Band 6.0 IELTS Writing Task 2 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 6.0 · 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 6.0)

Every university bachelor courses should include a time-period which requires studying abroad or internship in corporate environments. Though it consumes extra time of their courses which is a disadvantage, the advantages surpass the drawbacks.

The principal advantage of studying abroad or being involved in a job is improving the communication skills that is necessary to go with the outer world. In recent several studies reveal that individuals who can be outgoing and have good communication skills are more privileged in their career then the people who have academic success but are introvert. If all undergraduate courses require a certain period of time for studying abroad, students can gain practical experience in different cultures. Furthermore, internship in professional settings helps them to cope up with corporate culture in advance.

However, it is undeniable that some drawbacks are evident to allow the undergraduate students to study abroad or doing a work placement such as making the undergraduate course more lengthy which consumes extra time and expense. Nonetheless, the advantages of including studying abroad or job facilities would outweigh the disadvantages because the extra time and money it consume are not in vain, and it will benefit the students for the long run in their career.

In conclusion, Though studying abroad or doing a work placement requires extra efforts as disadvantages, these provides with long term benefits in the students' lives as described in the previous paragraphs. So, disadvantages should be avoided and all students should think about the benefits and apply it in their study life.

AI examiner evaluation

CriterionBand
Task Achievement / Task Response6.0
Coherence and Cohesion6.5
Lexical Resource5.5
Grammatical Range and Accuracy5.5
Overall6.0

Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 6.0

The response addresses all parts of the prompt, clearly stating a position that the advantages outweigh the disadvantages. The ideas regarding communication skills and corporate culture are relevant, though they could be further developed with more specific examples or evidence. The argument is consistent throughout, and the conclusion reinforces the initial stance. To reach a higher band, ensure that the supporting points are more thoroughly explored rather than just stated, as the current explanation of 'long-term benefits' remains somewhat general. Overall, the response is well-focused on the task requirements.

Coherence and Cohesion — Band 6.5

The essay is logically organized into clear paragraphs, each with a distinct focus. The progression of ideas is easy to follow, moving from the benefits to the drawbacks and finally to the conclusion. Cohesive devices such as 'Furthermore', 'However', and 'Nonetheless' are used effectively to link ideas. However, there is some minor repetition in the phrasing of the conclusion, and the flow could be improved by varying the transition markers. The paragraphing is appropriate and contributes to the overall clarity of the argument.

Lexical Resource — Band 5.5

The vocabulary is generally adequate for the task, allowing the writer to express ideas clearly. There are some attempts at less common collocations, such as 'corporate environments' and 'practical experience'. However, there are occasional inaccuracies in word choice, such as 'job facilities' and 'go with the outer world', which sound slightly unnatural. The range is sufficient to convey the intended meaning, but more precise and sophisticated vocabulary would be needed to reach a higher band. Spelling is generally accurate throughout the text.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 5.5

The essay uses a mix of simple and complex sentence structures. While the meaning is always clear, there are several grammatical errors, such as subject-verb agreement issues ('Every university bachelor courses should' instead of 'course should') and awkward phrasing ('cope up with' instead of 'cope with'). There are also minor errors in preposition use and article placement. Despite these errors, the grammar does not impede communication. To improve, focus on subject-verb agreement and refining the use of phrasal verbs to ensure greater accuracy in complex structures.

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

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