Band 6.0 IELTS Writing Task 2 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 6.0 · Cambridge IELTS 21 · 2026-09-03

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 undergraduate programs offered by all of the universities should ensure that their students spend a period of time either studying overseas or undertaking a work placement. This essay will argue that the benefits of this policy outweigh the drawbacks.

One of the major advantage of this statement is that students can get a boost in their confidence, improve their communication skills and become a multilingual person. This is because there are many countries in this world with different languages and various kinds of people. Adapting to every circumstance and and overcoming a difficult situation helps in a person's growth. For instance, a student born in India but studying in France for a year will face difficulty with communication and adaptation. Eventually though, she will be able to speak fluently realizing that she can accustom herself to any kind of situation. Another benefit is that studying in a foreign country will give us the opportunity to learn many different traditions and cultures.

On the other hand, this policy can also have few disadvantages. students will be less concentrated and will lose their flow of study routine due to being habituated to a new lifestyle. For example, the student returning home from France will feel like a stranger in their hometown. They would have to pick up all that they have missed during their time abroad and also prepare a proper schedule to learn all the required material. However, they are relatively less significant because working a placement will enrich us with work experience helping us build a strong portfolio for our future job applications.

In conclusion, Although our lifestyle gets disturbed as we study abroad or finish a work placement, gaining work experience, communication skills, boost in confidence, acquiring knowledge on different countries outweigh the drawbacks.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 6.0

The essay addresses all parts of the prompt, clearly stating a position that the advantages outweigh the disadvantages. The ideas are relevant, such as personal growth and cultural awareness, and the counter-argument regarding academic disruption is acknowledged. However, the development of these ideas is somewhat superficial. For instance, the example of the Indian student in France is a good start but lacks depth in explaining how this specifically translates to professional success. To reach a higher band, you should expand on the 'why' and 'how' of your arguments with more detailed reasoning or evidence, ensuring that the link between the experience and the long-term benefits is more explicitly articulated.

Coherence and Cohesion — Band 6.0

The essay is logically organized into clear paragraphs, each with a distinct focus. You use transition signals such as 'One of the major advantage', 'On the other hand', and 'In conclusion' to guide the reader. However, some cohesive devices are used mechanically or are slightly repetitive. Additionally, there are minor issues with referencing; for example, in the second paragraph, you switch between 'a student' and 'us', which creates a slight inconsistency in the perspective of the argument. Improving the flow between sentences by using a wider variety of linking words and ensuring consistent pronoun usage would enhance the overall coherence.

Lexical Resource — Band 5.5

You demonstrate an adequate range of vocabulary for the task, using terms like 'multilingual', 'accustom', and 'portfolio'. However, there are some inaccuracies in word choice and collocation. For example, 'One of the major advantage' should be 'advantages', and 'less concentrated' is not the most natural way to describe a student's focus. You also use 'habituated to' where 'accustomed to' or 'adjusted to' would be more precise. While your vocabulary is sufficient to convey your meaning clearly, incorporating more sophisticated collocations and ensuring grammatical accuracy in word forms would help you achieve a higher score.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 5.5

The essay uses a mix of simple and complex sentence structures. While the meaning is generally clear, there are several grammatical errors that persist throughout the text. Examples include subject-verb agreement issues ('one of the major advantage'), punctuation errors (the comma before 'Although' in the conclusion is unnecessary), and minor phrasing issues ('a boost in their confidence' vs 'a boost in confidence'). There is also a redundant 'and' in the phrase 'and and overcoming'. To improve, focus on proofreading for these small errors and try to incorporate more varied complex sentence structures, such as conditional clauses or passive voice, to demonstrate greater grammatical control.

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

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