Band 6.5 IELTS Writing Task 2 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 6.5 · Cambridge IELTS 21 · 2026-10-02

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)

The advantages of incorporating study abroad periods or internships into undergraduate degree programs significantly outweigh the minor drawbacks.

Key Advantages:

Enhanced Career Readiness: Work placements bridge the gap between academic theory and practical application. Students acquire hands-on experience, essential technical skills, and professional networking opportunities that drastically increase their employability upon graduation.

Cultural Competence and Independence: Studying abroad exposes students to diverse perspectives, global cultures, and new languages. Living in a different country fosters resilience, self-reliance, and adaptability—qualities highly valued in an increasingly interconnected global economy.

Broader Skill Development: Both experiences build soft skills such as communication, problem-solving, and cross-cultural collaboration that traditional classroom settings cannot fully replicate.

Potential Disadvantages:

Financial Burden: Studying in a foreign country or accepting unpaid placements can impose significant financial stress on students from low-income backgrounds.

Academic Delays or Disruptions: Mandatory periods away from campus can extend degree timelines or create difficulty in transferring credit units.

Relocation Stress: Adjusting to unfamiliar work environments or navigating culture shock abroad can cause severe anxiety for some undergraduates.

Conclusion:

While the logistical and financial hurdles are valid concerns, universities can mitigate these through targeted scholarships, flexible credit systems, and strong mental health support services. Ultimately, the long-term professional, personal, and educational benefits gained from practical international or workplace exposure make this initiative invaluable for modern undergraduate education.

As a conclusion, the advantages of having a work placement or getting an opportunity abroad will be more effective as it will groom the students and they will be able to be more successful in their careers by getting some international exposure.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response: Band 6.5

The response addresses all parts of the prompt, exploring both the advantages and disadvantages of including study abroad or work placements in undergraduate degrees, and presents a clear position throughout. Key advantages such as enhanced career readiness and cultural competence are well presented using structured headings and bullet points. However, some ideas remain slightly under-developed; for instance, the points regarding academic delays or relocation stress are stated as brief bullet points without sufficient extension or concrete examples. To reach a higher level, all aspects of the argument need to be fully elaborated with specific real-world examples rather than relying on list-like summaries.

Coherence and Cohesion: Band 6.0

The essay demonstrates a coherent overall arrangement, successfully dividing the discussion into clear thematic sections covering advantages, disadvantages, and a conclusion. The flow of information is generally logical, but the use of headings and bullet points creates a somewhat fragmented structure rather than smooth prose. Furthermore, the final paragraph begins with 'As a conclusion', which repeats the sentiment of the preceding conclusion section and creates a minor redundancy in progression. To achieve a higher standard, the text should rely on standard cohesive devices and paragraphing rather than bulleted lists to guide the reader seamlessly through the argument.

Lexical Resource: Band 7.0

The writer demonstrates an adequate and functional range of vocabulary suitable for an academic discussion, incorporating less common lexical items such as 'interconnected global economy', 'cultural competence', and 'mitigate these'. There are occasional attempts at sophisticated phrasing, and word choices generally allow meaning to come across clearly. However, there are minor awkwardness issues and slight repetitiveness, such as 'getting an opportunity abroad' and 'getting some international exposure' in the closing lines. To improve further, the writer should integrate a more precise and flexible range of collocation and vary word choices to avoid stylistic repetition.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 6.5

The response shows a mix of simple and complex sentence forms, utilizing structures like participial phrases ('Studying in a foreign country or accepting unpaid placements...') and conditional-like framing effectively. There is a reasonable level of control over basic grammar, punctuation, and tense consistency. However, some errors and clunky formulations persist, such as the slightly protracted phrasing in the final sentence ('the advantages of having a work placement or getting an opportunity abroad will be more effective as it will groom the students'). While these errors rarely impede communication, achieving a higher level requires a greater frequency of error-free complex sentences and tighter syntactic control.

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