Band 7.0 IELTS Writing Task 2 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 7.0 · 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 7.0)

There are advantages and disadvantages associated with whether all university undergraduate courses should include a time period occupied with studying abroad or with work placement. I believe the advantages do outweigh the disadvantages.

There is a set of advantages regarding work placements. They would be the first initial job experience in the actual field. This is not only crucial as companies expect students to have experience prior to their junior role of work but also because this helps undergraduates to understand if the work process matches their expectations. Work placement is much better for certain subjects as it can help students to put the theory that they have learned much more efficiently than spending time learning for subjects that they just neeed credits for.

Some disadvantages however are regarding the increase of the workload for students. Work expects its own time schedule that may compromise the one of their undergraduate program. This can be detrimental for their academic pursuit because it can force a student to pick one over the other. Moreover, there is a risk of being handed work that is not relevant due to a company not wishing people with lack of experience handling certain tasks.

Alternatively, it can also be advantageous for students to have a period of their undergraduate study time devoted to studying abroad. Encountering new cultures and foreign people will make for good learning experience for students. This is beneficial because in a context of a multi cultural research or work team, a student who has done study abroad prior will have a much easier time integrating with their team. While being abroad, undergraduates have the opportunity for studying under new professors with approaches that may not be present at their university.

Less appealing factors of studying abroad can be attributed to some disadvantages. A student may not be fully supported economically during this time period. Being abroad can even make it difficult for students to support themselves. Lack of respective language knowledge can harden the communication with the lecturing staff or their peers. Learning a new language may be really important in order to succeed which adds more workload to a student.

I believe that the advantages outweigh the disadvantages. Both studying abroad or work placements can be really beneficial for the wider experience of an undergraduate student. After the conclusion of their studies, people who have gone through them will be much more ready to enter the job market as a result of university courses mandating the time spent on either.

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 studying abroad or work placements in undergraduate courses, and presents a clear position throughout that the advantages outweighing the disadvantages. Ideas are extended and supported, such as discussing practical job experience and cultural integration. However, some arguments tend to over-generalize slightly or remain slightly under-developed, particularly regarding the specific academic impacts of increased workloads. Overall, the task is well-addressed, fitting comfortably into the Band 7 criteria.

Coherence and Cohesion: Band 7.0

The essay displays a clear logical organisation and progression throughout. Each main idea has its own dedicated paragraph, moving smoothly from work placements advantages and disadvantages to studying abroad advantages and disadvantages, culminating in a clear concluding restatement. Cohesive devices are used adequately, such as 'Moreover', 'Alternatively', and 'However', although referencing is occasionally a bit mechanical ('They would be the first initial job experience'). Paragraphing is used sufficiently and appropriately, maintaining a coherent overall structure that guides the reader effortlessly.

Lexical Resource: Band 6.5

The student demonstrates an adequate to sufficient range of vocabulary for the task. Less common lexical items are attempted, such as 'detrimental', 'multi cultural', and 'undergraduates', showing some awareness of academic style and collocation. However, there are occasional inaccuracies in word choice and phrasing, such as 'time period occupied with' instead of 'devoted to', and a few minor spelling or phrasing slips like 'neeed' and 'harden the communication' instead of 'make communication harder'. Despite these minor flaws, meaning is communicated clearly throughout.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 6.5

The writer employs a mix of simple and complex sentence forms, demonstrating a reasonable variety of structures such as conditional and relative clauses. There are frequent error-free sentences, alongside a few grammatical errors and slightly awkward phrasings, such as 'whether all university undergraduate courses should include a time period occupied with studying abroad' and 'Work expects its own time schedule'. Punctuation is generally controlled, and errors are mostly non-systematic and do not impede communication, aligning well with the characteristics of a Band 6.5 or solid Band 6 performance.

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

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