Band 6.0 IELTS Writing Task 2 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 6.0 · Cambridge IELTS 21 · 2026-08-17

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)

In the world of competitive era, the universities are introducing undergraduate courses with more benefits to attract new students. Some of them are including a period of time in studying abroad or some are providing work placements. I think all the universities must provide these additional benefits. There are multiple pros and cons related to this statement, which will be discussed in the forthcoming paragraphs.

To commence with, providing time for studying abroad and work placements have a plethora of benefits. Firstly, when students move to foreign universities, it help them to learn their subjects with more advancement and that broaden the horizon of their knowledge. Consequently, their academic performance increased and also help them to pass with the flying colors. Moreover, providing them work placement help them to develop new skills. While working there, they come in contact with number of people that belongs to different cultures, traditions and languages. This enables them to improve their communication skills and gain more knowledge about different cultures.

Furthermore, when students are provided the time to study and work in foreign countries, they become financially independent. They learn to balance their work and personal life. In addition to this, they have a broader view of the field they want to start as their career.

On the other hand, it may not be beneficial in some other ways. Primarily, the university need the lots of funding to introduce such innovations in undergraduate courses which is not an easy task. Also, they have to tie-up with multiple foreign universities which is not an easy process. It requires lots of efforts and hard work. Secondly, experienced and trained team of teachers are required to explain the students the benefits of studying and working abroad clearly and again it can be an expensive process. To expand, not everyone can afford it especially the people with low-scale income.

To conclude, every coin has two sides, same as this proposal has multifarious pros and cons. The universities should design such initiatives while keeping in mind all these aspects should be beneficial for both the university as well as the students.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 6.0

The response addresses all parts of the prompt, providing arguments for both the advantages and disadvantages of mandatory study abroad or work placements. The position is clear from the introduction and maintained throughout. However, the development of ideas is somewhat uneven. While the benefits are explored, the discussion on disadvantages focuses heavily on the logistical and financial burden on universities, rather than the impact on students. The conclusion is a bit generic and does not fully synthesize the arguments presented. To reach a higher band, ensure that the arguments are more balanced and that the implications for the students are explored with equal depth to the institutional challenges.

Coherence and Cohesion — Band 6.0

The essay is logically organized with a clear introduction, body paragraphs, and a conclusion. Paragraphing is used appropriately to separate distinct ideas. Cohesive devices such as 'To commence with', 'Consequently', 'Moreover', and 'Furthermore' are used to guide the reader through the argument. However, some transitions feel slightly mechanical, and there are minor issues with referencing, such as in the sentence '...same as this proposal has multifarious pros and cons', which is slightly awkward. Overall, the progression of ideas is clear, and the essay flows well, meeting the requirements for a band 6.5 or 7.0 level of coherence.

Lexical Resource — Band 5.5

The student demonstrates an adequate range of vocabulary for the task, including phrases like 'broaden the horizon', 'financially independent', and 'multifarious'. There are some instances of slightly unnatural collocation or word choice, such as 'pass with the flying colors' (should be 'pass with flying colors') and 'the university need the lots of funding' (should be 'universities need a lot of funding'). While the vocabulary is sufficient to convey meaning clearly, it lacks the precision and sophistication required for higher bands. The repetition of 'not an easy task/process' also limits the lexical variety.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 5.5

The essay uses a mix of simple and complex sentence structures. However, there are frequent grammatical errors that, while not impeding communication, are noticeable. Examples include subject-verb agreement issues ('it help them', 'the university need'), article usage errors ('the lots of funding'), and awkward phrasing ('number of people that belongs to'). Punctuation is generally functional, but the control over complex structures is inconsistent. To improve, the student should focus on subject-verb agreement and the correct use of articles, as these errors occur frequently enough to prevent the essay from reaching the 7.0 band for grammar.

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

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