Band 6.0 IELTS Writing Task 2 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 6.0 · Cambridge IELTS 21 · 2026-09-02

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)

The idea that while studying an undergraduate course, spending a time period studying abroad or working in your relevant field should be made necessary is quite heavily and talked upon and some institutes even made it a part of their official policy for learning the necessary skills for that field.

Going abroad on an exchange program for a semester or two is without a doubt one of the best opportunities a student can avail while studying. It is an excellent way for learning different cultures and learning how people around the world live and how things actually work. The result of going abroad in such a program open the mind of a student , enhance the cognitive abilities and much more. Going abroad and adjusting in a situation where you barely know anyone and the language and everything is just foreign to you, is in itself an art.

While working on a job related to your field while you are studying is not something ordinary. It provides you with a free space where you are not always in a class room learning abstract concepts from a white board, but actually applying your knowledge. It makes a student more attracted towards their field and actually make them aware of he future job market and where they are gonna head towards.

While discussed above are some of the advantages, The disadvantages are mostly just that the cost of education significantly rises if the above are made necessary and some students are not comfortable going abroad and for some students working in a corporate job etc dose not align with their goals apart from that nothing significant disadvantage is present.

So in the end i would like to say that the above two should be encouraged without making them necessary. The students should be consulted and should be assigned according to their goals. While making these opportunities affordable for them who are willing to do them.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 6.0

The response addresses the prompt by discussing both the advantages and disadvantages of mandatory study abroad or work placements. You clearly state your position in the conclusion, suggesting these should be encouraged rather than mandatory. However, the development of ideas is somewhat limited. While you mention benefits like cognitive development and practical application, these points are not fully extended with specific examples or deeper analysis. The disadvantages section is also brief, focusing primarily on cost and personal preference. To reach a higher band, ensure that each main point is supported by a concrete example or a more detailed explanation of the 'why' and 'how' behind your arguments.

Coherence and Cohesion — Band 6.0

The essay is organized into logical paragraphs, each with a clear focus. You use some cohesive devices such as 'While discussed above' and 'In the end', which help guide the reader. However, the flow between sentences is sometimes mechanical, and the use of linking words could be more varied to improve the natural progression of ideas. For instance, the transition between the benefits of working and the disadvantages of mandatory programs is abrupt. Improving the variety of cohesive devices and ensuring that referencing (e.g., 'the above') is always clear will help create a more seamless reading experience.

Lexical Resource — Band 6.0

You demonstrate an adequate range of vocabulary for the task, using terms like 'cognitive abilities', 'abstract concepts', and 'corporate job'. However, there are some inaccuracies in word choice and collocation that slightly hinder precision, such as 'made necessary' instead of 'made mandatory' or 'compulsory', and 'attracted towards their field' instead of 'engaged with their field'. Additionally, there are minor errors in word form, such as 'dose' instead of 'does'. To improve, focus on using more precise academic collocations and ensure that your vocabulary choices are consistently appropriate for a formal essay.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 5.5

The essay contains a mix of simple and complex sentence structures. While you attempt complex sentences, there are frequent grammatical errors, particularly with subject-verb agreement ('some institutes even made it', 'nothing significant disadvantage is present') and punctuation (missing commas, incorrect capitalization after periods). Some sentences are also slightly awkward in their construction, such as the opening sentence, which is overly long and lacks clarity. To achieve a higher score, focus on reducing these frequent errors and ensuring that your complex sentences are constructed with greater accuracy and control over punctuation.

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

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