Band 6.5 IELTS Writing Task 2 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 6.5 · Cambridge IELTS 21 · 2026-10-07

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)

A period of time should be spent studying in a foreign country or working in a professional environment in all university's undergraduate courses. From my perspective, the advantages, such as gaining practical skills and networking, outweigh the disadvantages like increased academic stress.

Scholars already have a lot of courses with separate deadlines for assignments and exams. Another requirement like work experience or foreign studies during their degree might add extra stress in academics. For instance, a student doing an internship with final terms approaching might not perform well due to less available hours for preparation. Managing all these things at once can be hectic.

On the other hand, working in a professional environment provides practical skills to students. They might come across better career opportunities. A case in point is that, I was exposed to the corporate world during my academic career which helped me develop better problem solving and communication skills. Working in a professional setting provides valuable skills which can not be learnt through theory.

Studying in a foreign country gives a different kind of exposure to students. It allows to polish their networking skills and help communicate effectively in every field of their life. For instance, my cousin used to have a lot of connections within big tech companies and eventually landed job in Google. Such skills provide networking opportunities for students who spend their time abroad.

To sum it up, I believe that the advantages of compulsory work requirement or studying abroad requirement can help students gain practical skills and networking opportunities. These benefits outweigh the disadvantages like making the routine of a student more hectic.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response: Band 6.5

Your position is clear from the introduction and conclusion: you believe the benefits of practical experience and international exposure outweigh the added academic pressure. You address both sides and give relevant examples, including your internship-related point and your cousin’s career outcome. This meets the task well, but the discussion is unevenly developed. The disadvantage is mainly illustrated through one scenario, while the benefits are asserted more than explained; for example, you say overseas study improves networking but do not show how this experience develops those skills. To strengthen the response, explain the mechanisms behind each benefit and consider the compulsory nature of the proposal, such as how placements could be made accessible to students with different circumstances. The position is clear, but fuller development would make the argument more convincing.

Coherence and Cohesion: Band 7.0

The response has a clear overall progression: an introduction states your view, the second paragraph presents a disadvantage, two paragraphs develop benefits, and the conclusion restates your position. Paragraphing is appropriate, and signposts such as “On the other hand,” “For instance,” and “To sum it up” help readers follow the argument. The main limitation is that some links between ideas are repetitive or not fully precise. For example, networking is mentioned in both the introduction and the final benefit paragraph, but the explanation does not build much beyond the claim that it can lead to opportunities. The transition from studying abroad to your cousin’s job outcome also needs a clearer connection. Develop each paragraph around one main point and use references that make the relationship between example and claim explicit.

Lexical Resource: Band 6.0

You use an adequate range of vocabulary for the topic, including “practical skills,” “professional environment,” “academic stress,” and “networking opportunities.” These choices make your main ideas clear, and phrases such as “corporate world” show an attempt to use more specific language. However, some wording is imprecise or repetitive, particularly repeated uses of “skills,” “provides,” and “opportunities.” There are also collocation and word-form issues: “foreign studies” is less natural than “study abroad,” and “landed job” needs an article. “Polish their networking skills” is understandable but not the most natural expression in this context. Aim for more precise academic collocations and vary repeated terms, while checking that phrases sound natural in context.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 6.5

You use a mix of simple and complex sentence forms, including a conditional example (“A student doing an internship… might not perform well”) and a relative clause (“which helped me develop…”). Most sentences communicate their meaning clearly, and errors rarely obstruct understanding. Some grammatical inaccuracies remain, however. In “all university’s undergraduate courses,” the possessive form is incorrect; use “all university undergraduate courses” or “all universities’ undergraduate courses.” “It allows to polish” needs an object (“allows students to polish”), while “help communicate” should agree with the singular subject (“helps them communicate”). In “eventually landed job,” an article is needed (“landed a job”). Continue checking articles, agreement, and sentence patterns, and use a wider range of structures with consistent accuracy.

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