Band 6.0 IELTS Writing Task 2 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 6.0 · Cambridge IELTS 21 · 2026-08-26

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 this era of many educational institutions which offer higher learning some argue that there is need for these institutions to allow students to study abroad and do field work placements as well. I largely disagree with it, as disadvantages outweighs its advantages because majority of parents are not employed to sponsor the personal glories universities need to achieve.

First and foremost, if it made compulsory for one to study abroad in a harsh economic situation it will not be viable. On top of that , why not the lecturer go abroad themselves to learn and came to impact the students, since majority of the students came from impoverished backgrounds. Its a struggle for parents to raise funds for sending these youths to universities so it becomes a stumbling-block if studying abroad is introduced at any institutions that is local for example, the government universities among others University of Zimbabwe. People choose it because its cheap and offers better job prospects, when the undergraduates completed their courses. As a result if such educational institutions introduced that the enrollment in upcoming years will dwindle.

On top of that, introducing work placements will become a hindrance for other students because they will not have connections , nepotism will be rampant chances for their Curriculum Vitae to be accepted are very low. This initiative will be good for the elite since they have funds to bay-pass and strict low of any company for their child to get a field placement place. Beauracracy has escalated a lot in any corporate world and companies employs people then know. For example, one may become corrupt inorder tp get favour for a job and from the lecturers as well.

However, it a good initiative for tertiary institutions to introduce, that since it will allow diversity by studying abroad. Students brought in new innovative ideas to their host country and contribute effectively. Field placement assist students in putting theory into practice. But, this did not dismiss the fact that it have negative effects.

In conclusion, despite the advantage it has which is to bring new technology. I strongly believe that disadvantages outweighs advantages, because parents should not be burdened by the demands of tertiary institutions and the economy as well.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 6.0

You have addressed the prompt and maintained a clear position throughout the essay. You provided relevant arguments regarding financial constraints and nepotism, which are valid points. However, the development of these ideas is somewhat limited. For instance, the argument about nepotism is a bit disjointed, and the counter-argument in the fourth paragraph is brief and lacks sufficient depth. To reach a higher band, ensure that each body paragraph fully explores the implications of your points rather than just stating them. Your conclusion clearly restates your position, which is good.

Coherence and Cohesion — Band 6.0

The essay is organized into logical paragraphs, and there is a clear progression of ideas. You use some cohesive devices, such as 'First and foremost', 'On top of that', and 'In conclusion', to link your thoughts. However, the use of these devices is sometimes mechanical or repetitive. Additionally, some transitions between sentences are slightly abrupt, and the referencing (e.g., 'it' in 'it will not be viable') is occasionally unclear. Improving the variety of your linking words and ensuring smoother transitions between sentences would enhance the overall flow.

Lexical Resource — Band 6.0

You demonstrate an adequate range of vocabulary for the task, including terms like 'impoverished backgrounds', 'stumbling-block', and 'dwindle'. However, there are several instances of word-choice errors and awkward collocations, such as 'bay-pass' (bypass), 'strict low' (strict law), and 'inorder tp' (in order to). Some phrasing is also slightly unnatural, such as 'personal glories universities need to achieve'. While your vocabulary is sufficient to convey your meaning, you need to work on precision and spelling to move into the higher bands.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 5.5

You attempt a mix of simple and complex sentence structures, which is a positive step. However, there are frequent grammatical errors throughout the text, including subject-verb agreement issues (e.g., 'disadvantages outweighs', 'companies employs') and tense inconsistencies (e.g., 'when the undergraduates completed their courses'). Punctuation is also inconsistent, particularly with comma placement. While these errors do not completely impede communication, they are frequent enough to affect the clarity of your writing. Focusing on basic subject-verb agreement and proofreading for minor slips will help improve your score.

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

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