Band 6.5 IELTS Writing Task 2 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 6.5 · Cambridge IELTS 21 · 2026-08-18

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)

It is often argued that, every university undergraduate programs should add semesters focusing on work placement or study abroad. In my opinion, i think the advantages of real-world job experience and shared cultural experience would outweigh the disadvantages.

The primary benefit of work placement or studying abroad semesters is that it gives scholars a practical workplace experience while they are still studying. This way they can understand the terms and terminologies of classroom lessons effortlessly, enabling them to implement their theoretical learnings into the business. For example, many business faculties at the universities, require students to complete a three or four month mandatory academic internship which has direct influence on the final GPA. This way students get work experience and knowledge keeping them ahead in the future job market. Moreover, when they study abroad, they get to exchange culture and meet new people, making their knowledge more diverse and learn from new settings. Hence, it is important for universities to include such options for practical understanding of lessons.

There are, however, some disadvantages as well. Sometimes universities can not afford such resources. Consequently, they charge higher tuition fees which can be financially challenging for middle class students. Additionally, many students get too occupied in the office work that they go through a really hard time managing both classes and work. For instance, during my academic internship for my bachelor, i had to struggle a lot while writing the internship report and having to go to the office everyday as well as sometimes to the department for supervisor meetings. Thus students might think it is too much and perform adversely which would significantly affect their results. Nevertheless, if teacher are supportive and considerate of students' financial and mental situation, the disadvantages can be overcome easily.

In conclusion, the disadvantages of such time period in undergraduate courses are for short term period if managed properly and therefore i think, the positive side of practical experience and cultural enrichment would surely outweigh the negative sides in the long run.

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 ideas are relevant, with the benefits of practical experience and cultural exchange contrasted against the drawbacks of financial burden and time management. While the arguments are clear, they could be further developed with more specific examples beyond the personal anecdote provided. For instance, the discussion on 'cultural exchange' is somewhat brief. Overall, the response is well-focused and meets the requirements of the task effectively, providing a balanced view that supports the writer's stated position.

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 advantages and disadvantages is handled well using cohesive devices like 'The primary benefit', 'Moreover', and 'There are, however, some disadvantages'. Paragraphing is used appropriately to separate distinct points. While the flow is generally smooth, some cohesive devices are slightly repetitive or mechanical. Referencing is generally clear, and the essay follows a standard structure that guides the reader through the argument without confusion.

Lexical Resource — Band 6.0

The range of vocabulary is adequate for the task. The student uses some topic-specific terms such as 'theoretical learnings', 'academic internship', and 'cultural enrichment'. However, the range is somewhat limited, and there are instances where word choice could be more precise or sophisticated. For example, 'perform adversely' is a bit awkward in this context. There are no significant spelling errors that impede communication, but the vocabulary lacks the flexibility and precision required for a higher band score. The student relies on fairly common academic phrasing throughout.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 6.0

The essay demonstrates a mix of simple and complex sentence structures. While the meaning is always clear, there are recurring grammatical errors, such as subject-verb agreement issues (e.g., 'many business faculties... require' vs 'teacher are supportive') and minor punctuation or capitalization errors (e.g., 'i' instead of 'I'). Complex sentences are attempted, but they occasionally contain minor inaccuracies. The errors do not impede communication, but they are frequent enough to prevent the essay from reaching a higher band. More attention to proofreading for basic grammatical consistency would improve the score.

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