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)

Universities should allow students to study in a foreign country or to do a work placement during their undergraduate degree. Although this policy has some drawback as it will be more expensive for students to continue their study in a foreign country but I strongly believe that the advantages outweigh the drawbacks as studying abroad or work placemnet will help students to gain practical experience and it will improve their communucation skills as well.

Unemployment has increased in recent days whcih has mostly effected the degree holders as they lack practical experience. Work placement could help them to overcome this crisis because they will be able to work on the field. For example, my brother worked as a junior assistant for one year after getting a work placement opportunity which helped him to get a permanent job in Saudi Arabia. Hence, work placement can reduce the stress of getting a permanent job after the completion of study.

Studying abroad can improve communication skills and students can learn about other cultures as well. However, there are some drawbacks such as due to financial problems it could be difficult for most students to continue their study in a foreign country. For instance, one of my relatives was offered a student exchange program for one year in Turkey so that he learned Turkish language in order to communicate in a better way with locals but after three months he left Turkey due to lack of financial support. Hence, studiyng abroad can make you learn about new things but it could have some drawbacks as well.

In conclusion, universities should give an option to students to study abroad or to do a work placement. The chance to study abroad will improve their communication while through job replacement undergraduate students will be able to gain experience which will help them to get better knowledge of the real world.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 6.0

The response addresses all parts of the task by discussing both the advantages and disadvantages of studying abroad and work placements, clearly stating a position that the advantages outweigh the drawbacks. The ideas are relevant and supported with examples, such as the mention of the student's brother gaining a permanent job after a work placement, and a relative participating in a student exchange program in Turkey. However, some arguments tend to over-generalise slightly, and the development could be extended further for a higher band. Overall, the task is well covered, meeting the requirements for Band 6.5 to 7.0, and is best placed at Band 6.5 due to minor limitations in idea expansion.

Coherence and Cohesion — Band 6.0

The essay presents a clear overall arrangement with a distinct introduction, body paragraphs addressing work placements and studying abroad respectively, and a conclusion. Paragraphing is used appropriately to separate distinct ideas. Cohesive devices such as 'Although', 'For example', 'However', and 'In conclusion' are utilized to connect sentences and paragraphs. However, referencing and transitions are at times slightly mechanical. For instance, the transition 'Hence, studiyng abroad can make you learn about new things but it could have some drawbacks as well' feels repetitive and somewhat abrupt. Overall cohesion is functional and supports the logical progression of the argument, earning a solid Band 6.0.

Lexical Resource — Band 6.0

The student demonstrates an adequate range of vocabulary for the task, successfully attempting less common items such as 'practical experience', 'permanent job', and 'student exchange program'. However, there are noticeable spelling and word choice errors, such as 'drawback' instead of 'drawbacks', 'placemnet' instead of 'placement', 'communucation' instead of 'communication', 'whcih' instead of 'which', 'effected' instead of 'affected', 'on the field' instead of 'in the field', and 'job replacement' instead of 'work placement'. While these errors do not severely impede communication, they restrict the score to a Band 6.0.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 6.0

The writer uses a mix of simple and complex sentence structures, incorporating subordinate clauses introduced by 'although', 'as', and 'which'. However, there are frequent grammatical and punctuation errors throughout the text, such as run-on sentences and conjunction misuse (e.g., 'Although this policy has some drawback as it will be more expensive... but I strongly believe...'). Other errors include subject-verb agreement issues like 'so that he learned Turkish language' and minor typographical slips. Despite these errors, the meaning remains mostly clear, matching the criteria for Band 6.0.

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

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