Band 6.5 IELTS Writing Task 2 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 6.5 · Cambridge IELTS 21 · 2026-10-27

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)

Nowadays, most of the university courses has a certain time period studying abroad or doing a work placement. Although this might create financial difficulties and take time away from the study, I believe that its advantages outweigh the disadvantages because this will provide valuable practical experience along with the better opportunities.

Firstly, abroad study will help students to gain practical knowledge and real-world experience. They get chance to apply whatever they have learned in their schools. This will further enhance their skills and knowledge as they perform it practically. For example, nursing students who did placement in hospitals have experience working with patients which will develop their communication, care, problem-solving and emergency practices. In addition to this, studying abroad makes them independent and confident as they have to do everything on their own without any family support.

Despite the benefits, it has some drawbacks and challenges. The most significant problem is financial burden. Students may struggle to manage their tuition fees including the other expenses like accommodation, transportation and cost of living. Due to this, they may suffer from depression and loneliness which may affect their mental health. At the same time, it is very hard for them to balance their personal and academic life being far away from home.

In conclusion, eventhough overseas study or placements might cause financial burden, loneliness and mental health problems, it provides student with better opportunities which will shape their future. Learning practically makes them more confident and shape their future. Therefore, universities should include a certain period of time to study abroad or doing a placement.

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 sides of the question. The practical-experience argument is relevant and supported with a nursing placement example, while independence and confidence add another benefit. You also identify financial pressure, loneliness and difficulty balancing personal and academic life. However, these disadvantages are listed more than explained, and the link between “better opportunities” and students’ future prospects remains broad. To strengthen the response, explain how placements or overseas study improve employability, and develop one drawback with a specific consequence or example. This would make the discussion more consistently extended and supported.

Coherence and Cohesion: Band 6.5

The essay has a clear overall structure: an introduction states your view, separate paragraphs discuss benefits and drawbacks, and the conclusion restates your position. Signposting such as “Firstly,” “Despite the benefits,” and “In conclusion” helps readers follow the progression. The nursing example also sits naturally within the paragraph about practical experience. Some connections are less smooth or precise, however. “At the same time” introduces a related difficulty without clarifying how it differs from the preceding mental-health point, and the conclusion repeats the idea of shaping the future. Use more specific links between claims and consequences, and avoid repeating the same point in the final paragraph to make cohesion less mechanical.

Lexical Resource: Band 6.0

You use an adequate range of vocabulary for the topic, including “practical knowledge,” “real-world experience,” “financial burden,” “accommodation,” and “mental health.” These choices communicate the main ideas clearly, and terms such as “problem-solving” suit the example. There are also some imprecise or unnatural expressions, including “abroad study,” “get chance,” “emergency practices,” and “better opportunities.” Repetition of “future” and “confident” limits variety, while “eventhough” is incorrectly written as one word. Aim for more natural collocations and precise wording—for example, refer to studying overseas, gaining a placement, or developing emergency-response skills. This would improve flexibility without changing your clear meaning.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 6.0

You use a mix of simple and complex forms, including the concession in “Although this might create financial difficulties…” and the relative clause “which will develop their communication…”. Most sentences remain understandable, but some grammatical errors occur. For example, “most of the university courses has” has a subject–verb agreement problem, and “students… have experience working” needs a more suitable verb form. Articles and number are also inconsistent in “provides student with better opportunities.” The final sentence, “universities should include a certain period of time to study abroad or doing a placement,” does not maintain parallel structure. Check agreement, articles, and consistent verb forms, while continuing to use complex sentences.

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