Band 6.0 IELTS Writing Task 2 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 6.0 · Cambridge IELTS 21 · 2026-08-25

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)

Many people think that it will be beneficial for bachelor's students to gain practical experience during a work placement, and I strongly agree with them, because it can help the future graduates to become the more valuable specialists among employers and to learn how to apply their skills in the real working conditions. Besides that, the experience of studying abroad for some time can only increase the graduate's chances for applying for the good working place as many employers value the international experience, especially the studying in the developed countries.

First of all, the real working experience can increase the value of the graduate as an employee. Many employers are likely to choose a student with the practical experience rather than a student who have a diploma of a famous university, because the first type of students needs less time on various trainings as they are familiar with the working circumstances. For example, many employers in Russia require the work experience from bachelor's graduates, thus making the problem for a student to find an appropriate job. The working experience during studying could increase the chances to find a job.

Second of all, the international education improves a student's knowledge. There are many countries, where come areas are better developed, therefore students, who want to deeply learn certain areas, prefer to study in these countries, as they can learn more than if the stayed in their own country. For example, the US' financial system is very famous across the world, so students who want to grow as a good financial specialist, prefer to get a diploma in the United States.

In conclusion, I think that studying abroad and doing a work placement are both incredibly beneficial for graduates. It can help young people to find a good job soon after their graduate and make them as the good professionals.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 6.0

You have clearly addressed the prompt by taking a strong position in favor of both work placements and studying abroad. You provided relevant reasons and examples, such as the mention of the US financial system and the Russian job market, which support your arguments well. However, the response could be improved by exploring the 'disadvantages' side of the argument more thoroughly. While you mention that these experiences are beneficial, the prompt asks you to weigh the advantages against the disadvantages. A more balanced discussion, perhaps acknowledging potential costs or time constraints before refuting them, would demonstrate a more sophisticated level of task response.

Coherence and Cohesion — Band 6.0

The essay is logically organized with a clear introduction, two body paragraphs, and a conclusion. You use basic cohesive devices such as 'First of all', 'Second of all', and 'In conclusion' to guide the reader through your arguments. While the progression is clear, the use of cohesive devices is somewhat mechanical and repetitive. To reach a higher band, try to integrate more varied linking phrases and ensure that the transition between sentences is smoother. Referencing is generally clear, though some sentences could be better connected to avoid a slightly disjointed feel between ideas.

Lexical Resource — Band 5.5

You demonstrate an adequate range of vocabulary for the task, successfully using terms like 'practical experience', 'working circumstances', and 'international education'. There are some instances of slightly unnatural phrasing, such as 'the more valuable specialists' or 'applying for the good working place'. Additionally, there are minor errors in word choice, such as 'come areas' (likely a typo for 'some areas') and 'make them as the good professionals'. To improve, focus on more precise collocations and avoid unnecessary articles before adjectives or nouns.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 5.5

You use a mix of simple and complex sentence structures. While your meaning is always clear, there are frequent grammatical slips, particularly with article usage ('the studying in the developed countries', 'the US' financial system') and subject-verb agreement ('a student who have a diploma'). Some sentences are slightly awkward, such as 'thus making the problem for a student to find an appropriate job'. Increasing the frequency of error-free complex sentences and refining your control over articles and prepositions will help you achieve a higher score in this criterion.

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

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