Band 6.0 IELTS Writing Task 2 Model Answer

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

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)

All university bachelor's courses should include a period of studying abroad or doing a work placement. Although this educational trend has some disadvantages, I believe its advantages outweigh them, particularly in terms of work experience and exposure to different cultures.

One of the primary advantages of this is that it provides a valuable work experience. This is because students opt for an undergraduate course in a foreign country to gain real-life practical skills and experience, rather than learning theoretical knowledge. Subsequently, they will get an exposure to different cultures due to this they will be more comfortable working in various environments. For instance, many countries have started providing 2 to 3 years of post-study work permit, it allows students to work full-time and gain real-life experience while exposing themselves to different cultures. As a result, it is beneficial for students as it can help them to get more job opportunities in the future.

However, one of the major disadvantages of this is that it is very expensive to get. This is mainly because undergraduate courses include high fees especially if you are selecting any specific course at university. Another demerit is that many students suffer from homesickness as they live far from family. For instance, many students come from low socio-economic backgrounds they cannot afford fees and living expenses. Consequently, they often drop their future career plans in order to save money.

To conclude, although this trend has certain drawbacks, I believe its advantages are greater overall because of the valuable work experience and global exposure to myriads of cultures it provides; hence, universities should include a period of studying as well as a work placement.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 6.0

The response addresses all parts of the prompt, considering both the advantages and disadvantages of including study abroad or work placements in undergraduate courses. The writer takes a clear position in the introduction and concludes by restating it. Ideas are generally relevant, focusing on work experience, cultural exposure, financial costs, and homesickness. However, some arguments lack full extension and suffer from minor generalisations. For example, the point about post-study work permits is introduced as an example but is not fully connected back to the core argument about academic courses. While the task is adequately addressed, deeper exploration of ideas would elevate the score. Overall, the response meets the requirements for a Band 6.5 or solid Band 6, though given the clear stance and complete coverage, a Band 6.0 is appropriate due to some under-developed supporting details.

Coherence and Cohesion — Band 6.0

The essay is arranged coherently with a clear overall structure, including an introduction, two body paragraphs representing opposing views, and a conclusion. Paragraphing is used appropriately to separate ideas. Cohesive devices are employed, such as 'Although', 'One of the primary advantages', 'For instance', and 'To conclude'. However, referencing and cohesion can occasionally feel mechanical or repetitive, particularly with transitional phrases like 'This is because' and 'This is mainly because'. Additionally, the phrase 'due to this they will be' creates a slight grammatical run-on and disrupts the smooth flow of ideas. Overall, the organisation is logical and easy to follow, fitting the Band 6 descriptors well.

Lexical Resource — Band 6.0

The student uses an adequate range of vocabulary for the task, successfully incorporating terms related to education and employment such as 'undergraduate course', 'practical skills', 'socio-economic backgrounds', and 'living expenses'. There are some attempts at less common vocabulary, but these are occasionally marred by imprecise word choice or awkward phrasing, such as 'expensive to get' instead of 'costly' or 'expensive to undertake', and 'myriads of cultures' where 'myriad cultures' or 'a myriad of cultures' would be more accurate. Spelling is generally accurate, and errors in word choice do not impede overall communication, placing the response comfortably at Band 6.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 6.0

The writer demonstrates a mix of simple and complex sentence forms, utilizing structures like conditional and concessive clauses (e.g., 'Although this educational trend has some disadvantages, I believe...'). There are, however, several grammatical errors and awkward structures throughout the text. For instance, 'it provides a valuable work experience' contains an unnecessary article with an uncountable noun. Another example is 'many students come from low socio-economic backgrounds they cannot afford fees', which is a run-on sentence missing a conjunction or punctuation. Despite these errors, the meaning remains clear, and the grammar does not impede communication. This balance of complex structures and persistent errors points directly to a Band 6.

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