Band 6.0 IELTS Writing Task 2 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 6.0 · Cambridge IELTS 21 · 2026-09-12

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 often argued that all undergraduate courses should include a period of studying abroad or doing a workplacement. while this development may have some disadvantages, I believe that the advantages are more significant and outwegh the drawbacks.

There are there are several reasons why this approach can be beneficial. Firstly, students can gain practical experience. This is because they can apply their academic knowledge in their real life situations. For example, a student doing a workplacement can develop practical skills that may not be taught in a classroom. Secondly, student studying or working in a different environment or country can improve students' confidence and independence. As a result, they may be better prepared for their future career.

However, they are also some drawbacks to considers.One major disadvantage is that financial burden on students.This can be particularly problematic because travelling abroad and paying for accommodation and food can be very expensive. For instance, students from low-income families may find it difficulties to abroad.Such opportunities, which can create inequality.Another concern is that spending long hours away from their universities may interrupt their regular studies, and affect their academic performance. Nevertheless , these problems can be handled with proper planning and financial support.

In conclusion, all those studying abroad and complete workplacement may involve financial difficulties.I believe that the advantages outwegh the drawbacks. This is mainly because practical experience may improve students knowledge , personal development and better career prospects can provide long-term benefits. Therefore , universities should encourage these programs as part of undergraduate education.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 6.5

The response successfully addresses all parts of the prompt by discussing both the advantages and disadvantages of including study abroad or work placements in undergraduate courses, and clearly states an opinion that the advantages outweigh the drawbacks. The position is maintained throughout the essay. Ideas are extended and supported with relevant examples, such as practical skill development and financial burdens. For instance, the discussion on low-income families highlights real-world challenges. However, some ideas tend to generalise slightly, and further elaboration could have elevated the depth of analysis. Overall, the task is well handled, fitting comfortably into the Band 7 category.

Coherence and Cohesion — Band 6.5

The essay presents a clear logical organisation and progression throughout. Information and ideas are grouped into logical paragraphs, with an introduction, body paragraphs addressing advantages and disadvantages respectively, and a conclusion. Cohesive devices such as 'Firstly', 'Secondly', 'However', and 'In conclusion' are used to guide the reader through the text, although there are minor instances of clunky referencing, such as 'they are also some drawbacks to considers.' Paragraphing is used sufficiently and appropriately, ensuring the overall progression of the argument is easy to follow, justifying a solid Band 7 rating.

Lexical Resource — Band 5.5

The student uses an adequate range of vocabulary suitable for an academic essay, incorporating terms such as 'undergraduate courses', 'practical experience', 'financial burden', and 'academic performance'. There are some successful attempts at less common vocabulary, though this is accompanied by noticeable spelling and word-choice errors, such as 'workplacement' (written as a single word), 'outwegh', 'difficulties to abroad', and 'completes'. Despite these inaccuracies, the vocabulary is sufficient to allow communication without major strain on the reader, placing the response squarely at Band 6.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 5.5

The essay displays a mix of simple and complex sentence structures, using conditional and subordinate clauses effectively (e.g., 'This is because they can apply their academic knowledge...'). There are, however, several grammatical errors and punctuation slips throughout the text, such as 'there are there are several reasons', 'they are also some drawbacks', and missing articles like 'the financial burden'. Additionally, mechanical errors like spacing before punctuation marks ('Nevertheless ,') are present. While these errors do not impede overall communication, they prevent the essay from achieving a higher band, aligning well with the Band 6 descriptors.

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