Band 6.0 IELTS Writing Task 2 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 6.0 · 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 6.0)

it is widely believed that all university undergraduate courses should include a period of time spent studying abroad or doing a work placement. In my opinion, the advantages outweigh the disadvantages, which will be discussed in this essay.

To begin with, studying abroad has a significant advantages in terms of opportunities which people can get while studying abroad. To explain it, students expose to more research facilities in developed countries which they do not have in their home country, and also get familiar with new languages and subjects. As a result, their mind grows and their cognitive thinking improve. For example, if students move abroad , they will get new tutors and better equipments which broaden their way of thinking and give them access to new ideas. Hence, students learn more by exploration rather than studying structured lessons alone.

Furthermore, job placement and moving to another country are effective because they foster independence and develop problem-solving abilities, a skill which is essential in university. To explicate it, students who live alone have to manage all the challenges by their own, namely dealing with problems, managing money and time and communicate with people from different language backgrounds. As a result, they develop better problem-solving skills, communication skills, independent behaviour which they don't get from structured classes. Thus, work placement and studying abroad helps them to grow as a person.

In contrast, student face some challenges while doing job placement and study abroad because they face home-sickness and pressure which have negative impacts on metal well-being To elaborate, individuals with bad mental health, are less likely to perform productive and they perform poor in exams despite being capable. However, this problem can be overcome by taking certain measures such as consultation and provide them with better environment.

To conclude, despite certain disadvantages, studying abroad or work placement during undergraduate course help students to become responsible and

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 6.0

The essay addresses all parts of the prompt and maintains a clear position throughout. The arguments regarding personal growth and skill development are relevant, though the conclusion is incomplete, which impacts the overall development of the final point. The ideas are generally well-supported with examples, such as the mention of research facilities and financial management. However, the response would benefit from more depth in the counter-argument section to reach a higher band. The abrupt ending prevents a fully developed summary of the main points, which is a minor omission in task completion.

Coherence and Cohesion — Band 6.0

The essay is logically organized with a clear introduction, body paragraphs, and a conclusion. Cohesive devices are used, such as 'To begin with', 'Furthermore', and 'In contrast', which help guide the reader. However, some transitions feel slightly mechanical, and the referencing is occasionally repetitive. Paragraphing is used appropriately to separate distinct ideas. The abrupt ending of the final paragraph disrupts the overall flow and coherence of the conclusion, making the progression feel unfinished. Improving the variety of linking words and ensuring a complete concluding thought would enhance the cohesion of the essay.

Lexical Resource — Band 6.0

The vocabulary is generally adequate for the task, allowing the student to convey their ideas clearly. There are some attempts at less common vocabulary, such as 'cognitive thinking' and 'explicate', though some word choices are slightly awkward or imprecise, such as 'perform productive' instead of 'be productive'. There are also minor errors in collocation, such as 'better equipments' (equipment is uncountable). While the range is sufficient to discuss the topic, more precise and sophisticated vocabulary would be needed to move into the higher bands.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 6.0

The essay uses a mix of simple and complex sentence structures. There are several grammatical errors, including subject-verb agreement issues ('students expose to', 'thinking improve') and missing articles or incorrect pluralization ('better equipments', 'student face'). Punctuation is generally functional, but there are instances of missing spaces after commas and periods. While these errors do not significantly impede communication, they occur frequently enough to prevent a higher score. A more consistent control over complex structures and proofreading for basic grammatical accuracy would improve the score.

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