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)

Nowadays, allocating time to study abroad or doing a work placement during undergraduate levels in all university has become increasingly common in the modern society. Although this has some disadvantages, i believe the advantage outweigh the disadvantages because it will help the students gather experience and gain new academic knowledge.

One of the main advantage of including studying abroad for a particular period or doing internship during undergraduate courses is that students will be priviledged to gather experience. This is because they will be faced with different scenerios from the organization they work with, develop professional skills and learn how to handle real-life problems. This will help prepare the students for the future ahead of them. However, this will give them a view of how to tackle different problem when they encounter them later in life.

Another benefit of this is they gain new academic knowledge. That is they become more knowledgeable when they experienced different teaching methods and research facilities. They can then compare this approach with the one they learned in their home institutions. They can also bring useful knowledge and ideas they were taught back to their country and people may learn from them. For example, a nursing student that traveled abroad to study might learn a different approach to infection control and consider how it could be adapted to improve the care of patient.

In conclusion, although this development has some disadvantages, i believe the advantages outweigh the disadvantages. This is mainly because students will experience different ways to tackle problems when faced later in life and they will be more knowledgeable in things that relate to their course of study.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response: Band 6.0

Your position is clear: you believe the benefits outweigh the disadvantages, and you give two relevant reasons—work experience and academic learning. The nursing example makes the second point more concrete. However, the task asks you to weigh advantages against disadvantages, and the disadvantages are only acknowledged in the introduction and conclusion, not explained. The first benefit is also somewhat repetitive: preparing students for future problems is stated in two consecutive sentences without adding much support. To strengthen the response, explain a specific drawback, such as cost or disruption to study, and show why the benefits still outweigh it. Develop each main idea with a clearer explanation or example.

Coherence and Cohesion: Band 6.0

The response has a clear overall structure, with an introduction, two body paragraphs and a conclusion. The paragraphs each focus on a main benefit, and signposting such as “One of the main advantage,” “Another benefit” and “In conclusion” helps readers follow the argument. However, cohesion is sometimes mechanical, and some links between sentences are unclear. For example, “However, this will give them a view…” does not present a contrast and repeats the previous point about handling problems. “That is” also introduces the academic-learning explanation awkwardly. Use linking expressions according to the relationship between ideas, and make each sentence add a distinct step to the argument. A paragraph addressing disadvantages would also make the comparison more balanced.

Lexical Resource: Band 6.0

You use an adequate range of vocabulary for the topic, including “professional skills,” “real-life problems,” “teaching methods,” “research facilities” and “infection control.” These choices help communicate relevant ideas, and the example is appropriately specific. There are, however, some spelling and word-choice inaccuracies, including “priviledged,” “scenerios” and “tackle different problem.” Some phrases are also imprecise or unnatural, such as “the future ahead of them” and “more knowledgeable in things that relate to their course of study.” Aim for more accurate collocations and avoid repeating “experience” and “knowledge” without variation. For instance, you could refer to gaining practical expertise or broadening subject knowledge.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 6.0

You use a mix of simple and complex sentence forms, including a concession in the opening (“Although this has some disadvantages…”) and a relative clause in the nursing example. Most ideas remain understandable, but some grammatical errors occur. Subject–verb agreement and number are inconsistent in “the main advantage… is” and “different problem”; the opening also has an awkward construction in “during undergraduate levels in all university.” There are errors in verb forms and tense, as in “when they experienced different teaching methods,” and “i” should be capitalised. Review agreement, articles, plurals and consistent tense, then proofread punctuation and capitalisation. More accurate control of these patterns would make the argument smoother.

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