Band 7.0 IELTS Writing Task 2 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 7.0 · Cambridge IELTS 21 · 2026-08-16

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 7.0)

It is believed that the bachelors courses available at institutions should offer students the opportunity to either learn abroad or get a practical job experience. This mindset definitely benefits students as it help in their overall personality development. However, it is something that might not be affordable by every individual.

Universities incorporating the chance to study in a foreign country often helps in personality development and overall growth of an individual. They get to experience new cultures and be aware of the various events happening around the world. Getting an early practical work experience enables someone to learn about the hardships they might face in their later adult life and can thus learn how to cater to them in future. In the recent years, engineering institution in India, often provide a chance to participate in small internships at big tech companies, which helps the students to understand the corporate life they plan to be a part of someday.

Although, every high end opportunity does come with a high cost. If this extra educational experience is not fully funded by the university then it might be a little less affordable for the ones belonging to lower economical backgrounds. Travelling abroad for further studies or migrating to a different city can be quite expensive. But if there is a mechanism of scholarships available then this drawback can be overcome very easily.

In conclusion, the benefits of gaining an education experience in another country or getting an early work opportunity definitely outweigh the limitations. Hence, if it is feasible for universities to make amends to their curriculums to include these opportunities, then they should definitely go ahead with this plan.

AI examiner evaluation

CriterionBand
Task Achievement / Task Response7.0
Coherence and Cohesion7.0
Lexical Resource6.5
Grammatical Range and Accuracy6.5
Overall7.0

Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 7.0

The response addresses all parts of the prompt, clearly stating a position that the advantages outweigh the disadvantages. The ideas are relevant, such as personal growth and professional preparation, and the counter-argument regarding financial constraints is acknowledged. However, the development of these ideas is somewhat brief. For instance, the mention of engineering internships in India is a good specific example, but the explanation of how these experiences translate to 'hardships' in adult life could be more deeply explored to reach a higher band. The position is consistent throughout, and the conclusion effectively summarizes the argument.

Coherence and Cohesion — Band 7.0

The essay is logically organized with a clear introduction, body paragraphs, and a conclusion. Each paragraph has a central theme. Cohesive devices such as 'However', 'In the recent years', 'Although', and 'In conclusion' are used to guide the reader through the argument. While the flow is generally smooth, some transitions feel slightly mechanical. Paragraphing is used appropriately to separate the benefits from the drawbacks. The progression of ideas is logical, moving from the benefits of study abroad/internships to the financial challenges, and finally to the synthesis in the conclusion.

Lexical Resource — Band 6.5

The vocabulary is sufficient to convey the message clearly. There is an attempt to use topic-specific language like 'practical job experience', 'corporate life', and 'economical backgrounds'. However, the range is somewhat limited, and some word choices are slightly imprecise, such as 'make amends to their curriculums' (which usually implies correcting a mistake rather than updating a program). To reach a higher band, the student should incorporate more sophisticated collocations and less common lexical items to demonstrate greater precision and flexibility in their writing.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 6.5

The essay uses a mix of simple and complex sentence structures. There are some grammatical errors, such as subject-verb agreement issues ('it help' instead of 'it helps') and minor punctuation errors (the comma after 'Although' is unnecessary). While these errors do not impede communication, they occur frequently enough to prevent a higher score. The student demonstrates control over basic structures, but the range of complex grammatical forms is somewhat restricted. More variety in sentence construction and closer attention to subject-verb agreement would improve the accuracy and complexity of the writing.

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

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