Band 7.0 IELTS Writing Task 2 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 7.0 · Cambridge IELTS 21 · 2026-09-20

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 7.0)

International internships or exchange programs for undergraduate students are becoming very common these days. As a result, people often discuss their effectiveness and challenges that can come with it to reach a conclusion if this addition is a good idea or not. In my opinion, going abroad for education or a work placement for a certain period of time is highly advantageous. This is because it gives you broader career options and a chance to adapt in a multi-diverse society.

Going for an overseas study or an internship can give profound career and social benefits. When students go to an entirely different country, they learn about the new evolving trends and by actually spending time at work places prepare them to enter into the job market before they even started their career. Moreover, the interaction with people from diverse backgrounds is helpful in creating community ties and learning to adapt in this cosmopolitan world. For example, many universities in Europe offer one semester exchange programs or internships for students from underdeveloping countries. In this way, many learners get more opportunities for their career development and learn about how to fit in a global village.

Some people argue that generating internships and other study opportunities for international students is quite challenging. While their concerns about affordability and some other factors are genuine, they cannot outweigh the advantages that come with them. While such projects require massive funding and support from the government in order to accommodate a large number of students, it is beneficial for economic and social development. For example, every year top universities like Harvard and MIT give scholarships to students around the world which can cover all of their expenses. As a result, these students join their companies as employees, playing a huge role in building a strong economy.

In conclusion, international work placements and study programs are being included as a part of degree more frequently these days. It's highly advantageous both for social and economical growth. Meanwhile, there can be challenges but they are controllable.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 7.0

The response addresses all parts of the prompt by discussing both the advantages and disadvantages of including study abroad or work placements in undergraduate courses, and presents a clear overall position that the advantages outweigh the drawbacks. The ideas are relevant and generally well-supported. For instance, the discussion on career options and social adaptation is well-developed with an example about European university exchange programs. The counterargument regarding funding and affordability is also thoughtfully introduced and refuted. However, some arguments could be extended further with more precise depth rather than general statements. Therefore, the response fulfills the Band 7 criteria for Task Response, as it addresses all parts of the task with a clear position throughout, though some supporting ideas show a slight tendency to over-generalize.

Coherence and Cohesion — Band 7.0

The essay is logically organized with a clear progression from introduction to body paragraphs and a concluding summary. Paragraphing is used appropriately to separate distinct themes, such as career benefits versus financial challenges. Cohesive devices are employed reasonably well, utilizing linking words like 'Moreover', 'For example', and 'In conclusion' to guide the reader through the argument. However, a few cohesive transitions feel slightly mechanical or repetitive, and referencing is occasionally loose, such as the pronoun 'it' in the opening paragraph referring back vaguely. Overall, the organizational structure is clear and logical throughout, aligning comfortably with the Band 7 descriptor for Coherence and Cohesion.

Lexical Resource — Band 7.0

The student demonstrates a sufficient range of vocabulary to allow for flexibility and precision, attempting less common lexical items such as 'cosmopolitan world', 'profound career and social benefits', and 'underdeveloping countries' (though the standard term is 'developing countries'). There is an awareness of collocation and style, although some minor inaccuracies occur, such as 'work places' written as two words instead of 'workplaces' and 'economical growth' instead of 'economic growth'. Despite these occasional errors, the vocabulary is adequate to convey the intended meaning clearly and effectively, matching the requirements of Band 6.5, which rounds to Band 7 given the overall range and precision shown.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 7.0

The student uses a mix of simple and complex sentence structures, including conditional and relative clauses like 'When students go to an entirely different country, they learn...' and 'universities... that can cover all of their expenses.' There is good control of punctuation and many sentences are entirely error-free. However, a few grammatical slips persist, such as 'before they even started their career' (tense consistency issue) and 'as a part of degree' (missing article). These errors do not impede communication, and the frequency of error-free sentences combined with a variety of complex structures places this performance firmly at Band 7.

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