Band 6.0 IELTS Writing Task 2 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 6.0 · Cambridge IELTS 21 · 2026-10-14

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)

If all universities should include period of studying abroad or doing a work placement in undergraduate courses, is well discussed. I agree with second part of statement that universities should include doing work placement as a course but studying abroad is less practical.

The advantages of doing work placement during undergrad studies definitely outweigh the disadvantages. All universities already include practical courses for every degree/certificate that little simulate the real world work experiences for students regarding what they are studying but still a large number of graduates are unemployed or find their jobs heavily stressful.

Some universities have already introduced doing temporary work, internship etc, as a mandatory process for their degree to be awarded. In United Kingdom, the Master degrees used to be of just one year but now they are offering 1 + 1, one year for masters course work and one year as placement year, apart from UK the Austrailian universities now also offer Masters with a professional year. This new trend has already been adopted at post-graduation level and is getting popular for undergraduates too.

Work placement during degree doesn't only mean to join an office do work and leave. It grooms pupils for practical life they are ultimately going endure. Almost all employers prefer experienced candidates, when students have done some work during their degree, they are already eligible for most jobs relevant to them, instead of utilizing 6 more months after their degree to find some internship.

Overall, working during degree as course is highly fruitful in my view. All universities should adopt this is a course for undergradutes.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response: Band 6.0

Your position is clear: you support work placements but consider studying abroad less practical, and you explain why workplace experience can help graduates become more employable. The examples of placement years in the UK and Australia also make the discussion relevant. However, the task asks whether the advantages of either required option outweigh the disadvantages, while your response mainly argues for work placements and gives little explanation of the disadvantages. Studying abroad is dismissed as “less practical” without supporting reasons, and the potential costs or disruption of placements are not considered. To strengthen the response, address both options and compare their benefits with specific drawbacks before reaching your conclusion.

Coherence and Cohesion: Band 6.0

The response has a recognisable structure: an introduction, supporting paragraphs and a concluding opinion. Ideas generally progress from existing practical courses to placement schemes and then to employability, so the reader can follow the main argument. Some connections, however, are unclear or mechanical. The opening sentence, “If all universities should include …, is well discussed,” does not establish the argument clearly, and the long sentence beginning “In United Kingdom” combines several points without a clear relationship between them. The final paragraph repeats the position rather than drawing together the comparison. Use clearer topic sentences and linking phrases that show contrast, cause and consequence, and make sure each paragraph develops one main point.

Lexical Resource: Band 5.5

You use a relevant range of vocabulary, including “mandatory,” “internship,” “eligible” and “employers,” which helps communicate the topic. There are also attempts at more specific phrasing, such as “placement year” and “professional year.” However, several word choices and collocations are inaccurate or unnatural, including “little simulate,” “doing temporary work,” “grooms pupils for practical life,” and “highly fruitful.” Spelling errors such as “Austrailian” and “undergradutes” also reduce accuracy. These issues do not prevent the reader from understanding your main points, but they limit precision and naturalness. Build a bank of common academic collocations for employment and education, and check spelling and word forms during revision.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 5.5

You attempt both simple and more complex sentence forms, including a conditional opening and a sentence explaining how placement experience affects job eligibility. Most of the argument remains understandable, but some grammatical errors make sentences awkward or incomplete. For example, “If all universities should include …, is well discussed” lacks a clear grammatical structure, while “doesn't only mean to join an office do work and leave” needs a more accurate infinitive construction. Articles and prepositions are also sometimes missing or incorrect, as in “include period” and “in United Kingdom.” The long sentence about UK and Australian programmes would benefit from being divided into shorter, controlled sentences. Practise accurate clause construction and article use while retaining your attempts at complex sentences.

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