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)

Some individuals believe that all university undergraduate courses should include a period of time spent studying abroad or doing work placement. Although this method has certain disadvantages, such as waste of time for research students and less focus on curriculum, I believe that the advantages in terms of better job placement and foreign education exposure outweigh the disadvantages.

One of the major advantages is better job placements. Most of the students who join college have a final goal of getting a job in reputed companies, and this can be achieved if enough time is spent on it. For example, if a student gets this benefit from university, then he or she can get better job offerings. Another benefit is getting knowledge of foreign education. This is beneficial for students who want to pursue a master's degree from a foreign university. For instance, if an individual get knowledge of foreign universities through abroad studies of curriculum, then he or she can easily go abroad for studies.

However, there are certain drawbacks to consider. The biggest concern is less amount of time spent on the college curriculum. In contrast, if a university spend a period of time on the extra activities, then it will have to reduce some time from their teaching curriculum. This will create a lack of knowledge for students. Additionally, it will be considered a waste of time for an individual who wants to go in a research field. For students who aims to go in research area, requires a great understanding of their field, which will lack behind if curriculum is updated.

In conclusion, making changes in undergraduate courses has certain disadvantages in terms of waste of time and less focus on field knowledge, its benefits, such as better job placement and knowledge of foreign education, are more significant. I believe that the advantages of this change clearly outweigh the disadvantages.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 6.0

The response addresses all parts of the prompt and maintains a clear position throughout. The ideas are relevant, such as job prospects and curriculum focus, though some points are slightly repetitive. For example, the argument regarding 'better job placements' is mentioned twice without significant expansion. While the position is clear, the development of ideas could be more nuanced; for instance, the discussion on research students is a strong point but lacks a specific example to fully illustrate the impact. Overall, the response is well-structured and directly answers the question, meeting the requirements for a Band 6.5-7.0 level of development.

Coherence and Cohesion — Band 6.0

The essay is logically organized with a clear introduction, body paragraphs, and conclusion. Each paragraph has a central theme. Cohesive devices are used, such as 'One of the major advantages', 'Another benefit', and 'However', which help guide the reader. However, some transitions feel slightly mechanical, and the referencing is occasionally repetitive. For instance, the phrase 'if a student...' is used frequently to start sentences, which impacts the flow. Paragraphing is used appropriately to separate the advantages and disadvantages, contributing to a coherent overall structure.

Lexical Resource — Band 5.5

The vocabulary is generally adequate for the task, allowing the student to convey their meaning clearly. There are attempts to use topic-specific vocabulary like 'undergraduate courses', 'curriculum', and 'job placement'. However, the range is somewhat limited, and there are instances of imprecise word choice, such as 'go in a research field' instead of 'pursue a career in research' and 'lack behind' instead of 'lag behind'. While communication is never impeded, the lack of more sophisticated or varied lexical items keeps the score in the 6.0 range.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 5.5

The essay uses a mix of simple and complex sentence structures. While the meaning is clear, there are frequent minor grammatical errors, particularly with subject-verb agreement and article usage. Examples include 'if an individual get knowledge' (should be 'gets') and 'for students who aims' (should be 'aim'). Additionally, there are some awkward phrasings like 'if a university spend a period of time on the extra activities'. Despite these errors, the student demonstrates a reasonable grasp of sentence construction, and the errors do not cause confusion for the reader.

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