Band 6.0 IELTS Writing Task 2 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 6.0 · Cambridge IELTS 21 · 2026-08-03

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)

Moving abroad to study or doing a work placement for a specific time period are some of the aspects that ought to be comprised within all universities undergraduate degrees. I believe that the proposal is highly advantageous as it could bring a number of merits in terms of gaining experience and building connections.

Nowadays, some educational institutions offer internships to students, while a few have also started study exchange programs. Firstly, achieving a degree from abroad adds great value to a student's educational background and career because individuals who travel overseas to study are usually considered to be highly qualified and more experienced due to their exceptional knowledge and discipline. Secondly, doing a job or an internship at a company while studying provides early awareness of the job market and also helps in improving the financial situation of a student to some extent. In addition, this opportunity also gives a chance to the youth to do networking by engaging and interacting with the professionals and take their advices to opt a perfect career for themselves.

Conversely, there are certain demerits of this idea as well such as high costs to study abroad. Students have to show and spend a huge amount in order to study abroad. This is because the top scholarships are highly competitive, thus only a few candidates are able to achieve them. Along with this, it is also quite difficult to secure a job at some workplace as most of the organizations are reluctant to hire unexperienced employees. This situation becomes more stressful when the aspirants have to compete for those limited seats in order to gain work experience.

In conclusion, the merits of this thought overshadow its demerits. Although studying abroad or doing work placements is really tough, in the future they play a vital role in strengthening one's career.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 6.0

The response addresses all parts of the prompt, providing a clear position that the advantages outweigh the disadvantages. The ideas are relevant, covering both the benefits (career prospects, networking) and the drawbacks (financial burden, competitive job market). However, the development of these ideas is somewhat limited. For instance, the point about 'improving the financial situation' while studying is not fully explained and could be seen as counter-intuitive given the high costs mentioned later. To reach a higher band, you should provide more specific examples or deeper analysis of how these experiences translate into long-term professional success rather than just listing general benefits.

Coherence and Cohesion — Band 6.0

The essay is logically organized with a clear introduction, body paragraphs, and a conclusion. Each paragraph has a central theme, and the progression of ideas is easy to follow. You use cohesive devices such as 'Firstly', 'Secondly', 'In addition', and 'Conversely' to link your points. However, some of the transitions feel slightly mechanical, and the referencing could be more sophisticated. For example, the link between the second and third paragraphs could be smoother to better contrast the advantages and disadvantages. Overall, the paragraphing is appropriate and contributes to a coherent flow of information.

Lexical Resource — Band 6.0

You demonstrate a sufficient range of vocabulary to discuss the topic with some precision. Phrases like 'educational institutions', 'highly qualified', and 'reluctant to hire' are used effectively. There are some minor inaccuracies in word choice, such as 'take their advices' (advice is uncountable) and 'opt a perfect career' (the verb 'opt' usually requires 'for'). While you attempt some less common vocabulary, there is room to incorporate more sophisticated collocations and idiomatic expressions to elevate the tone of the essay. The vocabulary is adequate for the task but lacks the flexibility required for higher bands.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 5.5

You use a mix of simple and complex sentence structures, which is good. However, there are several grammatical slips throughout the text. For example, 'universities undergraduate degrees' should be 'university undergraduate degrees', and 'unexperienced' should be 'inexperienced'. Additionally, the sentence 'This is because the top scholarships are highly competitive, thus only a few candidates are able to achieve them' is slightly awkward in its construction. While these errors do not impede communication, they occur frequently enough to prevent a higher score. Focusing on subject-verb agreement and correct word forms will help improve your accuracy.

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