Band 6.0 IELTS Writing Task 2 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 6.0 · Cambridge IELTS 21 · 2026-09-17

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 every undergraduate university course should include a period of studying overseas or completing a work placement. Although this approach may create some financial and practical difficulties, I believe that its advantages would outweigh the disadvantages.

One major advantage is that students would gain valuable experience. University education often focuses mainly on theoretical knowledge, whereas a work placement would allow students to apply what they havr learnt in real life world situations. For example, students studying science or business could work in relevant organisations and develop practical skills. This practical working experience may create wider employment opportunities for them in future. Another significant benefit of studying internationally is that students can develop independence and a broader understanding of the world. Living in a foreign world would expose young people to different cultures, edicational backgrounds and lifestyles. As a result, they could become more adaptable and confident when communicating with different people.

However, making such experiences compulsory could cause difficulties for some students. Studying abroad can be expensive because of travel, accomodation and living costs. In addition, some students may have family responsibilities that prevent them from spending several months overseas.

In conclusion, although requiring undergraduate students to study abroad pr undertake work placements could create financial and practical challenges, the benefits of gaining practical skills, independence and international experience are more significant.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 6.0

The response addresses all parts of the prompt, discussing both the advantages and disadvantages of including study abroad or work placements in undergraduate courses, and maintains a clear position throughout. Ideas are relevant, such as gaining practical work experience, developing independence, and considering financial and family constraints. However, the development is slightly limited by the overall length, as the response falls short of the 250-word minimum requirement at 226 words. This under-length impacts the depth of extension, placing the response at Band 6 under the official descriptors where some ideas are under-developed.

Coherence and Cohesion — Band 6.5

The essay displays a coherent overall arrangement with a clear logical progression from introduction to body paragraphs and a conclusion. Paragraphing is used appropriately to separate the advantages and disadvantages. Cohesive devices are generally well managed, with transitional phrases like 'One major advantage', 'Another significant benefit', and 'However' guiding the reader through the argument. Referencing is mostly clear, though paragraph transitions and links could be slightly more sophisticated to reach higher band levels. Overall, the organizational structure satisfies the requirements for a Band 7 score.

Lexical Resource — Band 6.0

The student demonstrates an adequate range of vocabulary for the task, successfully incorporating less common items such as 'theoretical knowledge', 'adaptable', and 'family responsibilities'. However, there are a few noticeable spelling errors ('havr' instead of have, 'edicational' instead of educational, 'accomodation' instead of accommodation) and occasional awkward collocations like 'real life world situations' and 'foreign world'. While these errors do not impede communication, they prevent the lexical score from rising into the higher bands, aligning the response with a Band 6.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 6.0

The writer employs a mix of simple and complex sentence forms, demonstrating good control over basic structures and attempting more intricate constructions such as conditional and concessive clauses. There are several error-free sentences, particularly in the introduction and conclusion. However, minor grammatical slips and typos occur throughout the body paragraphs. Punctuation is generally sound, and the structural errors rarely impede communication, reflecting the core characteristics of a Band 6 performance in grammar.

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

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