Band 6.0 IELTS Writing Task 2 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 6.0 · Cambridge IELTS 21 · 2026-08-12

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)

The growing trend of university students choosing to study abroad over entering the workforce early has sparked significant debate. Personally, I strongly agree that pursuing international education yields greater long-term advantages than immediate employment. While moving abroad presents distinct financial and personal challenges, the academic and professional benefits far outweigh the drawbacks.

On the one hand, studying in a foreign country poses considerable obstacles. The primary disadvantage is the immense financial burden, driven by high international tuition fees, mandatory health insurance, and steep living costs. Furthermore, students must quickly adapt to rigid foreign academic systems that demand rigorous, independent research. Without careful management, these combined pressures can lead to severe academic and personal stress.

On the other hand, the benefits of international education is life changing. Professionally, studying abroad drastically enhances employability. Though, an unfamiliar country forces students to develop resilience, strategic risk-taking, and autonomous decision-making. These experiences build essential soft skills, including adaptability and cross-cultural communication. Consequently, graduates gain a competitive edge in global industries ranging from technology and business to specialized sectors like textiles and diamonds.

In contrast, pursuing a work placement offers one biggest disadvantages is that, students will not provide direct entry into the global job market. Engaging in international work experience allows students to apply academic theories to real-world corporate challenged. However international study, create the gap between academic theory and real-world corporate challenges, securing superior long-term career prospects.

Overall, though both points are understandable, I believe that universities should look ahead to include a period of time for studying abroad ,rather pursue a low-end career, because abroad study offers grated long term benefits.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 6.0

You have addressed all parts of the prompt, clearly stating your position in favor of studying abroad. Your ideas are relevant, and you have provided a balanced view by acknowledging the financial and personal challenges. However, the development of your arguments is occasionally uneven. For instance, the fourth paragraph is confusing; it attempts to compare studying abroad with work placements but becomes muddled, failing to clearly articulate why one is superior to the other in that specific section. To reach a higher band, ensure that each paragraph has a clear, singular focus and that your comparisons are logically structured to support your central thesis without ambiguity.

Coherence and Cohesion — Band 6.0

Your essay is logically organized into paragraphs, each with a clear purpose. You use cohesive devices such as 'On the one hand', 'On the other hand', and 'Consequently' to guide the reader through your arguments. However, there are instances where the flow is disrupted by awkward phrasing or unclear referencing. For example, the transition in the final paragraph is slightly disjointed, and the connection between the ideas in the fourth paragraph is weak. Improving the variety of your linking words and ensuring that each sentence flows naturally into the next will help you achieve a higher score in this criterion.

Lexical Resource — Band 6.0

You demonstrate a good range of vocabulary, using terms like 'immense financial burden', 'autonomous decision-making', and 'competitive edge' effectively. There are some minor errors in word choice and collocation, such as 'corporate challenged' instead of 'corporate challenges' and 'abroad study' instead of 'studying abroad'. Additionally, the phrase 'low-end career' is slightly informal and imprecise for an academic essay. While your vocabulary is sufficient to convey your meaning clearly, you should focus on refining your collocations and using more precise academic terminology to demonstrate a more sophisticated control of language.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 5.5

You use a mix of simple and complex sentence structures, which is a positive step. However, there are several grammatical errors that occasionally impede the flow of your writing. Examples include subject-verb agreement issues ('the benefits... is life changing') and incorrect punctuation or sentence fragments ('Though, an unfamiliar country...'). Furthermore, some sentences are structurally awkward, such as 'pursuing a work placement offers one biggest disadvantages is that'. To improve, focus on proofreading for basic subject-verb agreement and ensuring that your complex sentences are punctuated correctly. Increasing the frequency of error-free sentences will be key to reaching a higher band.

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