Band 6.0 IELTS Writing Task 2 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 6.0 · Cambridge IELTS 21 · 2026-09-19

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)

Education is not just about learning; it also includes leaving your comfort zone behind and getting new experiences. It is advised that bachelor's degree should include a studying abroad experience or internship at a company. This equip students by giving them exposure to professional environment. I believe that the advantages of exposing students to professional life earlier has more advantages than disadvantages.

Traditional undergraduate degree focus more on theoratical knowledge than practical knowledge. Many argue that it should be mandatory for all university students to gain practical skills through internships or hands-on trainings. These courses teach students about professionalism and are beneficial for their careers. For instance, the companies and firms need skilled workers and if students accquire these skills earlier, it will help them adjusting into their professional life earlier. Additionally, early exposure will help them land jobs more quickly.

On the other hand, many argue that it is a complete waste of time and resources to send students abroad in their undergraduate degree. Students might not be able to focus more on the tasks that are necessary (like exams, projects and research) because they are working at a firm. In addition to, studying abroad cost money which is difficult for a student to manage. But these things teach students about time and resource management, which is a beneficial skill for them.

In conclusion, students should be exposed to work environments in universities as it will help them develop essential skills. It will also help them to find jobs more easily. The advantages of getting professional exposure early is necessary and totally outweighs the disadvantages.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 6.0

The student addresses all parts of the task and presents a clear position throughout the response. The introduction states that the advantages outweigh the disadvantages, which is then supported in the body paragraphs. For instance, the writer discusses how internships provide essential practical skills and improve job prospects, while also acknowledging the opposing view regarding cost and distractions before refuting them. Ideas are extended and supported with relevant explanations, such as mentioning exams, projects, and research, though some arguments tend to be slightly repetitive or under-developed. For example, the point about learning time and resource management could have been expanded further. Overall, the response meets the requirements for Band 6.5 or 7.0 in task response, and is best placed at Band 6.5 due to minor generalisations and limited depth in idea development.

Coherence and Cohesion — Band 6.0

The response features a clear overall arrangement with a logical progression of ideas from introduction to conclusion. Paragraphing is used appropriately, with each paragraph focusing on a distinct aspect of the prompt: introduction, professional advantages, disadvantages and counter-arguments, and conclusion. Cohesive devices are employed to connect ideas, such as 'On the other hand,' 'In addition to,' and 'In conclusion.' However, some referencing and cohesive links are slightly faulty or mechanical, such as 'In addition to, studying abroad cost money,' which contains a grammatical slip and awkward punctuation. Paragraph transitions are generally clear, but the internal cohesion within paragraphs occasionally lacks seamless flow. These characteristics align well with the Band 6.0 descriptors, showing a coherent overall arrangement despite some faulty cohesion.

Lexical Resource — Band 6.0

The student demonstrates an adequate range of vocabulary for the task, successfully attempting less common lexical items such as 'professional exposure,' 'hands-on trainings,' and 'resource management.' However, there are noticeable word-choice and collocation errors, such as 'theoratical knowledge' (spelling), 'accquire these skills,' and 'help them adjusting,' where the infinitive or gerund form is misused. Additionally, some vocabulary is repeated throughout the text, such as 'advantages,' 'skills,' and 'professional.' While these inaccuracies and spelling slips occur, they do not impede communication, allowing the reader to easily follow the argument. This performance fits comfortably within the Band 6.0 band descriptors for lexical resource.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 6.0

The writer employs a mix of simple and complex sentence forms, demonstrating attempts at subordination and relative clauses, such as 'Many argue that it should be mandatory for all university students to gain practical skills through internships or hands-on trainings.' However, there are several grammatical errors and non-standard usages present throughout the text, including subject-verb agreement issues ('bachelor's degree should include,' 'studying abroad cost money') and prepositional errors ('help them adjusting'). Punctuation and article usage also show occasional lapses. Despite these errors, the meaning remains clear and they rarely impede overall communication. The combination of attempted complex structures alongside persistent grammatical inaccuracies is characteristic of a Band 6.0 performance.

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

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