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)

Traveling overseas for undergraduate courses or doing an employment placement has become significantly common among university students. Although, it has some advantages, I believe the advantages are greater.

Traveling abroad for studies has a great impact on undergraduate students. Firstly, it could help transition from being dependent to independent and responsible, where they have to take care of everything from doing chores, groceries or paying rent. Secondly, moving overseas helps with shaping students’ personality, by learning how to communicate with different nationalities as well as respecting their culture. While all these can only be learned and experienced when students get the chance do part of their studies abroad.

Furthermore, spending time abroad studying, is sometimes insufficient without doing a work placement, where undergraduate students get shaped and prepared for what comes after their graduation. Moreover, studying does only lead students to pass their exams, but implementing what they are studying in parallel as working, helps them to excel in their subjects as well as gaining experience and develop new skills. For instance, students who were able to do a part-time job in the same field as their study course, once they graduate, the gained work experience will work in their favour to find a job.

In conclusion, most university undergraduate courses, should encourage students to either study overseas for a period of time or do a work placement to learn new skills, since the advantages could help them shape their personalities or simply implement what they have learned during their course in a real job experience.

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 regarding independence, cultural awareness, and professional preparation are relevant. However, the development is somewhat limited; for instance, the point about 'shaping students' personality' is mentioned but not fully explored with specific examples. Additionally, the prompt asks about both studying abroad AND work placements, and while you touch on both, the connection between them could be more nuanced. To reach a higher band, ensure that each supporting point is fully extended with concrete examples or logical consequences.

Coherence and Cohesion — Band 6.0

The essay is logically organized with a clear introduction, body paragraphs, and a conclusion. You use cohesive devices such as 'Firstly', 'Secondly', 'Furthermore', and 'Moreover' to signal the progression of ideas. However, some transitions are slightly mechanical or misused, such as the sentence fragment 'While all these can only be learned...' which disrupts the flow. Additionally, the use of 'Although' at the start of the second sentence is grammatically incorrect as it is a subordinating conjunction that requires an independent clause to follow it. Improving the variety and accuracy of your linking words will enhance the overall flow.

Lexical Resource — Band 5.5

You demonstrate an adequate range of vocabulary for the task, using terms like 'transition', 'implementing', and 'in their favour'. However, there are some inaccuracies in collocation and word choice, such as 'significantly common' (should be 'increasingly common') and 'studying does only lead' (should be 'studying does not only lead'). The vocabulary is generally functional but lacks the precision and sophistication required for higher bands. To improve, focus on learning collocations—words that naturally go together—and avoid repetitive phrasing like 'studying' and 'students' throughout the text.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 5.5

You use a mix of simple and complex sentence structures, but there are frequent errors in grammar and punctuation. For example, the comma usage after 'Although' is incorrect, and the sentence 'While all these can only be learned and experienced when students get the chance do part of their studies abroad' is a fragment. There are also issues with subject-verb agreement and preposition usage, such as 'do part of their studies' (missing 'a'). While these errors do not impede communication, they are frequent enough to prevent a higher score. Focus on proofreading for basic sentence structure and punctuation errors.

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

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