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)

Addition of significant amount of time spent studying abroad or doing a work placement in all university bachelor courses is a topic of debate whether it's pros are greater than it's cons.

In my point of view, the advantages of addition of studying abroad or doing an internship in university undergraduate programs could possibly outperform the disadvantages.

The benefits a student can get from studying or doing internships abroad is huge. They can meet new people from different culture and ethnicity if they study or work abroad to complete their undergraduate courses. Also, they can find the opportunity to learn how to adapt with new environment and people apart from their comfort zone. It will make them more self-dependent. For an example, I had the opportunity to get the Erasmus Mundus scholarship in Europe which allowed me to meet new people from different corners of the world, having different ideas & mindset. It was a really good experience. Moreover, I had to live their for two months far away from my home which forced me to learn how to survive alone without the comfort zone of my own family.

On the other hand, there are some cons too. Living far away from closed one can sometimes cause depression and anxiety if the person is homesick. Also, the language can be a barrier too if the people of the country don't know how to speak English. The food availability and taste can be a problem too if the person is very pond of home-made foods.

Therefore, the pros of studying or working abroad for completing courses can weigh more than the cons because of these life-time experience and learning throughout the journey, leaving the comfort zone, and exploring the world.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 6.0

The response addresses the prompt by taking a clear position that the advantages outweigh the disadvantages. The ideas are relevant, particularly the personal example of the Erasmus Mundus scholarship, which adds depth to the argument. However, the development is somewhat limited; the discussion of disadvantages is brief and lacks the same level of elaboration as the benefits. While the position is consistent, the essay would benefit from a more balanced exploration of the counter-arguments to fully satisfy the requirements for a higher band score. The conclusion effectively summarizes the main points, maintaining a clear stance throughout.

Coherence and Cohesion — Band 6.0

The essay is logically organized with a clear introduction, body paragraphs, and a conclusion. Paragraphing is used appropriately to separate the benefits from the drawbacks. Cohesive devices such as 'In my point of view', 'Moreover', and 'On the other hand' are used to guide the reader through the argument. However, some transitions feel slightly mechanical, and the flow between sentences could be smoother. The referencing is generally clear, though the connection between the personal anecdote and the broader argument could be more tightly integrated to improve the overall progression of ideas.

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 vocabulary, such as 'outperform' and 'ethnicity'. However, there are several instances of imprecise word choice or minor errors, such as 'pond of' instead of 'fond of', 'closed one' instead of 'loved ones', and 'live their' instead of 'live there'. These errors do not impede communication but indicate a need for more precise control over collocations and spelling to reach a higher band level.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 5.5

The essay uses a mix of simple and complex sentence structures. While the meaning is consistently clear, there are frequent grammatical errors, particularly with articles ('the addition of significant amount'), subject-verb agreement, and preposition usage. For instance, 'it's pros' should be 'its pros' (possessive). Punctuation is generally functional, but there are minor slips throughout. The range of structures is sufficient to convey the argument, but the frequency of errors prevents the writing from reaching a higher band, as the control over complex structures is not yet consistent.

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

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