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)

Students enrolled in university especially, should have an option of either doing a job or doing a semester abroad in their curriculum. This is a sensitive topic for students career, and it includes both positive and negative aspects. But from my perspective, the positive aspects hold more value compared to its negative aspects.

Let's start with the disadvantages of having a professional experience during your studies or going abroad in between the academic year. First of all, students working part-time gain practical knowledge about their course and hence leave their studies in between to work full time as they get the financial freedom they need in order to stabilize their future. Recently, one of my closest friend dropped out of the university due to the same particular reason. She mentioned that she was earning well enough and her degree was useless as the practical knowledge she had gained from the job was better than the textbook examples she got to learn in the university. Another friend of mine went to Turkey on an exchange program, where she was introduced to modelling career. She moved there to persue her modelling career without a degree in her name.

On the other hand, the advantages of studying abroad or doing a job in between the academic year seems to be the practical solution to a lot of issues we are facing currently. Students gain immense knowledge by doing physical work where they can implement what they learned in the therotical lectures. This enhances their future visions and a keenness to learn further is developed. Moreover, students abroad get a chance to explore different cultures and collaborate in workshops. They gain hands on experience about the latest studies of different countries and may get an offer to work afterwards in their respective fields.

I firmly believe that every student should explore their particular career choice in the real world so that they are aware of what the future holds and if applicable, in situations where the student wants to switch courses, can do so before wasting further time. This not only prevents future mishaps but also aligns the student with his selected field.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 6.0

The response addresses all parts of the prompt and maintains a clear position throughout. You have provided relevant arguments for both sides of the issue, although the development of the disadvantages is slightly anecdotal. For instance, the focus on friends dropping out of university is a personal example that could be broadened to discuss the systemic risks of prioritizing work over education. The conclusion effectively summarizes your stance. To reach a higher band, ensure that your arguments are more generalized and analytical rather than relying on personal narratives, as this will demonstrate a more sophisticated engagement with the topic.

Coherence and Cohesion — Band 6.0

The essay is logically organized with a clear introduction, body paragraphs, and a conclusion. You use cohesive devices such as 'First of all', 'Moreover', and 'On the other hand' to guide the reader. However, some transitions feel slightly mechanical, and the referencing is occasionally imprecise, such as in the sentence 'due to the same particular reason', where the antecedent is slightly ambiguous. Paragraphing is used appropriately to separate the opposing viewpoints. To improve, focus on using a wider variety of cohesive devices and ensuring that the logical flow between sentences is smoother and less reliant on repetitive structures.

Lexical Resource — Band 6.0

You demonstrate an adequate range of vocabulary for the task, using terms like 'curriculum', 'theoretical lectures', and 'collaborate'. There are some minor errors in word choice and spelling, such as 'therotical' (theoretical) and 'persue' (pursue). While you attempt to use less common vocabulary, some phrases are slightly unnatural, such as 'future visions' or 'degree in her name'. The vocabulary is sufficient to convey your meaning clearly, but to achieve a higher band, you should aim for more precise collocations and ensure consistent accuracy in spelling and word formation.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 6.0

You use a mix of simple and complex sentence structures. There are several grammatical errors, such as 'Students enrolled in university especially, should have...' (misplaced modifier) and '...in situations where the student wants to switch courses, can do so...' (missing subject). Punctuation is generally functional, but there are occasional errors in comma usage. While these errors do not impede communication, they occur frequently enough to prevent a higher score. To improve, focus on subject-verb agreement and ensuring that complex sentences are constructed with grammatical precision, particularly when using relative clauses.

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

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