Band 6.5 IELTS Writing Task 2 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 6.5 · Cambridge IELTS 21 · 2026-10-20

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)

In contemporary era, with the rapid advancements in the education system. Proponents advocate to incorporate a period of time studying abroad or participating in a work placement with in the undergraduate university program,While critics argue that such requirements can impose financial strain on the students families and also affect an individual's mental well being.Despite the drawbacks of introducing such requirements I firmly believe its advantages outweigh its drawbacks.

To begin with, proponents claim one major advantage of studying abroad or under taking work placement is that it prepares students for the competetive job market.Early exposure to diverse cultures and different working environments equips an individual with valuable skills such as cross culture communication and adaptibility. For example, a student who completes an internship in USA may have learned innovative practices and technologies which have still not been introduced in their home country, this could be beneficial for their future employer and would boost up their professional growth.Moreover, practicing such requirements enhance an individual's problem solving skills as they navigate unfamilliar circumstances and tackle challenges independantly from a young age this fosters their confidence and personal growth.

Conversely, critics claim that introducing such requirements imposes a financial strain on the students families. Most of the high achieving students come from low income families who dont have sufficient funds to study abroad. It is essential to acknowledge this concern an introduce merit based scholarships to encourage more students to study abroad or participate in a work placement. In addition, studying and working simultaneously puts a burden on an individual. For instance a student who works part time after college has to complete his office tasks as well as university projects and prepare for exams this leads to longer working hours with fewer hours resting or participating in leisure activities which results in exhaustion or burn out.In order to mitigate its affects on an individual's mental well being it is important to weave it in an students life with proper planning and integration such as making schedules that dont contradict with each other.

In conclusion, despite the drawbacks of implementing mandatory study abroad and work placement opportunities at undergraduate levels, its benefits outweigh its disadvantages if managed

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response: Band 7.0

Your position is clear from the introduction: you believe the advantages outweigh the disadvantages, and the conclusion returns to this view. You address both sides of the question, explaining how international study or placements can build employability, communication, adaptability and confidence, while also recognising financial and wellbeing concerns. The examples of an internship in the USA and a student balancing work with university tasks help support these points. This is a well-focused response with relevant ideas extended and supported. To strengthen it further, develop the comparison between the benefits and costs more explicitly: for example, explain why scholarships and careful scheduling make the disadvantages manageable for all students, rather than simply proposing these measures. The final sentence also ends before the conclusion is fully completed.

Coherence and Cohesion: Band 6.5

The response has a clear overall structure: an introduction, a paragraph on benefits, a paragraph on disadvantages and responses to them, and a conclusion. Sequencing is generally logical, and signposts such as “To begin with,” “Conversely,” and “In conclusion” make the direction of the argument easy to follow. This meets the lower-band expectation of coherent organisation and shows some of the flexibility expected at the next level. However, linking is sometimes mechanical, with repeated “For example” and “Moreover,” and several long sentences contain multiple ideas without clear punctuation. The conclusion is also incomplete, which weakens the sense of closure. Use clearer sentence boundaries and vary transitions by showing relationships such as cause, contrast and consequence directly.

Lexical Resource: Band 6.0

You use an adequate range of topic vocabulary, including “financial strain,” “diverse cultures,” “adaptability,” “problem solving skills,” and “mental well being.” These choices help communicate the main ideas, and some less common expressions are attempted. However, spelling and word-choice errors are noticeable, including “competetive,” “unfamilliar,” “independantly,” and “affects” where “effects” is intended. Some phrases are also unnatural or imprecise, such as “boost up their professional growth,” “weave it in an students life,” and “practicing such requirements.” These do not prevent understanding, but they limit precision and naturalness. Aim to learn vocabulary in accurate collocations and check spelling carefully; for instance, describe students as “undertaking a placement” rather than “practicing requirements.”

Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 5.5

You attempt a mix of simple and complex structures, including contrast clauses with “Despite” and “Conversely,” and a conditional idea in “if managed.” The main argument remains understandable, but some grammatical and punctuation errors recur. The opening fragment, “In contemporary era, with the rapid advancements in the education system,” is not a complete sentence, and “Proponents advocate to incorporate” uses an awkward grammatical pattern. There are also agreement and article problems in “practicing such requirements enhance” and “an students life,” as well as run-on sentences where independent clauses are joined only by commas. Improve control by checking that each sentence has a complete main clause, matching subjects and verbs, and separating clauses with full stops or suitable conjunctions. This would make your complex ideas easier to read.

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