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)

In the contemporary society, it is widely believed that universities should include a work placement or study semester which must be completed abroad or away from home for several reasons. Some however believe that it is of no benefit. It offers fundamental benefits, it also presents certain drawbacks.

The primary advantage of studying or working abroad is being independent in every field of life. This is largely because the thinking process, the workload and the study load is to managed by the individual himself. Furthermore, this helps a student to adapt to different environments and process feelings and tasks without help. For example, a students gets up on time, prepares breakfast, manages work and study, doesnot come home to a cooked meal and pushes himself to do better due to the circumstances, which is impossible in family systems. Hence, stayimg away from family proves to be very beneficial in yerms of self development.

Despite these benefits, there are notable disadvantages. One major drawback is missing your family and friends, and doing major tasks alone, with only being connected by a call or video call with a heavy workload. Moreover adapting in a totally different environment in equally challenging, where an individual has to prove himself. For instance, working at a place where you have to cope with people, keep in acount the language barrier and difficulties and work hard for progress can be extremely difficult for most and a person develops anxiety and mental unstability. Therefore, it is better to work on weak areas and develop beneficial habits.

In conclusion, although there are some drawbacks present, I believe that its advantages outweigh the disadvantages in the long run which proves to be beneficial in terms of discipline, self-esteem, and adaptability.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 6.5

The response addresses all parts of the task by discussing both the advantages and disadvantages of including periods of study abroad or work placements in undergraduate degrees, and a clear position is presented throughout and reinforced in the conclusion. Ideas are extended and supported, such as when the student describes the daily challenges of independence and adaptation. However, there is a tendency to over-generalize in places, and some arguments could benefit from further depth and precision. The development is appropriate for a Band 7 level, as all requirements of the prompt are fulfilled with a clear, sustained stance.

Coherence and Cohesion — Band 6.0

The essay displays clear logical organisation and progression throughout. Information and ideas are generally well sequenced, starting with an introduction that outlines the writer's stance, followed by body paragraphs dedicated to advantages and disadvantages respectively, and a clear concluding paragraph. Cohesive devices such as 'Furthermore', 'Despite these benefits', and 'In conclusion' are used to connect ideas effectively, although paragraphing and referencing can occasionally feel a bit mechanical. There is a clear logical flow that guides the reader easily from one point to the next, placing this response securely in the Band 6.5 to 7 range.

Lexical Resource — Band 5.5

The student demonstrates an adequate and sufficient range of vocabulary for the task, successfully attempting less common items and phrasings such as 'contemporary society', 'fundamental benefits', and 'language barrier'. However, there are some noticeable vocabulary and spelling errors, such as 'is to managed' (grammatical slip affecting lexical control), 'stayimg' (typographical error), 'in yerms' (spelling slip), and 'mental unstability' (awkward collocation for 'mental instability'). These occasional errors do not impede communication, allowing the student to achieve a solid Band 6.0 for this criterion.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 5.5

The writer uses a mix of simple and complex sentence forms, demonstrating attempts at subordination and relative clauses. However, there are several grammatical and mechanical errors throughout the text, such as 'the study load is to managed' (incorrect passive structure), 'a students gets up' (subject-verb agreement error), 'doesnot' (spacing and spelling error), and punctuation issues around commas. While complex structures are attempted, they are frequently accompanied by errors that require the reader to occasionally pause. Nevertheless, meaning is generally clear, which aligns well with the descriptors for Band 6.0.

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