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)

It is argued by some sectors of society that during the four-year study period of an undergraduate student, the programme should include a period of studying abroad or doing a placement work, while others argue that this approach might be disadvantageous. Both aspects have their own advantages and disadvantages, ultimately, I would argue that former approach would be far more beneficial and practical.

As a matter of fact, nowadays, students, usually, just focus on cramming notes and memorizing prescribed books, so, consequently, this would be beneficial for students to understand the working process of life and the world. For instance, a student who went abroad for study, this might be beneficial for him to get wider exposure; consequently, this would broaden his mind and its ability to gain knowledge and critical thinking. Another argument is that, if a student does any replacement work, this would expose him to the real world, and the student would be able to understand the true meaning of responsibility; ultimately, he would become a responsible citizen.

There are also demerits of this approach, studying abroad might be expensive or doing placement work might lessen the motivation to study. For instance, studying abroad is really expensive, this would put pressure on the students to meet the study expenses, additionally, this might put students to the family constraints or financial pressure, while it is not sure that this approach would be beneficial for every programme. Furthermore, if student does any placement work, this might be harsh for his studies, as he have to keep both work and study parallel, so it would not be easy, as it seems.

In conclusion, despite the valid arguments placed by opponents regarding disadvantages of studying abroad or doing placement work, I am still convinced that studying abroad overarching benefits of are far more substantaill.

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, such as the benefits of critical thinking and real-world responsibility. However, the development of these ideas is somewhat limited. For instance, the explanation of how studying abroad broadens the mind is quite brief. The counter-arguments regarding financial pressure and academic motivation are mentioned but could be more thoroughly explored to reach a higher band. The position is consistent throughout, but the depth of analysis remains at a functional level rather than a fully developed one.

Coherence and Cohesion — Band 6.0

The essay is logically organized into clear paragraphs, with an introduction, body paragraphs for both sides, and a conclusion. Cohesive devices such as 'consequently', 'for instance', and 'furthermore' are used to link ideas. However, there is a tendency to use these devices in a slightly mechanical or repetitive way. Additionally, some sentences are comma-spliced or run-on, which affects the flow of ideas. For example, the sentence 'For instance, a student who went abroad for study, this might be beneficial for him...' is grammatically awkward and disrupts the logical progression of the argument.

Lexical Resource — Band 6.0

The vocabulary is generally adequate for the task, allowing the student to express their ideas clearly. There are some attempts at less common vocabulary, such as 'demerits', 'overarching', and 'substantaill' (which is misspelled). However, there are also instances of word-choice errors and awkward phrasing, such as 'replacement work' instead of 'work placement' and 'cramming notes'. The range is sufficient to communicate the main points, but the lack of precision and occasional spelling errors prevent it from reaching a higher band.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 6.0

The essay uses a mix of simple and complex sentence structures. While the student attempts complex sentences, there are frequent errors in grammar and punctuation. For example, 'as he have to keep' (subject-verb agreement error) and 'this would put students to the family constraints' (incorrect preposition usage). There are also several run-on sentences where clauses are joined incorrectly with commas. While these errors do not impede communication, they are frequent enough to limit the score. A greater focus on sentence boundary control and subject-verb agreement is needed.

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

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