Band 6.0 IELTS Writing Task 2 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 6.0 · Cambridge IELTS 21 · 2026-09-28

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)

In recent years, all university undergraduate courses have included a period of time a student has to spend studying abroad or doing work placement as this has become increasingly common. Although this development has some disadvantages, I believe that its advantages are greater because it can give a students practical hands-on work and cultural awareness.

There are several disadvantages associated with undergraduate students learning abroad or doing a work placement as a coursework. One major drawback is academic disruption. This is mainly because it already takes a student a lot of effort to adjust to their university, and then leaving it for course and adjusting somewhere else becomes a hurdle. Moreover, the language, culture, food differences would be the biggest concern for a student. For example, a Pakistani student who only knows Urdu and English for him to study or work in Germany or turkey will be challenging because of the language barrier. As a result, it will be a problem for a student to adapt the new country and hence, won't be able to focus on work.

However, I believe the advantages are more significant. One major benefit is that a student can get practical knowledge of his field. They can get an opportunity to professionally work in their career fields, and work with experts of that field. For instance, a tech student can learn a lot in America which has the Silicon Valley, a hub of IT industry. Consequently, it can be beneficial for their profession and enhance their professional knowledge. Another, important advantage is that they can get a chance to experience other cultures. Living abroad can give you knowledge about how other people live.

In conclusion, although a university undergraduate student spending time studying or doing work placements as a course has some drawbacks, I believe its advantages outweigh its disadvantages because a student can get professional knowledge and get a chance to learn different lifestyles.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response: Band 6.0

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 are relevant and generally well-developed, particularly the examples regarding professional experience and cultural exposure, such as mentioning Silicon Valley for IT students. However, the development of the disadvantages is somewhat superficial, relying on general statements about language barriers and academic disruption rather than deeper elaboration. Overall, the response meets the core requirements of Task Achievement and sits comfortably within Band 6.5 to 7.0, earning a 6.5 due to slight under-development in the counter-arguments.

Coherence and Cohesion: Band 6.0

The essay displays a clear overall progression with a recognizable introduction, body paragraphs addressing advantages and disadvantages, and a conclusion. Paragraphing is used appropriately to separate ideas. Cohesive devices are employed to link sections, such as 'One major drawback', 'Moreover', and 'Consequently', though some transitions feel a bit mechanical or repetitive. Referencing is generally clear, for instance, linking 'a tech student' to 'America which has the Silicon Valley'. While the logical flow is easy to follow, the cohesive framework lacks the flexibility and sophistication required for higher band levels, placing this response firmly at a Band 6.5.

Lexical Resource: Band 5.5

The student demonstrates an adequate range of vocabulary for the task, attempting some less common items such as 'academic disruption', 'practical hands-on work', and 'cultural awareness'. However, there are noticeable word-choice inaccuracies and awkward collocations, such as writing 'doing work placement' instead of 'a work placement' and 'adapt the new country' instead of 'adapt to a new country'. Repetition of phrases like 'a student' and 'practical knowledge' also limits the lexical score. The vocabulary is sufficient to communicate the main points clearly, but inaccuracies prevent it from reaching a Band 7.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 5.5

The writer uses a mix of simple and complex sentence forms, incorporating conditional and subordinate clauses such as 'Although this development has some disadvantages, I believe that...' and 'For example, a Pakistani student who only knows Urdu and English for him to study...'. However, the sentence structure in the second example is grammatically faulty and convoluted. There are several grammatical errors throughout the text, including article omissions ('giving a students', 'doing work placement') and preposition issues ('adapt the new country'). While these errors do not completely impede communication, they occur frequently enough to prevent the response from achieving a Band 7.

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

Browse more IELTS Writing model answers or get your own writing scored by the same AI examiner.