proofreading for basic grammatical accuracy and refining your use of complex structures will help you achieve a higher score.

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