Band 6.0 IELTS Writing Task 2 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 6.0 · 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 6.0)

The topic represents all university undergraduate courses that should include a period of time spent studying abroad or doing a work placement. Yes, the advantages of this would outweigh the disadvantages.

Firstly, all university undergraduate programs should include a period of time to spend on studying abroad or doing work that helps them to resolve their issues by themselves and make themselves fully independent. However, one major advantage is students develop skills and work with professionals to gain more knowledge and confidence. Also, students learn a new cultural language to communicate with others strongly. For instance, a business student who works in a company can learn how to communicate with customers and colleagues.

Furthermore, living abroad, students can develop new lifestyles and traditions. Also, they get better opportunities for living with family and secure better options for the future. Similarly, a work placement abroad allows students to work in a practical way to experience real-world situations rather than learning theories. For example, a psychology student who works several months in a clinic may gain practical experience with equipment.

In addition, it sometimes creates many disadvantages, like some students cannot afford such an expensive tour abroad; their parents cannot pay fees and other accommodation and living expenses. However, some students cannot leave their home and family responsibilities. For example, a single-parent student cannot leave their mom because of attachment issues and homesickness anxiety; as a result, they lost their golden chance.

In conclusion, there are many advantages of this that would outweigh the disadvantages because students can gain valuable experience, become more independent, and improve their communication skills. Although studying abroad or doing a work placement can be expensive and may cause homesickness,

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response: Band 6.0

The response addresses all parts of the task by taking a clear stance that the advantages outweigh the disadvantages. The student presents relevant ideas regarding personal independence, professional experience, and cultural exposure, alongside counter-arguments regarding financial costs and homesickness. However, some ideas are somewhat underdeveloped or repetitive, such as the points regarding lifestyle and family responsibilities. While the prompt is adequately answered and a position is maintained throughout, the depth of extension places this securely at Band 6.0.

Coherence and Cohesion: Band 6.0

The essay displays a coherent overall arrangement with a clear introduction and conclusion, and body paragraphs separated logically by supporting points and counter-arguments. Cohesive devices such as 'Firstly', 'Furthermore', 'In addition', and 'In conclusion' are utilised to signal the progression of ideas, although referencing is at times slightly mechanical or repetitive (e.g., beginning multiple sentences with 'Also'). Paragraphing is used sufficiently and appropriately, satisfying the requirements for a Band 6.0 score.

Lexical Resource: Band 6.0

The student demonstrates an adequate range of vocabulary for the task, successfully attempting less common items such as 'independence', 'professional', 'practical experience', and 'homesickness anxiety'. However, there are some awkward word choices and collocation slips, such as 'learn a new cultural language to communicate with others strongly' and the unfinished concluding sentence. Spelling is generally accurate, and communication is never impeded, fitting the Band 6.0 descriptors well.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 6.0

The essay uses a mix of simple and complex sentence forms, incorporating relative clauses and conditional structures such as 'a business student who works in a company can learn...' and 'some students cannot afford...'. There are several grammatical errors and awkward phrasings, such as 'programs should include a period of time to spend on studying' and 'they lost their golden chance', but these errors do not impede communication. Control of grammar and punctuation is moderate, earning a Band 6.0.

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