Band 6.0 IELTS Writing Task 2 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 6.0 · Cambridge IELTS 21 · 2026-09-16

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 debated whether to give a b for students while studying undergradute courses for studying abroad or to engage in a work related internship. Although, providing break will effect their routine and result in poorer academics, I believe a certain period of time will enable them to gain some practical knowledge while working and also by studying abroad will teach them independent living and managing life.

One significant advantage of providing break from their routine is it will give students some time to engage in seeking job oppotunities and experience practical knowledge. For example, while studying some pharmaceutical courses individuals will have an exposure to practical working methods of manufacturing tablets or syrups which they cannot be learned in a traditional class. Another benefit of holidays would be individuals can study in other countries to experience thier cultures, gain some knowledge and adapt to different perspectives of life. For instance, while studying abroad students will learn how to be independent and how adjust to unforeseen conditions in life which is a great expeience for life.

However, there are some disadvantage with this perspective as break will destroy students normal routine of studying regularly. To illustrate, a long break from their education will result in shifiting thier interest to some other activities while suppressing their on studies further and result in poorer outcomes. Moreover, many students cannot afford to study oversees which in turn pressure them to go through financial burden or stress.

In conclusion, although their are some negatives of providing a long pause from academics in universities, I believe the advantages will eventually outweigh the disadvantages by enabling students to experience a new life and gain some practical exposure in thier respective fields.

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 including a study abroad or work placement period in undergraduate courses, and presents a clear position throughout. The main ideas are relevant, such as gaining practical knowledge and experiencing different cultures as benefits, weighed against routine disruption and financial stress as drawbacks. However, some ideas lack full extension and development, particularly the examples which remain somewhat general, such as mentioning pharmaceutical courses without deeper exploration. This performance fits the Band 6 descriptors where all parts are addressed with relevant ideas, though some are under-developed.

Coherence and Cohesion — Band 6.0

The essay presents a coherent overall arrangement with a clear introduction and conclusion, and distinct body paragraphs tackling advantages and disadvantages. Cohesive devices are used to signal transitions, such as 'One significant advantage', 'Another benefit', 'However', and 'In conclusion'. However, referencing and cohesion are sometimes faulty or mechanical, as seen in the slightly disjointed opening sentence and minor tracking issues between sentences. Paragraphing is present and appropriate for the structure of an essay, aligning well with the characteristics of Band 6.

Lexical Resource — Band 6.0

The student uses an adequate range of vocabulary for the task, successfully attempting less common items and subject-related terms like 'pharmaceutical courses', 'practical exposure', and 'financial burden'. However, there are noticeable spelling and word choice errors throughout the text, such as 'undegradute' instead of undergraduate, 'oppotunities' instead of opportunities, 'thier' instead of their, and 'oversees' instead of overseas. While these errors occur frequently, they do not impede communication, placing the response solidly at Band 6.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 6.0

The writer attempts a mix of simple and complex sentence forms, demonstrating some control over subordination and conditional structures. However, there are frequent grammatical errors and awkward phrasing, such as 'Although, providing break will effect their routine', 'which they cannot be learned', and 'suppressing their on studies further'. Punctuation and article usage also show occasional lapses. Despite these errors, the meaning remains comprehensible and communication is rarely impeded, fitting the criteria for Band 5.5, which is rounded to 6.0 or evaluated closely against Band 6 where mixed structures and non-impeding errors are typical.

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