Band 6.5 IELTS Writing Task 2 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 6.5 · Cambridge IELTS 21 · 2026-09-15

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 6.5)

It is often argued that all university students should spend some time studying abroad opr completing a work placement as part of their undergraduates education. Although this approach may create some difficulties, I beieve that its advantages outweigh the disadvantages.

One major advantage of studying abroad or working in a professional environment is that students can gain valuable practical experince. University education mainly provides theorectical knowledege, whereas a workplace allows students to apply what they have learned in real situtaion. For example, an enginnering student who work fopr a constuction company can understnad how differnt theories are used in actual projestc. This experince can also improve students' communication, teamwork and problem solving skills, which are highly valued by employers.

Another benefit of studying overseas is that students can become more independant and failiar with different cultures. Living in another county requires young peiple to manage their finances, accommodatiuon and daily responsibility on their own. Furthermore, interacting with people from diffrent culture backgrounds can broaden their perspectives and improve their language skills. These experince can make graduates more confident and adapatble in their future careers.

However, there are some disadvantages. Studying abroad can be expensive becuase students may have to pay for travel, accommodation and living expenses. In addition, some students may experince homesickness or struggle to adapt to a new culture. Similarly, work placements may reduce the amonut of time available for acedemic study. Nevertheless, these problems can be reduced through financialk support from universities and by offering students suitable placement options.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 6.5

The response effectively addresses all parts of the task by discussing both the advantages and disadvantages of studying abroad or doing work placements, and clearly presents a well-supported position that the advantages outweigh the disadvantages. The ideas are relevant and generally well-developed. For example, the student explains how practical experience allows engineering students to apply theories to actual projects and highlights benefits such as improved communication, independence, and cultural awareness. The drawbacks, including financial costs and homesickness, are also appropriately acknowledged and contrasted. Although some supporting points could be extended further to achieve a higher band, the overall task coverage is clear, well-focused, and meets the requirements of a Band 7 response.

Coherence and Cohesion — Band 6.5

The essay demonstrates clear logical organisation and progression throughout. Each paragraph has a distinct central topic, moving smoothly from an introduction to two detailed body paragraphs focusing on advantages, followed by a contrasting paragraph addressing disadvantages. Cohesive devices such as 'Furthermore', 'However', and 'In addition' are used effectively to guide the reader through the argument. Paragraphing is used logically and appropriately. Although referencing and linking could occasionally be smoother to reach the higher bands, the overall structure provides a coherent and easily navigable framework that aligns well with the descriptors for Band 7.

Lexical Resource — Band 6.0

The student uses an adequate range of vocabulary suitable for the task, successfully attempting less common items such as 'professional environment', 'theoretical knowledge', and 'cultural backgrounds'. However, there are several noticeable spelling and typographical errors throughout the text, including 'opr' instead of 'or', 'undergraduates' instead of 'undergraduate', 'beieve' instead of 'believe', 'experince' instead of 'experience', 'theorectical knowledege' instead of 'theoretical knowledge', 'independant' instead of 'independent', 'failiar' instead of 'familiar', 'county' instead of 'country', 'peiple' instead of 'people', and 'financialk' instead of 'financial'. Despite these errors, the lexical range is sufficient to convey meaning clearly, placing this response firmly in Band 6.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 6.0

The response features a mix of simple and complex sentence forms, demonstrating attempts at subordination and relative clauses, such as 'Although this approach may create some difficulties, I believe that its advantages outweigh the disadvantages' and 'an engineering student who works for a construction company can understand...'. There are several grammatical and mechanical errors, including missing plural markers, subject-verb agreement issues (e.g., 'student who work fopr'), and frequent spelling mistakes that affect individual words. However, the complex structures are generally understandable, and the errors rarely impede overall communication. This performance aligns consistently with the Band 6 descriptors.

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

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