Band 6.0 IELTS Writing Task 2 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 6.0 · Cambridge IELTS 21 · 2026-08-10

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)

In the contemporary era, some people argue that universities should include a period for study abroad or doing work placement for undergraduate students. I believe the advantages are overweigh the disadvantages.

The prominent merit is, to get an international exposure. If student spend their one semester or more in foreign country's university or college, it not only help to boost their numerous skills but also can help to learn about native culture of that country. While studying abroad learner can be more familiar with local language and can boost their confidence level. Along with this, If people working in foreign nation for a short period, they can get sharpen their skills such as problem-solving and team work. They can adapt their business techniques and can use in their own country to grow their business.

Paradoxically, this trend has a few drawbacks as well . The first and foremost is, not affordable. There are various students in university whom are very brilliant in academic studies but are not wealthy from families to pay money to get visa and other processing. Consequently, such students can never get a chance to pay and go abroad for studies. So, university should try to help these students by provide funding.

To recapitulate, although it has a few demerits such as, not affordable for all students, its positives are overweight negatives which cannot be ignored such as, can adapt way to working and can boost their various skills which can be beneficial for their later life.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 6.0

The response addresses the prompt by discussing both the advantages and disadvantages of mandatory study abroad or work placements. The position is clear throughout, and the main ideas are relevant. However, the development of these ideas is somewhat limited. For instance, the argument regarding 'problem-solving and team work' is mentioned but not fully explored or supported with a concrete example. The conclusion briefly summarizes the points but does not add depth. To reach a higher band, you should aim to expand on your supporting points with more specific examples or detailed explanations to ensure the ideas are fully developed rather than just stated.

Coherence and Cohesion — Band 6.0

The essay is organized into clear paragraphs, and there is a logical progression of ideas. You use some cohesive devices such as 'The prominent merit is,' 'Along with this,' and 'To recapitulate.' However, the use of these devices is sometimes mechanical or slightly awkward, such as 'Paradoxically, this trend has a few drawbacks as well.' Additionally, some referencing is slightly unclear, and the flow between sentences could be smoother. Improving the variety of linking words and ensuring they are used naturally will help improve the coherence of your writing.

Lexical Resource — Band 6.0

You demonstrate an adequate range of vocabulary for the task, using terms like 'contemporary era,' 'prominent merit,' and 'recapitulate.' However, there are several instances of imprecise word choice and awkward collocations, such as 'get sharpen their skills' instead of 'sharpen their skills' and 'not wealthy from families' instead of 'do not come from wealthy families.' There are also minor errors in word form, such as 'provide funding' instead of 'providing funding.' To improve, focus on learning common collocations and ensuring that your word choices are contextually appropriate.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 5.5

The essay contains a mix of simple and complex sentence structures. However, there are frequent grammatical errors that occasionally impede the flow of reading. Examples include 'If student spend' (subject-verb agreement), 'whom are very brilliant' (incorrect relative pronoun), and 'its positives are overweight negatives' (incorrect verb usage). Punctuation is also inconsistent, particularly with comma placement. While the meaning is generally clear, the frequency of these errors prevents the essay from reaching a higher band. Focus on proofreading for basic subject-verb agreement and ensuring that complex sentence structures are grammatically sound.

See this exact question answered at other band scores — the same prompt compared across bands.

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