Band 6.5 IELTS Writing Task 2 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 6.5 · Cambridge IELTS 21 · 2026-10-31

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)

Universities that have undergraduate courses including a period of time spent studying abroad or doing a work placement has become increasingly popular nowadays. In my view, the advantages of this courses has outweigh the disadvantages.

Undergraduate students should get a fixed time to spend abroad for their study or work. This will enhance their field of knowledge. They will learn lot of new skills and techniques that they will not be able to learn from textbooks. Students will meet the people of the country they visit and develop their communication skills by communicating with the foreigners. Also, they will get to know about the culture,traditions,customs and beliefs of the country. By visiting museums, they will get the opportunities of learning about the country’s history and artefacts. Moreover, students will face new challenges and difficulties during their stay in a foreign country which will help them build their problem solving skills.

On the contrary, there are also some disadvantages of this course. Visiting a foreign country can be quite expensive. So, the students suffering from financial instability will not be able to participate in this activity. Furthermore, some families are not supportive enough to permit their children to visit another country. This stigma is applied more in case of female students. There can be safety issues too in some countries and student may feel threatened because of political instability of a country. But these problems can be solved by taking essential steps and raising awareness.

So in my view, the advantages clearly outweigh the disadvantages. Visiting abroad for study or work will broaden a student’s knowledge and change their outlook towards life. They will be able to learn new skills and explore their hidden qualities of tackling every situation well.

In conclusion, if the course of visiting abroad is included in the undergraduate study, then it will benefit a student in a lot of way. It will open new career opportunities for a student. Students will also be motivated to achieve their desired goals. Inspite of having some difficulties, this course will have a substantial role in a students’s life as well as for the reputation of a university.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response: Band 6.5

Your position is clear from the introduction to the conclusion: you believe the benefits outweigh the drawbacks. You address both sides, giving relevant advantages such as gaining practical skills and cultural knowledge, and disadvantages including cost, family restrictions and safety. This covers the task well. However, some points are asserted rather than fully explained. For example, the claim that placements will “open new career opportunities” would be stronger with an explanation of how employers value international or workplace experience. The safety and family concerns are also grouped together and answered only generally with “taking essential steps and raising awareness.” More specific examples or development would make the argument more consistently convincing and complete.

Coherence and Cohesion: Band 7.0

The response has a clear overall structure: an introduction, separate paragraphs for benefits and drawbacks, and a conclusion that restates your view. Ideas generally progress logically, and signposts such as “On the contrary,” “Moreover” and “In conclusion” help readers follow the argument. The main opportunity is to make connections between points more precise and less formulaic. For instance, “But these problems can be solved” refers broadly to several different concerns without explaining which solution addresses each one. Some lists, such as “culture, traditions, customs and beliefs,” could be integrated into a more developed explanation. Clearer links between claims and their consequences would strengthen the progression while preserving your effective paragraphing.

Lexical Resource: Band 6.0

You use an adequate range of vocabulary to discuss education, travel and personal development, including “communication skills,” “political instability,” “problem solving skills” and “broaden a student’s knowledge.” These choices make your meaning clear, and you attempt some less common expressions. However, several word choices and collocations are inaccurate or awkward, such as “financial instability” for students who cannot afford the experience, “the stigma is applied,” and “a substantial role in a students’s life.” There are also spelling and spacing issues, including “Inspite” and missing spaces after commas. Aim for more natural academic phrasing and check word forms and collocations; this would make your vocabulary more precise and controlled.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 5.5

You use both simple and more complex sentence forms, including clauses beginning with “which” and “because,” and most sentences communicate the intended meaning. Some grammatical errors remain, however. In the opening, “Universities … has become” has a subject–verb agreement problem, while “the advantages of this courses has outweigh” contains errors in number and verb form. Other examples include “Students will learn lot of new skills,” “student may feel threatened,” and “in a lot of way.” Apostrophe use is also inaccurate in “a students’s life.” Review agreement, articles, singular and plural forms, and verb patterns. More consistent accuracy across these structures would improve control without requiring more complicated sentences.

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