Band 6.0 IELTS Writing Task 2 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 6.0 · Cambridge IELTS 21 · 2026-10-11

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)

Many people beleive that all university undergraduate courses should add a short time period of studying abroad or work placement. I believe its pros would outweight the cons.

When it comes to adavntages, there are multiple advantages for the undergraduate student by adding a small amount of time of abroad studies and work placement. Firstly, it gives students international exposure and career opportunities before passing out. For instance, a short trip to foreign country by university regarding academic competition or research offers to engage with different people and culture. Secondly, a short trip to the foreign reputed company may also opens the door for student to connect with the employer for career growth which results in confidence and excel in career.

In contrast, it goes wtihout saying that it has some certain disadvantages like financial burden and homesickness. For example a student who is not financially strong or if his family is unable to afford it then it will eventually become burden on the student and on its family which will also affect their mental health by creating depression. On the other hand, wealthy students or families who can afford it may also experience homesickness and pressure of handling daily tasks as most of the students rely on their parents and are not used to it.

In conclusion, adding a short course while studying in a university helps to gain valuable international experience and unlock career opportunities which is a huge advantage as parents should invest by in this by availing loan opportunities as its return of investment is sustantial. Although, student depending on parents for day-to-day task experience a homesickness and become uncomfortable as well. I believe academic authorities should implement this as its advantages outweight its disadvantages.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response: Band 6.5

Your position is clear from the introduction and conclusion: you believe the benefits outweigh the drawbacks. You address both sides with relevant points, including international exposure and career connections, as well as financial pressure and homesickness. The examples help explain these ideas, particularly the student whose family cannot afford an overseas placement. However, some points are not fully developed: the link between a short trip and lasting career growth is asserted rather than explained, and the conclusion’s suggestion that parents should take out loans is not weighed against the financial disadvantage discussed earlier. To strengthen the response, explain how placements benefit students across different courses and clarify why those benefits justify the costs and personal challenges.

Coherence and Cohesion: Band 6.5

The response has a clear overall structure: an introduction, separate paragraphs for advantages and disadvantages, and a conclusion. Sequencing words such as “Firstly,” “Secondly,” and “In contrast” make the main progression easy to follow. The central position is also repeated consistently. Some connections are less smooth or precise, however. “On the other hand” introduces a related consequence of studying away rather than a contrasting viewpoint, and the final paragraph moves abruptly from international experience to parents taking out loans. Referencing is occasionally unclear, as in “it will eventually become burden on the student and on its family.” Use transitions that show the exact relationship between ideas, and connect each concluding point directly to the argument it summarises.

Lexical Resource: Band 5.5

You use relevant vocabulary for the topic, including “international exposure,” “financial burden,” “homesickness,” and “career opportunities.” These choices communicate the main ideas, and there are attempts at more specific expressions such as “return of investment.” However, spelling errors and imprecise or unnatural collocations are noticeable, including “beleive,” “outweight,” “a small amount of time of abroad studies,” and “opens the door for student.” Some wording is also vague, such as “a short trip,” which does not clearly describe a structured study-abroad period or work placement. Aim for accurate spelling and natural combinations, and choose terms that precisely describe the programme being discussed. This would make the argument clearer and more fluent.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 5.5

You attempt both simple and more complex sentence forms, including conditional structures such as “if his family is unable to afford it then…” and clauses explaining consequences. The overall meaning is generally understandable, but some grammatical errors remain and occasionally make sentences awkward. For example, “a short trip to the foreign reputed company may also opens” has incorrect verb agreement after “may,” while “a student who is not financially strong or if his family…” combines structures unevenly. Articles, pronouns, and sentence construction also need attention in phrases such as “become burden” and “on its family.” Practise building complex sentences with parallel structures, and check verb forms after modal verbs, article use, and pronoun agreement during editing.

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