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)

All university bachelor courses must include a time period spent to study abroad or to do a job.I believe that the advantages outweigh the disadvantages because studying abroad gives you an experience and increase your practical skills.

When students do a job or an internship it increases their practical skills and knowledge. In the working environment students will understand how to execute tasks they study in universities. Moreover, it will help them understand how to communicate, learn and work in a professional environment. For instance, I did an internship in marketing field as a course in my bachelor's, which helped me understand the concepts of marketing on a deeper level. Furthermore, studying abroad opens up students mindset as they interact with many people with different cultures and backgrounds. In result, working or studying abroad both encourage and motivate a student to perform better and it also makes a student ready for their professional careers.

Although there are benefits of studying or working courses, there are some disadvantages as well. Studying abroad can be a bit expensive for students as not everyone can afford it. Courses abroad are more costly as a student has to pay for the fee in different currency, need to take care of monthly expenses, need to pay rent of the dorm or apartment they stay in. For example, a student studying abroad has to pay for rent, food, commute, semester fee which when compared to studying in their own university does not cost that much. Still the advantages overweight the disadvantages because the knowledge and experience you get is worth it for the future.

To sum up, even though studying abroad or doing a job can be expensive, I believe that the advantages still outweigh the disadvantages as you comprehend different practical skills and get aware of different cultures.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 6.5

You have addressed all parts of the task by clearly stating your position that the advantages outweigh the disadvantages. You provided relevant arguments for both sides, such as the development of practical skills and cultural awareness versus the financial burden. The ideas are generally well-developed, though the discussion on the disadvantages could be slightly more nuanced. You maintained a clear position throughout the essay, which is a key requirement for a higher band. To improve, ensure that your introduction provides a slightly more comprehensive overview of the main points you intend to discuss, rather than just stating your opinion.

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 'Moreover', 'Furthermore', 'Although', and 'To sum up' to guide the reader through your arguments. However, some transitions feel slightly mechanical, and the referencing could be more sophisticated. For example, in the second paragraph, the flow between the internship example and the cultural benefits of studying abroad is a bit abrupt. Improving the variety of your linking words and ensuring smoother transitions between sentences would help elevate your score in this criterion.

Lexical Resource — Band 5.5

You demonstrate an adequate range of vocabulary for the task, using terms like 'professional environment', 'internship', and 'comprehend'. However, the range is somewhat limited, and there are instances of slightly awkward phrasing, such as 'opens up students mindset' (should be 'broadens students' mindsets') and 'get aware of' (should be 'become aware of'). To achieve a higher band, try to incorporate more precise, academic collocations and less common vocabulary. Avoid repeating the same words, such as 'advantages' and 'disadvantages', by using synonyms like 'benefits' and 'drawbacks' or 'merits' and 'demerits'.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 5.5

You use a mix of simple and complex sentence structures, which is appropriate for this level. There are some grammatical errors, such as 'a time period spent to study' (should be 'a period spent studying') and 'in marketing field' (should be 'in the marketing field'). Additionally, there are minor punctuation and article errors throughout the text. While these errors do not impede communication, they occur frequently enough to prevent a higher score. Focus on subject-verb agreement and the correct use of articles to improve your accuracy. Attempting more varied complex sentence structures would also help demonstrate greater control.

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