Band 6.0 IELTS Writing Task 2 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 6.0 · 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 6.0)

There are many discussions going on concerning the topic whether 'All undergraduate programs offered by universities must have a period of studying abroad or offering something like internship for students'. I partially agree with this even though its a really bold statement to make as very less universities offer programs like these.

There are many benefits of sending students to study abroad, as students will be exposed to challenges they have never faced in an foreign environment. This will lead to personal and educational growth of students. Furthermore studying abroad will enable students to interact with people from different countries and cultures. This will also help students to develop empathy towards people of different backgrounds leading to better understanding of each other rather than just believing in the same things they heard about others since childhood. Giving students work placements will also result in their growth of the field they are studying. Moreover they can gain first hand experience of industries before they even graduate. This will also ease their path to find jobs/occupations after they graduate instead of sitting idly or doing work not related to their field.

Well everything comes with pros and cons of its own. Providing students work placements can also impact them negatively as it would be really hard for many students to manage work, study and personal life altogether eventually leading them to depression. Work pressure can lead students neglect their studies and focus on work, distracting them from their main goal.

Benefits, drawbacks and both perspectives have been explained above thoroughly. I partially agree with that statement as I believe that students should also gain study abroad and work experience but there should be work life balance in their lives.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response: Band 6.0

You address the question and give a clear, consistent position: you “partially agree” that students should gain overseas study or work experience. Relevant advantages include cultural understanding, personal growth and improved job prospects, while you also identify pressure on students’ studies and personal lives. However, the response does not fully resolve the “outweigh” comparison: the conclusion repeats your partial agreement but does not explain which benefits or drawbacks carry more weight, or under what conditions. Some points are asserted rather than developed—for example, the claim that work pressure may lead to depression would be stronger with a brief explanation or example. Clarify your overall judgement and support the main points more specifically.

Coherence and Cohesion: Band 6.5

The response has a coherent overall arrangement: an introduction states your position, the second paragraph presents advantages, the third introduces disadvantages, and the final paragraph concludes. Linking expressions such as “Furthermore,” “Moreover” and “Well” help signal relationships, and the ideas generally progress in a sensible order. To move beyond this level, make the progression between points more deliberate and avoid formulaic or unclear transitions. For instance, “Benefits, drawbacks and both perspectives have been explained above thoroughly” announces the structure rather than synthesising the argument, and “Well everything comes with pros and cons” is conversational. Use clearer paragraph links and refer back to the central question of whether the advantages outweigh the disadvantages.

Lexical Resource: Band 6.0

You use an adequate range of topic-related vocabulary, including “personal and educational growth,” “empathy,” “work placements” and “industries.” These choices allow you to discuss both cultural and career-related benefits, and the meaning is generally clear. There are also attempts at more specific phrasing, such as “first hand experience,” though some expressions are inaccurate or unnatural: “growth of the field they are studying,” “in an foreign environment,” and “sitting idly” do not express your ideas as precisely as they could. The repeated use of “students,” “also” and “will” limits flexibility. Aim for more natural collocations and vary how you refer to learners, while keeping the language formal and precise.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 6.0

You use a mix of simple and complex sentence forms, including a conditional-style result structure in “This will lead to personal and educational growth” and a longer sentence explaining how cultural interaction can build empathy. Most ideas remain understandable, but some grammatical errors occur. For example, “its a really bold statement” needs an apostrophe in “it’s,” “in an foreign environment” has an article error, and “Work pressure can lead students neglect their studies” is missing “to” after “lead.” The sentence beginning “Providing students work placements can also impact them negatively” also needs a clearer grammatical construction. Check articles, verb patterns and punctuation, and break up long sentences when needed to maintain control.

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