Band 6.5 IELTS Writing Task 2 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 6.5 · Cambridge IELTS 21 · 2026-10-16

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 6.5)

It is often argued that all university undergraduate courses should include a period of studying abroad or completing a work placement. Although this approach may involve additional costs and practical difficulties, I believe that its advantages outweigh its disadvantages because it provide valuable practical experience and improve student future career prospects.

To begin with, one of the main advantages of this approach is that it allows students to gain practical experience and develop essential skills. This is mainly because students can apply the theoretical knowledge they learn in their class room into real-life situations. In other words, they can understand how their academic subjects are used in practical life. For example, a Botany student who completes placement in research laboratory can learn how to conduct different experiments, analyse samples and use scientific equipment in laboratory. as a result, student become more confident and better prepared for future career. Another significant benefit is that studying and working in different environment can improve student's communication and problem solving ability. Furthermore, studying abroad expose them to different culture and teaching methods, helping them to become more independent and adaptable. These experience make the graduates more attractive to employers.

Despite these benefits, making these experiences compulsory can create financial and practical challenges. This is particularly significant because not every student can afford accommodation, transport and living expenses in other country. Moreover, students who undertake work placement may struggle to balance their professional and academic life. For instance, scholars from low income family may find it difficult to participate in overseas program without any assistance. Therefore, compulsory placement may place extra burden on some students. However, universities can solve these problems by offering scholarships programs and flexible work placement options.

In conclusion, although overseas study and work experience offers many benefits such as gaining practical skills and confidence, it also present challenges, including financial costs and practical burden. Therefore, both sides should be considered when evaluating tis development.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response: Band 6.5

Your position is clear: you believe the benefits outweigh the drawbacks, and you address both advantages and disadvantages with relevant examples. The botany placement example supports the practical-skills point, while the discussion of costs and scholarships recognises barriers to compulsory participation. This meets the task well, but development is uneven: the career-prospects claim is asserted rather than illustrated, and the work–study balance concern receives little explanation. The conclusion also says both sides should be considered without firmly restating why the advantages outweigh the disadvantages, slightly weakening the position at the end. To strengthen the response, explain how the benefits apply across different courses and make the final judgement more decisive.

Coherence and Cohesion: Band 7.0

The essay has a clear overall structure, with an introduction, a paragraph on benefits, a paragraph on drawbacks and a conclusion. Ideas generally progress logically, and signposts such as “To begin with,” “Despite these benefits” and “For instance” help readers follow the argument. The examples are placed near the claims they support. Some linking is a little mechanical, however, particularly the repeated use of “Furthermore” and “Therefore,” and the conclusion does not fully connect back to the stated view that advantages outweigh disadvantages. There is also a sentence beginning “as a result” that should start with a capital letter. For stronger cohesion, vary transitions and use clearer references between related points.

Lexical Resource: Band 6.0

You use an adequate range of topic vocabulary, including “practical experience,” “theoretical knowledge,” “accommodation,” “scholarships” and “adaptable.” These choices make the main ideas clear, and some less common terms suit the academic context. However, several word-choice and collocation problems limit precision: “in practical life” is less natural than “in practice,” “different environment” is vague, and “practical burden” does not express the intended difficulty as clearly as “practical challenges.” There are also word-form and spelling slips, such as “tis development.” Aim for more precise phrasing and check common academic collocations; this will make the argument sound more natural without requiring unnecessarily complex vocabulary.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 6.0

You use a mix of simple and complex forms, including a concessive opening (“Although this approach may involve…”) and clauses explaining causes and examples. Most sentences remain understandable, but some grammatical errors recur. Subject–verb agreement is inaccurate in “it provide,” “studying abroad expose” and “it also present”; articles and plurals are missing in phrases such as “in research laboratory” and “student become.” The phrase “student future career prospects” also needs a possessive form. These errors rarely prevent understanding, but they reduce accuracy. Review agreement, articles and possessives, then proofread each sentence for a complete, correctly punctuated structure; accurate control of these basics would make your varied sentence forms more effective.

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