Band 6.0 IELTS Writing Task 2 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 6.0 · Cambridge IELTS 21 · 2026-08-28

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 rapidly evolving world, the education system is revolutionized to meet the standards of the society and demands. One proposal gaining much hype is that undergraduate courses should include a period of time spent studying abroad or doing a work placement. While some may argue that is may intend some challenges. I contend that the advantages significantly outweigh the disadvantages.

Primarily, there are immense advantages of spending a period of time for work during course time. It provides a competitive environment for the student to perform well independently. The exposure towards different approaches and techniques provides unmatchable skills to perform. The development of beneficial qualities and traits are enormous, for example, working in a challenging environment helps students to cope with the challenges under all circumstances, which in turn develops adaptability. It provides wide range of experiences which are extremely constructive and accommodating. Multiple innovative practices develops confidence among individuals and gives a sense of assurance. It motivates an individual to work hard and manage things according to the schedule, with other factors involved. Living independently proves to be extremely beneficial to manage the expenses financially.

Comparatively, some students are financially challenged and cannot afford the burden of working abroad as the expenses are not met. But government policies should be made to help the students in dire need to make them meet the standards of education nowadays. Scholarship programs should be introduced to make them benefit for them. Secondly, some parents believe that it takes away the focus a student has on his or her studies and career due to which they cannot focus and concentrate on studies when they return. Simply, they cannot adapt to the different working environment which has a changed system.

In conclusion, there are legitimate concerns on implementing this practice into our systems. I firmly believe that it would be enormously beneficial to do so. By introducing good reforms and policies for all this is possible, thereby preparing them for the success in this globalized world.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 6.0

The response addresses all parts of the prompt, clearly stating a position that the advantages outweigh the disadvantages. The ideas are relevant, such as the development of adaptability and financial independence. However, the development of these ideas is somewhat repetitive and lacks specific, concrete examples. For instance, while you mention 'innovative practices' and 'challenging environments', providing a specific example of a work placement or a study abroad scenario would have strengthened the argument. The discussion of disadvantages is present but could be more deeply explored to better balance the essay. Overall, the response is clear and maintains a consistent position throughout.

Coherence and Cohesion — Band 6.0

The essay is logically organized into clear paragraphs. Each paragraph has a central topic, and there is a progression of ideas from the benefits to the counter-arguments and finally the conclusion. You use some cohesive devices like 'Primarily', 'Comparatively', and 'In conclusion' to signal shifts in the argument. However, some transitions between sentences feel slightly mechanical or abrupt. For example, the transition between the benefits of work experience and the financial challenges could be smoother. The referencing is generally clear, though some sentences within paragraphs could be better linked to improve the overall flow and cohesion.

Lexical Resource — Band 5.5

You demonstrate an adequate range of vocabulary for the task, using terms like 'rapidly evolving', 'competitive environment', and 'globalized world'. There are some attempts to use less common vocabulary, though some collocations are slightly unnatural, such as 'intends some challenges' (should be 'poses' or 'presents') and 'make them benefit for them'. While the vocabulary is sufficient to convey your meaning clearly, it lacks the precision and flexibility required for higher bands. Improving your control over word choice and collocation will help elevate your score in this criterion.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 5.5

The essay uses a mix of simple and complex sentence structures. While you successfully use complex sentences to express your ideas, there are recurring grammatical errors. For example, 'the education system is revolutionized' (should be 'is being revolutionized'), 'some may argue that is may intend' (a fragment/error), and 'Multiple innovative practices develops' (subject-verb agreement error). Punctuation is generally functional, but there are minor errors in sentence construction that occasionally distract the reader. To improve, focus on subject-verb agreement and ensuring that your complex sentences are grammatically sound.

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