Band 6.5 IELTS Writing Task 2 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 6.5 · Cambridge IELTS 21 · 2026-10-04

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 growing prevalence of the integration of training for practical and interpersonal skills in academic curricula has become a subject of considerable debate. This issue is important due to its potential impact on the academic and professional development of individuals. I agree that the advantages outweigh the disadvantages because it can prepare students for the workplace.

Universities should offer compulsory courses either to study abroad or to work for a short period. It can improve individuals' social and professional skills. For example, imagine a student who is studying finance can implement concepts like budgeting, working on balance sheets, and analysing financial results in practical problems. This can lead to acquiring confidence and linking theoretical data with real-life situations. Therefore, a student who works part-time in their field during their undergraduate studies can gain valuable experience for the workplace. He can also support his studies with his salary. However, there might be some drawbacks, such as work-life balance and less time for family and studies. This can be addressed by higher education institutions offering students a few courses during the internship period.

Students can also study abroad during their undergrad degree. This way, they can get international exposure, which can be very beneficial for future career prospects. For instance, a graduate student who has travel experience during their degree duration will become more reliable for organizations to hire for interpersonal role.

A limitation is that students could have to move away from their families, which can cause homesickness and stress. This can be solved by making the period short.

In the long term, both factors have more advantages than disadvantages. In my opinion, advantages outweigh disadvantages.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response: Band 6.0

You have addressed all parts of the prompt by discussing the advantages and disadvantages of studying abroad or doing work placements, and you have stated a clear position that the advantages outweigh the disadvantages. However, some ideas are more fully developed than others. For example, while the discussion on work placements includes a relevant example about a finance student, the exploration of studying abroad is somewhat brief and relies on a general assertion about future career prospects. To move to a higher level, you should extend and support all of your main ideas equally with deeper explanations and more specific examples.

Coherence and Cohesion: Band 6.0

Your essay has a coherent overall arrangement and a clear logical progression from the introduction through the body paragraphs to the conclusion. You use paragraphing sufficiently and appropriately, dedicating separate sections to work placements and studying abroad. However, cohesion is occasionally mechanical, and referencing is not always completely clear. For instance, shifting abruptly between singular and plural pronouns in phrases like 'He can also support his studies' after discussing 'a student' creates minor referencing gaps. To achieve a higher band, you need to employ cohesive devices more flexibly and ensure smoother transitions between sentences and paragraphs.

Lexical Resource: Band 6.5

You demonstrate an adequate range of vocabulary for the task, attempting some less common lexical items such as 'prevalence', 'interpersonal skills', and 'international exposure'. Your spelling and word choice are generally clear and do not impede communication, showing elements of the higher band. However, there are some inaccuracies in word choice and collocation, such as using 'graduate student' when you mean a recent graduate, or referring to an 'interpersonal role' instead of roles requiring interpersonal skills. To reach a higher score, you should refine your control over collocation and use less common vocabulary with greater precision and style.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 6.5

You display a mix of simple and complex sentence forms throughout your essay, utilizing structures such as 'imagine a student who is studying finance can implement...' and 'a graduate student who has travel experience...'. There are some errors in grammar, such as the missing verb phrase in 'imagine a student who is studying finance can implement' and minor pronoun inconsistencies. Nonetheless, these errors do not impede communication. To attain a higher band, you need to produce a greater frequency of error-free sentences using a wider variety of complex structures with tighter grammatical control.

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

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