Band 6.0 IELTS Writing Task 2 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 6.0 · Cambridge IELTS 21 · 2026-08-27

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)

Most university undergraduate courses are theoretical rather than practical, which makes them boring and less beneficial. I strongly agree with the notion because their benefits considerably outweigh thier disadvantages.

Many Universities curriculum consists of a number of courses and one general internship program, while that structure does not help students to grow their skills, instead of this, univeristies must include work placement for some time within course and also studying abroad for one semester. The courses would going to be practical by these changing, and increase the overall potential and interest of students. Doing one semester in abroad would help students to learn new culture and language and this step will also help to increase network that give them plenty of opportunities in future.

Furthermore, adding these changes in undergraduate courses structure also create some some disadvantages such as it will may increase the overall burden on students, for instance finding placements, making their timetable during work time and university lectures make them tire and dissatisfy. Studying abroad can also increase the overall budget of the degree which will leads to significant decrease in admission numbers from middle-class and lower middle-class families. If government fund this idea of change than this may decrease budget impact.

In conclusion, although making changes in university undergraduate courses will have a plenty of benefis, it also have some drawbacks. These disadvantages can be overtaken if government fund this policy, but these changes will help students to build stronger concepts, skills and personality. I strongly think the advantages of these changes always overweigh the disadvantages.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 6.0

The response addresses all parts of the prompt, clearly stating a position in favor of mandatory study abroad or work placements. The ideas are relevant, covering both the benefits (skill development, networking) and the drawbacks (financial burden, student stress). However, the development of these ideas is somewhat superficial. For instance, the suggestion that government funding would solve the financial barrier is a good point, but it is not fully explored. To reach a higher band, you should provide more specific examples or deeper analysis of how these experiences translate into long-term career success, rather than just stating that they increase potential.

Coherence and Cohesion — Band 6.0

The essay is organized into logical paragraphs, with a clear introduction, body paragraphs, and a conclusion. Cohesive devices are used, such as 'Furthermore', 'for instance', and 'In conclusion', which help the flow of ideas. However, some transitions feel slightly mechanical, and there are instances where the connection between sentences could be smoother. For example, the transition 'instead of this' in the second paragraph is slightly awkward. The paragraphing is appropriate, and the progression of ideas is generally easy to follow, though the internal structure of the second paragraph could be more cohesive to better link the benefits to the proposed changes.

Lexical Resource — Band 5.5

The vocabulary is generally adequate for the task, allowing you to express your ideas clearly. You use some topic-specific terms like 'undergraduate courses', 'internship program', and 'work placement'. However, there are some inaccuracies in word choice and collocation, such as 'these changing' (should be 'these changes') and 'overweigh' (should be 'outweigh'). The range is sufficient to communicate, but it lacks the sophistication and precision required for higher bands. To improve, focus on using more precise academic collocations and ensure that word forms are used correctly in context.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 5.5

You demonstrate a mix of simple and complex sentence structures. While the meaning is generally clear, there are frequent grammatical errors that occasionally distract the reader. Examples include 'Many Universities curriculum consists' (subject-verb agreement), 'The courses would going to be' (incorrect verb form), and 'If government fund this idea' (missing article and verb tense error). Punctuation is generally functional, but there are some run-on sentences and minor errors in sentence construction. To improve, focus on subject-verb agreement, correct verb tense usage, and the consistent use of articles.

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

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