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)

A lot believe that bachelor's programs must contain a period of time spent in an exchange program or interning abroad.

In my opinion this is a very important topic where in fact will result in magnificent outcome for the quality of the education system and will outweigh the disadvantages.

To begin with applying the method of doing a trainneship abroad will help the students gain a real life experience in their field of study.

The undergraduate will see how the subjects they studied in class used in real life, how it works and the real outcome of it. There is a massive gap between theory and reality. In the field, things go wrong constantly, and having to find solutions on the spot forces you to adapt quickly. It pushes you out of the comfort of the classroom, teaches you true practical skills, and completely changes how you see the bigger picture. For exemple with doctors and engineers a lot can go wrong in a blink of an eye and you nee to find a solution that you may never seen in class something outside of the box just to save that patient or fix the machine otherwise a disaster could happen. Not only that but connecting with people from the same field of stufy with a lot more experience will teache the students a lot about their work.

Studying abroad contributes not only to their academic skills but also the social skills which are very important for their future career which is something that you can't learn from just books, which is essential for their youth.And it can also help them find job opportunities for when they graduate .

This method has some disadvantages such as the cost of traveling and living abroad which could be very expensive for the student or the goverment to provide it for every single student, also it makes the period of study a little bit more prolonged, but its nothing compared to the amount of advantages it could give.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response: Band 6.5

Your position is clear: you believe the benefits of overseas study or placements outweigh the costs. You address both sides, explaining practical experience, learning from experienced professionals, social development and employment prospects, then acknowledging travel and living expenses and a longer period of study. The examples about doctors and engineers help illustrate the value of applying theory in real situations. However, some points are asserted rather than fully explained: for instance, the link between social skills and future careers, and how placements might lead to jobs, could be supported with a specific example. The discussion of disadvantages is also brief. More balanced development of these points would make the response more complete and persuasive.

Coherence and Cohesion: Band 6.5

The response has a recognisable progression: it introduces your view, develops the academic and practical benefits, and then considers disadvantages. Linking phrases such as “To begin with,” “Not only that,” and “but” help signal relationships between ideas. The main weakness is that several distinct points are crowded into one long body paragraph, so the discussion of practical skills, professional contacts, social skills and employment is not clearly separated. Some connections are also awkward or repetitive, particularly the extended example beginning “For exemple with doctors and engineers.” Use separate paragraphs for the main benefit areas and the counterargument, and make references such as “this method” more precise. This would strengthen the overall progression and make cohesion less dependent on basic linking phrases.

Lexical Resource: Band 5.5

You use some relevant topic vocabulary, including “exchange program,” “real life experience,” “practical skills,” “comfort of the classroom,” and “job opportunities.” These choices communicate the main ideas, and phrases such as “the gap between theory and reality” are effective. However, the range is uneven, with several inaccurate or unnatural choices that reduce precision: “magnificent outcome,” “doing a trainneship,” and “a lot more experience” are not well suited to this context. There are also spelling errors, including “exemple,” “stufy,” and “goverment.” Aim for accurate academic collocations and check spelling carefully; this would make your vocabulary more flexible and natural while preserving your clear meaning.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 5.5

You attempt both simple and complex sentences, including clauses with “which” and conditional language such as “otherwise a disaster could happen.” This gives the response some structural variety, and the overall meaning is generally understandable. However, errors occur in verb forms, sentence construction, agreement and punctuation. For example, “where in fact will result” lacks a clear grammatical subject, while “how the subjects they studied in class used in real life” needs a passive verb form. In “you may never seen in class,” the verb construction is incomplete, and “it makes the period of study a little bit more prolonged” has an unclear subject reference. Break up the longest sentences and check that each clause has a complete subject and verb; more consistent control is needed for greater accuracy.

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