Band 6.0 IELTS Writing Task 2 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 6.0 · 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 6.0)

All higher education bachelors subjects should contain a specific period of time spent in studying in any foreign country or working in an industry for gaining professional experience. I think the advantages of this thing would definitely overcome the disadvantages. A student studying abroad or working during its undergraduate would have much more exposure and experience of job market than a student who just complete its graduation without any of this exposure.

The main advantage of a student gaining professional experience or foreign exposure is that the student has already knowledge of the international and local job market. This placement or studies would directly impact the professional career of the student in a positive manner. For example, nowadays employers prefer the fresh graduates having internship or any other extra curricular experience like experience of studying in a international university.

The student having this kind of exposure does have some cons as well. If an average student is required to participate in any of such kind of activity then it would affect its regular studies. As the student is already struggling with his studies and with the pressure of such extra activities would make the student more stressed and depressed. For instance, at Fast university which is one of the top IT universities of pakistan only 5% of total students do any kind of internship or other activities, as they are mainly focussed on their degree.

In conclusion, the students participating in placements or studies abroad for their undergraduate courses do have some disadvantages but I believe that advantages clearly outweigh's them. As we have discussed the students with an extra ordinary experience are preferred over the other students in the professional environment.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response: Band 6.0

Your position is clear from the introduction: you believe the benefits of overseas study or work placements outweigh the drawbacks, and you return to this view in the conclusion. You address both sides and give relevant support, including employers’ preference for graduates with experience and the example of students at Fast University prioritising their degree. However, the advantages are developed more fully than the disadvantages, which are mainly described as stress and interference with studies. The university example is also not fully connected to whether placements should be compulsory for all undergraduates. To strengthen the response, explain more precisely how placements improve employability and acknowledge how universities could reduce the academic or financial burdens they may create.

Coherence and Cohesion: Band 6.5

The response has a clear overall structure: an introduction, separate paragraphs for benefits and drawbacks, and a conclusion that restates your position. The progression from the general claim to examples is easy to follow, and phrases such as “For example” and “In conclusion” help signal the stages of the argument. This organisation is effective, though some links feel mechanical, and references such as “this thing” and “this kind of exposure” are not always precise. The final sentence repeats the preference for experienced graduates rather than adding a distinct concluding insight. For stronger progression, use more specific references and connect each example explicitly to the point it supports.

Lexical Resource: Band 5.5

You use relevant vocabulary for the topic, including “professional experience,” “job market,” “internship,” and “professional environment,” so your meaning is generally clear. There are also attempts at more formal phrasing, such as “international and local job market.” However, several word choices and collocations are unnatural or imprecise, including “overcome the disadvantages,” “in studying,” and “extra curricular experience.” Repetition of “student,” “experience,” and “exposure” also limits flexibility. Some spelling and form issues, such as “bachelors” and “focussed,” further reduce accuracy. Build a more precise range of collocations for education and employment, and check whether each phrase sounds natural in context.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 5.5

You attempt both simple and complex sentence forms, including conditional phrasing (“If an average student is required…”) and a subordinate clause beginning “As the student is already struggling…”. Most ideas remain understandable, but some grammatical errors recur. For example, “a student… during its undergraduate” has incorrect pronoun reference, while “a student who just complete its graduation” has subject–verb and pronoun errors. Articles and agreement are also problematic in “in a international university,” and the conclusion has an incorrect apostrophe in “outweigh’s.” The sentence beginning “As the student…” is a fragment because it is not joined to a main clause. Review agreement, pronouns, articles, and sentence boundaries, while continuing to practise complex structures.

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