Band 6.0 IELTS Writing Task 2 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 6.0 · 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 6.0)

Some people believe all university undergraduate courses should include a period of time spent studying abroad or doing a work placement during their degree, Although this could have some minor disadvantages, the advantages would certainly outweigh them.

Firstly, most university students end up studying their whole lives living in the same home town they grew up in, which minuses their international exposure to the real world. At their age they should be exposed to real life community and experience real work culture while also not compromising on their academic studies since this period is a crucial time for every individual.

Most studies show individuals who go abroad for their studies end up having more successful careers than those who never do. They get to adapt In a completely new environment which strengthens their ability to become independent and mature.

Universities also gain more international fame from all over the world making the students interact with one another's culture, this also enriches their cognitive ability to experience new culture, new languages and friendships.

There are some minor disadvantages to this as well, such as parents not sending their wards to another foreign country or being slightly hesitant in doing so. Some would simply not like the idea of having to experience a completely new life and may be content in living the life they currently are in. However there are always downsides to each and every decision in life.

To conclude, the advantages still outweigh the disadvantages by a great amount.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 6.0

The response addresses the prompt by taking a clear position that the advantages outweigh the disadvantages. However, the development of ideas is somewhat superficial. For instance, the argument regarding 'international fame' for universities is not clearly linked to the student's personal experience or a broader academic context. The points about independence and career success are relevant but could be extended with more specific examples or logical depth. The discussion of disadvantages is brief and lacks a strong counter-argument, which limits the overall persuasiveness of the essay. To reach a higher band, ensure each main point is fully supported with concrete evidence or detailed reasoning.

Coherence and Cohesion — Band 6.5

The essay is organized into logical paragraphs, each with a clear focus. Cohesive devices such as 'Firstly', 'However', and 'To conclude' are used to guide the reader. However, the flow between sentences is occasionally mechanical, and some transitions feel abrupt. For example, the jump from discussing student independence to university reputation in the fourth paragraph lacks a smooth logical bridge. While the paragraphing is sufficient, the internal cohesion within paragraphs could be improved by using a wider variety of linking words and ensuring that referencing (e.g., 'this') clearly points to the intended antecedent.

Lexical Resource — Band 6.0

The vocabulary used is generally adequate for the task, allowing the student to convey their meaning clearly. There are some attempts at less common vocabulary, such as 'cognitive ability' and 'international exposure'. However, there are instances of imprecise word choice, such as 'minuses their international exposure' (which is non-standard) and 'wards' (which is slightly formal/archaic in this context). The range is sufficient for the task, but more precise collocations and a broader range of academic vocabulary would be required for a higher band score.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 6.0

The essay demonstrates a mix of simple and complex sentence structures. There are several grammatical errors, such as 'studying their whole lives living in the same home town' (awkward phrasing) and 'adapt In a completely new environment' (capitalization error and preposition choice). Punctuation is generally functional, though there is a comma splice in the first sentence ('...during their degree, Although...'). While the errors do not impede communication, they occur frequently enough to prevent the essay from reaching the 7.0 band, which requires more frequent error-free sentences and better control over complex structures.

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

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