Band 6.5 IELTS Writing Task 2 Model Answer

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

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)

Education is crucial part in this fast changing world of science, technology and automation. With the growing demand of successful graduates, debates are arising about how to prepare the undergraduates for the specific professions so they are ready to perform at their fullest. One among those is that university pupils should attend mandatory amount of time either studying in foreign country or attempting a job training. I concur to the view that advantages of this view of experiencing real job site or travel having tutoring outside their original country far outweigh the disadvantages.

First and foremost, the main advantage to acquire experience as an undergraduate would give students the opportunity to learn practical skills indirecting instilling confidence in young students. Secondly, learners have already gone through the theory, so it will give them chance to experience skills practically under the supervision so they will can master those skills even before entering the labour market. Additionally, if youth attend schooling outside their native country, they will have to manage independently. For instance, students who pursue their studies internationally they come out of their personal bubble to manage their finances like rent, grocery bills and phone bills etc. Moreover, they get the opportunity to learn about different cultures as well as they develop their understanding based on their own experiences. Basically, it all these situations render them to develop critical thinking skills, being independent and financially efficient.

On the other hand, opponents of the view to study abroad or job training contend that having students send in other country would be financial burden for pupils as well as their parents. Since it will cost heavily to pay all the extra costs. Furthermore, is youth will pull out from the school to experece hands on training, it will impact their theoretical studies. They will be pushed away from the track, leading them to lose their focus from the academics.

In conclusion, although there are some drawbacks of attending international colleges like finances and mental burn out, but it gives them a chance to learn lifelong skills that will help them be an accomplished experts of their particular fields.

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, covering both professional development and personal growth. However, the development of these ideas is somewhat superficial. For instance, the point about 'managing finances' is a good start but lacks a deeper connection to how this specifically prepares a student for a future career. The conclusion is a bit repetitive and could have been used to synthesize the arguments more effectively. To reach a higher band, ensure that each supporting point is fully explored with a clear link back to the main thesis.

Coherence and Cohesion — Band 6.5

The essay is logically organized with a clear introduction, body paragraphs, and a conclusion. Paragraphing is used appropriately to separate the advantages and disadvantages. Cohesive devices such as 'First and foremost', 'Secondly', 'Additionally', and 'On the other hand' are used to guide the reader. However, some transitions feel slightly mechanical, and there are minor issues with referencing, such as 'it all these situations' in the second paragraph, which is grammatically awkward and disrupts the flow. Overall, the progression of ideas is clear, but the use of cohesive devices could be more natural and varied.

Lexical Resource — Band 6.0

The vocabulary is generally adequate for the task, allowing the writer to express their ideas clearly. There are some attempts at less common vocabulary, such as 'labour market' and 'accomplished experts'. However, there are several instances of imprecise word choice and collocation errors, such as 'indirecting instilling confidence' (which is unclear) and 'mental burn out' (which is hyphenated incorrectly). The phrase 'mandatory amount of time' is also slightly unnatural. While the vocabulary is sufficient to convey meaning, it lacks the precision and sophistication required for a higher band score.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 6.0

The essay uses a mix of simple and complex sentence structures. While the meaning is generally clear, there are frequent grammatical errors that occasionally impede the reader. Examples include 'Education is crucial part' (missing article), 'so they will can master' (double modal), 'if youth will pull out' (incorrect conditional structure), and 'having students send in other country' (incorrect passive voice). Punctuation is generally acceptable, but the sentence structure errors are persistent. To improve, the writer should focus on subject-verb agreement, correct article usage, and ensuring that complex sentence constructions are grammatically sound.

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

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