Band 6.5 IELTS Writing Task 2 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 6.5 · Cambridge IELTS 21 · 2026-08-13

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 6.5)

All university bachelors courses ought to include a semester abroad or hands-on experience working as an intern. I am in favour of this idea and in this essay I shall be discussing both its merits and demerits and delve deeper into the reason why its advantages outweigh the disadvantages.

Studying abroad for a semester or two during one's undergraduate course provides them exposure and helps widen their horizons. If students go and live in a different nation for some time, they would get to learn about the various teaching methodologies practiced there and put light on the various education systems. This in turn would aid in improving their learning abilities. Moving further, doing a work placement is a vital part of any undergraduate program as it gives individuals practical experience. Working as an intern for some time would help students become familiar with the work related to that job and prepare them for real-world issues. Consequently, they would be able to evaluate their abilities and make better informed career decisions.

Although studying abroad for some time and doing a placement help advance one's career, it also comes with a down-side. It brings a lot of stress to the students and over-burdens them with a lot of responsibilities. They may end up feeling drained and some sensitive people can even become depressed due to the feeing of homesickness and lack of physical communication with family.

From my perspective, life is the best teacher. What can be learnt by studying in a foreign country and working as an intern can not be learnt within the walls of a university. A cousin of mine worked as a student intern at a start-up in his third year of college which helped him hone his skills and polish his resume. This landed him a job at Google after the completion of his Bachelor degree.

To recapitulate, staying away from home for a placement or for a semester abroad may make students feel lonely but it is a boon for their career. It would enhance their resumes and help them stand out amongst the crowd when applying for jobs.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 6.5

The response addresses all parts of the prompt, clearly stating a position in the introduction and maintaining it throughout. The arguments regarding the benefits of international exposure and practical work experience are well-developed. The counter-argument regarding stress and homesickness is also acknowledged, providing a balanced view before the conclusion reinforces the original stance. The inclusion of a personal example (the cousin) adds support to the main argument. To reach a higher band, the student could provide more nuanced analysis of how these experiences specifically impact the academic curriculum, rather than focusing primarily on career outcomes.

Coherence and Cohesion — Band 6.5

The essay is logically organized with a clear progression of ideas. Each paragraph has a central theme, and the transition between the benefits and the drawbacks is handled effectively with the use of 'Although'. Cohesive devices such as 'Consequently', 'Moving further', and 'To recapitulate' are used to guide the reader. However, some transitions feel slightly mechanical, and the referencing could be more sophisticated. The paragraphing is appropriate, and the overall structure supports the development of the argument well.

Lexical Resource — Band 6.0

The student demonstrates a sufficient range of vocabulary to discuss the topic with some precision. Phrases like 'teaching methodologies', 'informed career decisions', and 'hone his skills' are used effectively. There are some minor inaccuracies, such as 'put light on' (should be 'shed light on') and 'feeing of homesickness' (spelling error). While the vocabulary is adequate and allows for clear communication, it lacks the consistent use of less common or idiomatic items that would characterize a higher band score.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 6.5

The essay uses a mix of simple and complex sentence structures. There is good control over grammar, and most sentences are clear. However, there are occasional errors, such as 'Bachelor degree' (should be 'Bachelor's degree') and 'can not be learnt' (should be 'cannot be learned'). The use of punctuation is generally accurate, but there is a slight tendency toward repetitive sentence patterns. The majority of the text is error-free, and the errors present do not impede communication, which aligns well with the criteria for a band 7.

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

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