Band 6.5 IELTS Writing Task 2 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 6.5 · Cambridge IELTS 21 · 2026-09-27

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 6.5)

It is believed international experience is most valued and several people incline towards the policy that educational institutes for undergraduates should incorporate a certain time period to be spent studying overseas or short term work experience. Eventhough this process has some drawbacks, I do believe there are numerous benifits in education and work experience that outweigh the disadvantages.

The segments of education abroad not only gives the student wide range of exposure but also introduces them to new perspectives and in some cases world class facilities that maynot be available in their own country. Moreover, this teaches them independancy and to learn temwork in much more diverse setting, which is very benificial in their technical growth and important components for companies and industries that operate internationally. For instance, the diplomatic range is much improved in graduates from student exchange programs which helps them to do better in any work environments efficiently.

In addition, undergraduate students also get to learn individuality and real-world experience which boosts their personal growth and improve their practical skills along with communication with exposure to various high standard professionals and techniques.

On the other hand, this policy can cause financial burden and administrative problems on the universities. Some students cannot be able to afford an overseas travel and stay if the university is not supporting them financially. Conversely, some small universities with lack of funding and not enough partnerships or connections cannot successfully place all their students in this program. But these drawbacks are negligible if the student placements are succesful.

In conclusion, sending undergraduates abroad for study can pose some practical and financial issues. Nevertheless, the long-term advantages that shape the students personally and professionally which builds them a stronger portfolio to their future is much more significant and beneficial in compasrison to the disadvantages.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response: Band 6.5

The response addresses all parts of the task by discussing both the advantages and disadvantages of including studying abroad or work placements in undergraduate courses, and presents a clear position that the advantages outweigh the disadvantages. The ideas presented, such as gaining new perspectives, fostering independence, and building a stronger portfolio, are generally relevant and extended with some examples, such as reference to student exchange programs. However, some arguments tend to generalise and could be further developed with more specific examples. Overall, the task is well addressed, aligning with Band 7 descriptors.

Coherence and Cohesion: Band 6.5

The essay displays clear logical organisation and progression throughout. Each paragraph has a distinct focus, moving from an introduction of the topic and writer's stance, through advantages, to disadvantages, and finally a conclusion. Cohesive devices such as 'Moreover', 'In addition', 'On the other hand', and 'In conclusion' are used effectively to guide the reader through the argument. Paragraphing is used appropriately and supports the overall flow. While referencing is generally clear, occasional mechanical transitions prevent the response from achieving a higher band, placing it solidly at Band 7.

Lexical Resource: Band 6.0

The student uses a sufficient range of vocabulary to allow flexibility and precision, incorporating less common lexical items such as 'diplomatic range', 'administrative problems', and 'financial burden'. However, there are notable spelling errors ('Eventhough', 'benifits', 'independancy', 'temwork', 'benificial', 'succesful', 'comparsnison') and some awkward collocations ('the diplomatic range is much improved'). These errors occasionally detract from the reading experience, though they rarely impede communication. This vocabulary profile corresponds to a Band 6.0 level.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 6.0

The response demonstrates a mix of simple and complex sentence forms, with attempts at relative clauses and conditional structures. There are several grammatical errors and awkward phrasings, such as 'Some students cannot be able to afford', 'Some small universities with lack of funding', and issues with subject-verb agreement or preposition use. Punctuation is generally acceptable, but frequent minor errors persist throughout the text. Because complex structures often contain errors and the majority of sentences are not error-free, a Band 6 is appropriate.

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