Band 6.5 IELTS Writing Task 2 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 6.5 · Cambridge IELTS 21 · 2026-09-08

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)

Studying abroad for higher education has become a major concern for youngsters. It is often argued that people should go abroad either for semester exchange or for work placement. Although it is costly, I believe students should be encouraged to pursue some part of their education abroad.

On the one hand, the world's population is increasing at an exponential rate and resources are limited to keep pace with it. Not only does it require more funding but also requires an effective transportation for travelling. Travelling costs are by far the most obvious expense in this journey, while having enough budget is important in the second place. Governments may be unable to provide scholarships to all student as it would place extreme financial pressure on them. Consequently, students have to bear all their travelling and academic expenditure. However, enforcing these rules could harm mental health and the personal life of the students as not everyone wants the same.

Having said that, giving an entirely different exposure to students and employees can not only broaden their horizons but also make them creative. For instance, being impressed by another country's infrastructure and development makes youngsters introduce the same systems and technologies in their country. Furthermore, a relatively different place or different people can give them a chance to develop their interpersonal skills and make them high competitors. In addition, travelling and managing things alone help them to make a better version of themselves. For instance, they become more aware of scams and they better know how to tackle problems and emergencies all by themselves.

In my opinion, although semester exchange and work placement programs require heavy investments and transportation expenses, I believe their benefits on individual's mental health, overall personality grooming and creativity are more than their disadvantages.

All things considered, though travelling costs and financial budgets are considerable drawbacks, their healthier impacts on society and the development of country are increasingly important and outweigh its disadvantages.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 6.5

The response addresses the prompt by discussing both the advantages and disadvantages of mandatory study abroad or work placements. You clearly state your position in the introduction and maintain it throughout. However, the development of ideas is somewhat uneven. The first body paragraph focuses heavily on the logistical and financial difficulties of travel, which is relevant, but the connection to the prompt's core requirement—that these should be mandatory for all undergraduate courses—could be more explicit. The second body paragraph provides good examples of personal development and skill acquisition. To reach a higher band, ensure that every point made directly supports the argument regarding whether these programs should be a universal requirement for all students.

Coherence and Cohesion — Band 7.0

The essay is logically organized with a clear introduction, body paragraphs, and a conclusion. You use cohesive devices such as 'On the one hand,' 'Having said that,' and 'Furthermore' to guide the reader through your arguments. Paragraphing is used appropriately to separate distinct ideas. However, some transitions feel slightly mechanical, and the flow between sentences could be improved for better cohesion. For instance, the link between the global population increase mentioned in the second paragraph and the specific issue of mandatory study abroad is a bit tenuous. Strengthening these logical links would improve the overall flow of the essay.

Lexical Resource — Band 6.5

You demonstrate a sufficient range of vocabulary to discuss the topic with some precision. Phrases like 'broaden their horizons,' 'interpersonal skills,' and 'personality grooming' are used effectively. There are some minor issues with word choice, such as 'high competitors' (which is not a standard collocation) and 'healthier impacts' (which is slightly awkward in this context). While you attempt to use less common vocabulary, the precision is occasionally lacking. To improve, focus on using collocations more naturally and ensuring that your word choices are contextually accurate to convey your intended meaning more precisely.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 6.5

The essay uses a mix of simple and complex sentence structures. You show good control over basic grammar, and your meaning is always clear. There are some minor errors, such as 'provide scholarships to all student' (should be plural 'students') and 'the development of country' (missing an article 'a' or 'the'). Additionally, some sentences are slightly clunky, such as 'it requires more funding but also requires an effective transportation for travelling.' While these errors do not impede communication, they prevent the essay from reaching the higher bands where a wider range of error-free complex structures is expected. Focus on article usage and subject-verb agreement to refine your accuracy.

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

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