Band 6.0 IELTS Writing Task 2 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 6.0 · Cambridge IELTS 21 · 2026-09-18

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)

Educational institutions should include a certain time frame for the undergraduate students to spend time in a real working environment or to abroad study. Although doing an internship or work placement might be difficult as they can mistakes in an organisation, exposure into real working environments can increase communication skills and build networks which can outweigh the drawback.

The major benefit for undergraduate students working as an intern or spending time studying abroad can make them exposed into the real working environment which can increase their communication skills and adapt to handle pressure. During the period, students need to do different tasks along with making frequent communication with clients. This can develop the habit to handle pressure. As a result, they can build their mental strength and necessary skills. Additionally, pupils can build a wide range of network. By working in an organisation, one can develop link to the channel of command and also with the customers. As a result, they can develop relationship with many people. For example, working in Customer Service Department involves direct conversation with clients which can increase your linkage.

On the other hand, doing such work without efficient knowledge can create a lot of mistakes in the workplace. This is because, students do not know about how the organisation runs and they can face difficulties to adjust to the rules and regulations. As a result, they may create frequent errors and it may worsen the task. For instance, an intern working in a loan department can find it difficult to work and one minor mistake in work can create big issues.

In conclusion, building communication skills and networks can outweigh the drawback of getting difficult to adjust to the work environment or abroad study.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 6.0

The student addresses all parts of the prompt, discussing both the benefits of studying abroad or doing a work placement and the potential drawbacks, while maintaining a clear position that the advantages outweigh the disadvantages. Ideas are generally relevant, such as improving communication skills and building professional networks, alongside the counter-argument regarding making mistakes in the workplace. However, some arguments lack full extension and rely on repetitive phrasing rather than deeper analytical depth. For instance, the discussion on handling pressure and building mental strength is somewhat brief. Overall, the task is addressed adequately, fitting comfortably into the Band 6.5 to 7.0 range, and the score awarded reflects a solid, clear attempt at covering all requirements of the prompt.

Coherence and Cohesion — Band 6.0

The essay is divided into a clear introduction, two body paragraphs, and a conclusion, showing an overall logical progression of ideas. Cohesive devices are employed to connect sentences and paragraphs, such as 'Additionally,' 'On the other hand,' and 'In conclusion.' However, some cohesion is slightly mechanical or repetitive, and referencing occasionally becomes unclear, such as shifting pronouns between 'students,' 'one,' and 'your' in the second body paragraph ('which can increase your linkage'). Paragraphing is used appropriately, and each paragraph has a discernible central topic. While the logical flow is mostly clear, minor lapses in referencing and cohesive control prevent it from reaching a higher band, placing it firmly at Band 6.5.

Lexical Resource — Band 5.5

The student demonstrates an adequate range of vocabulary for the task, attempting less common items such as 'undergraduate students,' 'real working environment,' 'organisation,' and 'loan department.' However, there are notable lexical inaccuracies and awkward collocations throughout the text, such as 'to abroad study' instead of 'studying abroad,' 'make mistakes' versus 'can mistakes in an organisation,' 'wide range of network' instead of 'wide network,' and 'increase your linkage.' These errors indicate a lack of precision with word choice and collocation. Despite these inaccuracies, the vocabulary is sufficient to convey the main message without heavily impeding the reader's understanding, aligning well with the Band 6 descriptors.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 5.5

The writer uses a mix of simple and complex sentence forms, demonstrating some ambition with subordinate clauses introduced by 'although,' 'as,' and 'which.' However, grammatical errors occur with moderate frequency throughout the text. Examples include 'they can mistakes in an organisation,' 'exposure into real working environments,' 'making frequent communication,' and 'getting difficult to adjust.' Furthermore, articles and prepositions are occasionally misused, such as 'to abroad study.' While these errors are noticeable and require the reader to occasionally adjust, they rarely impede overall communication. The presence of frequent minor structural errors alongside correctly formed complex sentences justifies a Band 6.0 score.

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

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