Band 6.5 IELTS Writing Task 2 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 6.5 · Cambridge IELTS 21 · 2026-09-05

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 6.5)

According to many people, all universities should offer courses that encourage students to study abroad, or gain experience from doing a work placement. In my perspective, It's benefits outweigh its drawbacks.

Travelling to other countries can give students at undergraduate level an advanced knowledge in their selected field of study. It broadens the perspective of a person from examining things from another point of view in a different country, increasing their academic experience . Exposure from work places, such as opting for internships during this time period can also strengthen a student's educational capabilities, which can be quite contrasting to the theoretical knowledge. 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 understanding of real-life examples at a work place.

However, 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. If the government does not provide sufficient funding, studying abroad, which can be extremely expensive for many families , will remain inaccessible to low- income students. I think this problem can be overcome by the help of the governments. For instance, there is a funding program introduced by the PM of Pakistan for university students, which lowers the semester fee to a 50%. In today's world where competition for job opportunities has peaked, it has become a challenge to come across internship opportunities. Nevertheless, 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 studied from abroad can benefit the students in the long run by providing them with an increased knowledge and improved set of skills. Governments can assist students by providing them with funds.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 6.5

The response addresses all parts of the prompt, clearly stating a position that the advantages outweigh the disadvantages. The ideas are relevant and supported with examples, such as the mention of exchange programs and government funding in Pakistan. However, the development of the disadvantages could be more nuanced; while financial constraints are mentioned, the argument regarding the difficulty of finding internships is slightly underdeveloped. The position is consistent throughout, and the conclusion effectively summarizes the main points. To reach a higher band, ensure that the counter-arguments are explored with the same depth as the supporting arguments, perhaps by discussing how universities could specifically mitigate the financial burden beyond just government intervention.

Coherence and Cohesion — Band 6.5

The essay is logically organized with a clear introduction, body paragraphs, and a conclusion. Each paragraph has a central theme. Cohesive devices such as 'However', 'Similarly', and 'Nevertheless' are used to link ideas, though some transitions feel slightly mechanical. The progression of ideas is generally clear, moving from the benefits of international study to the practical challenges and potential solutions. Paragraphing is used appropriately to separate distinct points. To improve, try to vary the cohesive devices further and ensure that the relationship between sentences is always smooth, avoiding repetitive sentence structures that can occasionally disrupt the flow of the argument.

Lexical Resource — Band 6.0

The vocabulary is sufficient to convey the intended meaning clearly. There is an attempt to use topic-specific terminology like 'undergraduate level', 'theoretical knowledge', and 'internship opportunities'. However, the range is somewhat limited, and there are occasional inaccuracies in collocation, such as 'gain experience from doing a work placement' (better: 'gain experience through work placements') and 'work along with some companies' (better: 'collaborate with companies'). The word choice is generally appropriate for an academic context, but the essay lacks the more sophisticated, precise vocabulary that would characterize a higher band score. Expanding the range of synonyms and collocations would enhance the overall quality.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 6.0

The essay demonstrates a mix of simple and complex sentence structures. There is good control over basic grammar, but there are several minor errors that persist. For example, 'It's benefits' should be 'Its benefits', and 'one of the reason' should be 'one of the reasons'. Additionally, there are some punctuation issues, such as the space before the comma in 'families ,'. While these errors do not impede communication, they occur frequently enough to prevent a higher score. To improve, focus on subject-verb agreement and proofreading for small mechanical errors, and try to incorporate a wider variety of complex grammatical structures, such as conditional sentences or passive voice, with greater precision.

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

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