Band 6.0 IELTS Writing Task 2 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 6.0 · Cambridge IELTS 21 · 2026-08-29

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)

A period of time for work placement or abroad studies should be allocated to students pursuing undergraduate in universities. In my opinion, the advantages of this would outweigh the disadvantages as students can get to see how things work practically in the real world.

However, many people believe that an undergraduate curriculum should not include any time for work placements and other courses because it would be very difficult for universities to complete their syllabus in such a limited time. Undergraduate studies typically offers around 50 courses which a student has to complete in about 4 years. Every course is taught in depth by the professors along with assignments and exams. Now, if universities also start to include a mandatory work placement, then the time to complete the course curriculum reduces and it will indirectly increase the pressure not only to students but also to faculties.

Having said that, I personally believe that work placement should be included by colleges to help students understand the practical usage of the things they study in their undergraduate courses. It is the nature of a person to ask how the things they are learning will be used in the real life. When a student studies a subject like Machine Learning, he/she will think where and how it is used in the real world. Placements give opportunities to students to apply these things in any organization. Students understand the importance of the theory knowledge given by their teachers. So many companies offers internship to students pursuing their graduation to give them exposure of corporate life.

Therefore, it can said that the universities which are allocating time for work placements, are on a right track as it will benefit students, making them more experienced to life outside of their studies.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 6.0

You have addressed all parts of the task and maintained a clear position throughout. You acknowledge the counter-argument regarding curriculum pressure before supporting the benefits of practical experience. However, the development of your ideas is somewhat limited. For instance, while you mention 'Machine Learning' as an example, the explanation of how placements bridge the gap between theory and practice could be more deeply explored. To reach a higher band, ensure that your supporting arguments are fully extended with more specific reasoning or illustrative examples rather than relying on general statements about 'corporate life'.

Coherence and Cohesion — Band 6.5

The essay is logically organized with a clear introduction, body paragraphs, and a conclusion. You use cohesive devices such as 'However', 'Having said that', and 'Therefore' to signal shifts in your argument. While the progression of ideas is generally clear, some transitions feel slightly mechanical. Additionally, there are minor issues with referencing and flow, such as the phrase 'the things they study' which is a bit repetitive. Improving the variety of your linking words and ensuring smoother transitions between sentences would enhance the overall cohesion of your writing.

Lexical Resource — Band 5.5

Your vocabulary is adequate for the task, allowing you to communicate your ideas clearly. You use some topic-specific terms like 'undergraduate curriculum', 'mandatory', and 'corporate life'. However, the range is somewhat limited, and there is a reliance on simpler phrasing (e.g., 'see how things work', 'the things they are learning'). To improve, try to incorporate more precise academic collocations and less common lexical items. There are also minor errors in word choice, such as 'theory knowledge' instead of 'theoretical knowledge', which slightly impacts the sophistication of your expression.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 5.5

You demonstrate a mix of simple and complex sentence structures. While your meaning is always clear, there are several grammatical inaccuracies throughout the text. Examples include 'pursuing undergraduate in universities' (missing 'studies'), 'Undergraduate studies typically offers' (subject-verb agreement error), and 'it can said that' (missing 'be'). Additionally, there are minor punctuation and article errors. While these errors do not impede communication, they occur frequently enough to prevent a higher score. Focusing on subject-verb agreement and the correct use of passive voice will help improve your accuracy.

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

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