Band 6.0 IELTS Writing Task 2 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 6.0 · Cambridge IELTS 21 · 2026-09-11

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 argued that third-level education students should spend their time studying overseas or doing a work placement. Although it put logistical and financial difficulties on students however in my opinion the long-term advantages would outweigh the disadvantages.

Admittedly, making it compulsory for students to study abroad put financial constrains on students particularly from low-income families. They would find it difficult to afford the expenses of accommodation, travel, meals including the extra tuition costs. Additionally, finding a work placement would be very challenging for students particularly for high demanding fields and it ultimately undermine a students' confidence if they don't find one.

Nevertheless, I would argue that studying abroad would provide students with significant advantages by substantially building their confidence, critical thinking and problem-solving abilities. Students would get an exposure of international environment and a different culture consequently, develop the interpersonal skills. Moreover, doing a work placement would give them the opportunity to apply their theoretical knowledge into real-world problems ultimately it enhances the cross-cultural competences and employability. For example students studying engineering could gain better experience by working in an industry meanwhile students studying business could get better experience of team-work, problem solving skills by working in a company. Subsequently, it would make them stand out in a globalized labor market and enhance their career prospects because employers require students who have both academic excellence and practical skills.

I believe that the advantages are far more than the manageable drawbacks. Government and universities could make a collaborative effort to provide scholarships for students from low-income families moreover, they can make arrangements to place students locally.

To conclude, I would say undoubtedly making it compulsory to study abroad would put a burden on students which can be managed by institutes. However the advantages is long-term as it would develop both personal and interpersonal skills.

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 and generally well-developed, particularly the discussion on skill acquisition and employability. However, the development of the disadvantages is slightly less robust, and the conclusion introduces a new suggestion (local placements) that was not fully explored in the body paragraphs. The position is consistent throughout, and the main arguments are supported with relevant examples, such as engineering and business students, which helps to clarify the writer's perspective.

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 disadvantages from the advantages. Cohesive devices such as 'Admittedly', 'Nevertheless', and 'Moreover' are used to guide the reader through the argument. However, there are some minor issues with mechanical cohesion, such as the redundant use of 'although' and 'however' in the same sentence in the introduction, and some run-on sentences where punctuation is missing, which slightly affects the flow of ideas.

Lexical Resource — Band 6.0

The vocabulary is generally adequate and appropriate for the task. The student uses some topic-specific collocations like 'globalized labor market', 'theoretical knowledge', and 'interpersonal skills'. There are some minor errors in word choice and form, such as 'financial constrains' (should be 'constraints') and 'high demanding fields' (should be 'highly demanding'). While the range is sufficient to convey the message clearly, it lacks the sophistication and precision required for a higher band score, as some phrasing remains somewhat repetitive or slightly unnatural.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 5.5

The student demonstrates a mix of simple and complex sentence structures. There are several grammatical errors, particularly with subject-verb agreement ('it put logistical', 'it ultimately undermine') and punctuation (missing commas in complex sentences). The use of 'although' followed by 'however' in the first paragraph is a common error that creates a redundant structure. While these errors do not impede communication, they occur frequently enough to prevent the essay from reaching the 7.0 band, which requires more frequent error-free sentences and better control over complex structures.

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