Band 6.0 IELTS Writing Task 2 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 6.0 · Cambridge IELTS 21 · 2026-10-10

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 universities at undergraduate level shall provide opportunities to study abroad along with employment opportunities.

This is considered both beneficial and disadvantageous. To mention, it provides alot of advantages such as the unique experience that pupils receive while studying abroad. They get a chance to learn about the culture, traditions and language of the respective country. Studying in a foreign country for temporary period of time protects students from boredom and exhaustion of continuos studies of 4 years. Work placements during the bachelors provides a vast hand - on experience to the youth parallel to their studies. This not only assists the individuals to build their career but also strengthens their student profiles, benefiting them later in their practical fields. An example woth- mentioning is the co-operative studies offered by prestigious institutions like University of Toronto this enable students to work along with their studies, helping them to support their financial needs and cover their tuition fee with other expenses.

Analogous to this, this could result in undue stress for pupils financially. They find it difficult to focus on their studies and worry for covering their expenses. Not only this but also individuals have to face consequences to fit in and adapt to an entirely new country while studying abroad. This often results in inconvenience for them as they are not familiar with the language of the respective region.

As far as I am concerned, the benefits of studying abroad and work placements during undergraduate courses in universities outweigh its demerits. It suggests that this development can prove to be much beneficial for students practically as well as monetarily. Promising a unique experience of employment and subtle balance of work along with the studies. Also offering a muticutural experience at the same time.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response: Band 6.5

You address both sides of the question and state a clear view that the benefits outweigh the drawbacks. Relevant points include cultural and language learning, practical experience, career development, financial support, stress, and adapting to a new country. The University of Toronto example helps make the work-placement point more concrete. This meets the task well, but some ideas are asserted rather than fully explained: for instance, the claim that studying abroad prevents boredom is not developed, and the financial disadvantages are mentioned without showing how they might affect students’ participation or results. To strengthen the response, explain the consequences of each key point and connect the example more directly to why the advantages outweigh the disadvantages.

Coherence and Cohesion: Band 6.5

The response has a recognisable overall structure: an introduction, a paragraph on benefits, a paragraph on drawbacks, and a conclusion. The progression from advantages to disadvantages is easy to follow, and linking expressions such as “Not only this” and “As far as I am concerned” help signal relationships. However, some connections feel mechanical or unclear. “Analogous to this” does not clearly introduce the disadvantages, and “This” in the opening sentence of that paragraph has an uncertain reference. The conclusion also shifts into sentence fragments rather than bringing the argument together in a complete final statement. Use simpler, more precise transitions and ensure each paragraph develops one clear line of reasoning.

Lexical Resource: Band 5.5

You attempt a range of topic-related vocabulary, including “hand-on experience,” “student profiles,” “practical fields,” and “multicultural experience.” These choices show an effort to discuss education and employment beyond basic terms. However, several word choices, collocations, and spelling errors reduce naturalness and sometimes make the meaning less clear: “alot,” “woth- mentioning,” “continuos,” and “muticutural” are inaccurate, while “subtle balance” does not express the intended idea clearly. Phrases such as “pupils” and “employment opportunities” are also imprecise in this university context. Aim for accurate, natural collocations and proofread spelling; a smaller set of well-controlled expressions would make the argument more effective.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 5.5

You use both simple statements and some attempts at more complex structures, including “This not only assists the individuals to build their career but also strengthens their student profiles.” Meaning is generally recoverable, but grammatical control is uneven. For example, “this enable students” has a subject–verb agreement error, and “Work placements during the bachelors provides” has agreement and number problems. The final lines, “Promising a unique experience…” and “Also offering…,” are sentence fragments, so the conclusion is not expressed in complete sentences. There are also some article and sentence-boundary issues. Practise checking agreement, singular and plural forms, and whether each sentence has a complete main clause, while continuing to use varied sentence structures.

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