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)

In many parts of the world, all students of undergraduate courses must provide a period of studying foreign or doing any other kind of work. Although some people might consider it negative, I believe it to be extremely beneficial. Not only because it would give them a great confidence, a financial support and also because it improves their communication skills.

There are multiple benefits associated with moving students to abroad during studying. Firstly, it would play a great role in improving confidence. As during work in companies people face different challenges in return it would boost their self assurance. Take an example of Emma Watson, a leading Hollywood star once stated that her great confidence come from doing work during studies. Thus, it seems like a positive development in this regard.

Secondly, providing an opportunity of work or moving abroad of undergraduates will become a source of good income for them. As international students can easily get a permit of few hour of work during week and they can earn money and also they become independent at the same time. For instance in Germany, a conference revealed that about 80% students are more independent that are doing work part time while studying. Thus, this development in indeed beneficial for students.

Finally, it will also upgraded their communication skills as well. As they deal with different kind of people while working in placements.

To sum up, I believe that specific time period of work during studies is very beneficial. Not only because it can increase their confidence, enable to earn money and also because it enhance their communication skills as well.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 6.0

The response addresses the prompt by taking a clear position in favor of mandatory study abroad or work placements. However, the development of ideas is somewhat limited. While you mention confidence, financial independence, and communication skills, the arguments lack depth and specific, logical elaboration. For instance, the example of Emma Watson is not fully relevant to the context of university undergraduate requirements. To achieve a higher band, ensure that each body paragraph provides a more detailed explanation of how the proposed policy would function and why the benefits outweigh the potential drawbacks, such as cost or academic disruption.

Coherence and Cohesion — Band 6.0

The essay is organized into clear paragraphs, and there is a logical progression of ideas. You use basic cohesive devices such as 'Firstly', 'Secondly', and 'Finally' to signal the structure. However, the use of cohesive devices is sometimes mechanical, and there are instances where the flow between sentences is slightly disjointed. For example, the transition between the introduction and the first body paragraph could be smoother. Additionally, the concluding paragraph repeats the points from the body paragraphs without adding any synthesis or final thought, which limits the overall coherence of the argument.

Lexical Resource — Band 6.0

The vocabulary is generally adequate for the task, allowing you to convey your meaning clearly. You use some topic-specific terms like 'undergraduate courses', 'work placement', and 'international students'. However, the range is somewhat limited, and there are errors in word choice and collocation, such as 'moving students to abroad' (should be 'moving students abroad') and 'permit of few hour of work' (should be 'a permit for a few hours of work'). To improve, try to incorporate more precise academic vocabulary and ensure that collocations are used accurately.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 5.5

The essay contains a mix of simple and complex sentence structures. While you attempt to use complex sentences, there are frequent grammatical errors that occasionally impede the flow of reading. Examples include 'all students of undergraduate courses must provide a period of studying foreign' (should be 'undertake a period of study abroad') and 'it will also upgraded their communication skills' (should be 'it will also upgrade'). Subject-verb agreement and article usage are inconsistent throughout the text. Increasing your control over basic grammatical structures and proofreading for tense consistency would significantly improve your score.

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

Browse more IELTS Writing model answers or get your own writing scored by the same AI examiner.