Band 6.0 IELTS Writing Task 2 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 6.0 · Cambridge IELTS 21 · 2026-09-04

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 recent years, undergraduate courses has prompted considerable debate , particularly regarding whether all university courses should include a period of time spent studying abroad or doing a work placement.

The question of whether including a period of time spent studying abroad or doing work placement yields more advantages over the drawback has become a central point of discussion. Though including studying in abroad for a period of time or working in a company or any organization, helps to enhance one's skill, contributes to the overall growth of an individual, at the same time it has some concern too. The concerns are basically about financial concern, as studying or working abroad must include wide range of money as a result , the undergraduate course can be more expensive and additionally it includes mental issues like loneliness, monotony etc. But if one wants to think for the long run then I feel undoubtedly the advantages outweighs the disadvantages associated with it.

Spending a period of time studying abroad, is an extra-ordinary opportunity to an individual who wants to see growth in their life not only financially, but from every aspect in one's lifestyle. Studying out of home country often helps by providing good exposure to develop themselves and to enhance their skills, creativity. They can learn how people in foreign countries use a particular skill or art rather than confiding themselves in a shell. They can feel confident by realizing that they can enhance their out-of-box thinking skill working at a different environment. Additionally, doing work placement allows an individual to work in a competitive atmosphere which helps them to learn and later they can contribute the skills on themselves or there workplaces for the betterment. An individual can feel how the life is there out of their home-country. When one can leave their comfort and comes out of a shell, they becomes stronger in every aspect. As a result, productivity increases.

Thinking of the growth and development one's personal and professional life, I feel the advantages of including a period of time dedicating to study abroad or doing work placement often outweighs the disadvantages.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 6.0

The response addresses all parts of the prompt, clearly stating a position that the advantages outweigh the disadvantages. The ideas are relevant, focusing on personal growth, skill development, and professional exposure. However, the development of these ideas is somewhat repetitive, particularly the focus on 'coming out of a shell' and 'growth'. To reach a higher band, the arguments could be more nuanced by providing concrete examples of specific industries or academic fields where such placements are transformative. The conclusion is clear, but the overall development remains somewhat general rather than deeply analytical.

Coherence and Cohesion — Band 6.0

The essay is logically organized into an introduction, body paragraphs, and a conclusion. There is a clear progression of ideas. However, the use of cohesive devices is sometimes mechanical or slightly awkward, such as the transition 'But if one wants to think for the long run then I feel...'. Additionally, some sentences are slightly disjointed, and the referencing (e.g., 'the skills on themselves') is occasionally unclear. Paragraphing is used appropriately to separate the introduction, the discussion of benefits, and the final stance, which helps the reader follow the argument.

Lexical Resource — Band 5.5

The vocabulary is generally adequate for the task, allowing the writer to express their ideas clearly. There are attempts to use more sophisticated phrases like 'competitive atmosphere' and 'out-of-box thinking'. However, there are several instances of imprecise word choice and awkward collocations, such as 'wide range of money' instead of 'significant financial burden' and 'confiding themselves in a shell' instead of 'confining themselves'. While the meaning is always clear, the lack of precision and occasional misuse of vocabulary prevents the response from reaching a higher band.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 5.5

The essay displays a mix of simple and complex sentence structures. There are several grammatical errors throughout, such as subject-verb agreement issues ('undergraduate courses has prompted') and incorrect preposition usage ('studying in abroad'). Punctuation is also inconsistent, with unnecessary commas appearing in several places. While the errors do not impede communication, they are frequent enough to be noticeable. To improve, the student should focus on subject-verb agreement and refining the use of articles and prepositions to ensure more error-free sentences.

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