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)

All Bachelor degrees should incorporate some courses that encourages student to study abroad, or gain experience from doing a work placement. In my perspective, it's advantages can outweigh the disadvantages of this opinion.

Travelling to other countries can give students at undergraduate level an advance knowledge in their selected field of study. It broadens the perspective of a person from examining things from another point of view. Differences in cultures of various countries can teach a student how a situation is tackled in other countries, increasing their experience. Exposure from work place such as internships during this time period can also benefit a student experience on how to deal with real life situations, which can be quite contrasting to the theory. It boosts confidence in one's abilities, which can lead them to excel in their studies and score better. For instance, many universities in Pakistan offer exchange programs that gives opportunity to the undergraduate student to gain education for a semester or two in a foreign country. Similarly, many companies recruit undergraduate students to help them gain exposure to real life examples at a work place.

In contrast, the financial situation of the family for some students should be taken into account. This is one of the reason that studying abroad even for a certain period of time can put these students and their families in a tough spot. Affording to study abroad isn't feasible for everyone as it can be expensive. Nevertheless, if the government helps students with these expenses, I think it can help the student to overcome this problem In today's world where competition for job opportunities has peaked, it has become difficult to come across internship opportunities. However, I think if universities offer to work along with some companies to hire their undergraduates this issue can be resolved.

In conclusion, bachelor degrees with inclusion of courses from abroad can benefit the student in the long run by providing him with an increased knowledge and self confidence, , In my perspective its advantages can outweigh its disadvantages by the support of government and universities.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 6.5

You have addressed all parts of the prompt by discussing both the advantages and disadvantages of mandatory study abroad or work placements. Your position is clear from the introduction and maintained throughout the essay. The ideas are relevant, such as the mention of cultural exposure and financial constraints. However, some points could be developed further; for instance, the suggestion that governments should fund these programs is a good idea but lacks specific detail on how this would be implemented. Overall, the response is well-focused and provides a balanced view, meeting the requirements for a Band 7 score.

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 'In contrast,' 'Nevertheless,' and 'Similarly' to link ideas. However, there are some minor issues with punctuation and flow, such as the double comma in the final paragraph ('confidence, , In'). Additionally, some transitions feel slightly mechanical. Paragraphing is used appropriately to separate the advantages from the disadvantages, which helps the reader follow your argument. To reach a higher band, ensure that your cohesive devices are used more naturally and that punctuation is consistently accurate.

Lexical Resource — Band 6.0

You demonstrate an adequate range of vocabulary for the task, using terms like 'incorporate,' 'exposure,' and 'feasible.' There are some minor errors in word choice and collocation, such as 'advance knowledge' (should be 'advanced knowledge') and 'Exposure from work place' (should be 'Exposure to the workplace'). While you attempt to use less common vocabulary, these occasional inaccuracies prevent a higher score. To improve, focus on learning the specific collocations associated with academic and professional contexts, and ensure that your word forms (e.g., 'advantages' vs 'advantageous') are used correctly in context.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 6.0

You use a mix of simple and complex sentence structures. There are several grammatical errors, such as subject-verb agreement ('courses that encourages' should be 'courses that encourage') and article usage ('the undergraduate student' should be 'undergraduate students'). Punctuation errors, such as the missing period after 'problem' and the comma splice in the conclusion, are also present. While these errors do not impede communication, they occur frequently enough to limit the score. To improve, focus on subject-verb agreement and proofreading for basic punctuation, especially at the end of sentences.

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

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