Band 6.0 IELTS Writing Task 2 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 6.0 · Cambridge IELTS 21 · 2026-10-17

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)

University courses should be designed in such a way that it should be compulsory for the students to do a semester exchange in an institute different from their home country or do an internship in the industry. This essay will discuss a major benefit of this approach. It will also cover the challenges in adopting this methodology.

One of the key significance of studying abroad is that it provides exposure and opens up an individual mind. You get the opportunity to learn from people of diverse backgrounds. In this way, you develop a sense of harmony by studying with people of various ethnicities, color, caste and religion. For example, you might get a chance to study with a student who has a different religion. You will understand their thought process and develop a sense of religious harmony. Such an experience you might not be able to get in your parent country. Hence it gives you a broader perspective of the world in which we live.

On the other hand, if you're sent to a company for your internship, chances are you might not be able to get a technical role because the supervisor knows that you're here for a limited time so they won't invest much time in you and will engage you in petty administrative tasks. Therefore,it doesn't mean that if you are sent to industry it will always have a positive impact in your career.

In conclusion, the institutions must develop curriculum in a way that help improve student's vision of life, this could include a temporary job placement in a company or sending them away from home to get a better understanding of how the world works. This essay described how studying abroad is beneficial in terms of an individual growth and also discussed about the downside of working in an industry. However, I believe such opportunities are essential and should be encouraged as it has far more positive effects in comparison to its negative outcomes.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response: Band 6.0

You address the question and make your position clear: you support including these opportunities, concluding that their positive effects outweigh the negative outcomes. The discussion of studying abroad is relevant and supported with an example about learning from people of different religions and backgrounds. However, the task asks you to weigh the advantages and disadvantages of both studying abroad and work placements, while the essay develops only one main advantage and one concern about internships. The internship drawback is also asserted rather than illustrated or balanced against possible benefits. To strengthen the response, explain how placements can build practical skills, then compare that benefit with the risk of being given limited responsibilities. This would make the evaluation more fully developed.

Coherence and Cohesion: Band 6.5

The essay has a clear overall structure: an introduction, separate discussion paragraphs, and a conclusion that restates your view. The progression from the benefits of studying abroad to a possible drawback of internships is easy to follow, and signposts such as “On the other hand” and “In conclusion” help guide the reader. This meets the lower-band expectation of coherent organisation and shows some flexibility in linking ideas. However, the contrast between the two body paragraphs is not fully explained, and the conclusion repeats points from the introduction and body rather than synthesising the comparison. Some links are mechanical, such as “This essay will discuss” and “Hence.” Use clearer references and transitions that show how each point contributes to your overall weighing of advantages and disadvantages.

Lexical Resource: Band 6.0

You use an adequate range of vocabulary for the topic, including “exposure,” “diverse backgrounds,” “religious harmony,” “technical role,” and “administrative tasks.” These choices communicate the main ideas, and attempts at more formal language are evident. Some word choices and collocations are inaccurate or unnatural, however, such as “opens up an individual mind,” “key significance,” “parent country,” and “student’s vision of life.” “Petty administrative tasks” is also an imprecise way to describe work that may be routine or low-responsibility. These issues do not prevent understanding, but they limit precision and naturalness. Aim to learn vocabulary in common combinations and choose terms that express the intended meaning directly, for example, “broaden students’ perspectives” and “home country.”

Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 6.0

You use a mix of simple and complex sentence forms, including conditional structures such as “if you’re sent to a company” and a relative clause in “the supervisor knows that you’re here for a limited time.” Most sentences remain understandable, and the range is sufficient to express examples and consequences. Some grammatical errors persist, particularly with agreement, articles, and sentence construction. For instance, “the institutions must develop curriculum in a way that help” needs agreement and an article, while “an individual growth” uses an incorrect article. “Such an experience you might not be able to get” has awkward word order, and “Therefore,it” needs spacing after the comma. Review subject–verb agreement and article use, and proofread punctuation while retaining your attempts at complex sentences.

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