Band 6.0 IELTS Writing Task 2 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 6.0 · Cambridge IELTS 21 · 2026-11-01

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)

It is argued that all university should provide an opportunity for their undergraduate student to study outside their country or undertake work placement during their study. I believe the advantage of this such as opportunity to learn from a new culture far outweigh any potential drawback.

One of the main drawback of this is, it can be expensive for the students. It is because students need to live in an accommodation in abroad and they should pay their rent, electricity bill, internet bill by themselves. This can create a financial pressure on the students. As a result they need to do either some part-time job or need to ask for money with their parents. For instance, if the students from Nepal go to study some period in United Kingdom, they need to pay for their accommodation by themselves, which could create a stress on them. However, this can be reduce, if the university can provide them a free accommodation.

Despite this, one significant advantage of studying abroad during undergraduate time is that students can get an opportunity to learn new culture. It is because, they need to talk with people from different culture and also need to speak in the foreign language. Consequently, they can also learn to deal with different types of people and the environment. In addition, they can also promote their own culture, which can lead to a strong relationship between two countries. To take an example, when students from India go to study in China, they can get the opportunity to learn the Chinese culture and can also share their culture with them. I believe that the advantage of studying certain period in abroad outweigh its disadvantages because along with the study they can also get the knowledge of different culture and traditions.

In conclusion, although studying a certain period of time abroad during undergraduate course can make financial burden on students, I believe that its benefit outweigh its drawbacks because it provides opportunity to know about the different culture.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response: Band 6.0

Your position is clear: you believe the cultural benefits outweigh the financial drawback, and you address both sides of the question. The cost paragraph gives a relevant explanation—rent and bills may create pressure—and the Nepal-to-UK example makes this concern concrete. The benefits paragraph also explains cultural learning and exchange, supported by the India-to-China example. However, some points are less fully developed than others: the work-placement option in the prompt is not discussed, and the benefits are focused mainly on culture rather than explaining broader effects on students’ education or future employment. Develop these aspects with specific consequences to make the argument more complete and persuasive.

Coherence and Cohesion: Band 6.5

The response has a clear overall arrangement: an introduction states your view, separate paragraphs consider a disadvantage and an advantage, and the conclusion restates your position. Linking expressions such as “As a result,” “Despite this,” and “In addition” help readers follow the argument, and the examples are placed alongside the relevant points. This meets the lower-band expectation for coherent organisation and also shows some stronger control through clear paragraphing and progression. At times, however, connections feel mechanical or repetitive, particularly the repeated “It is because” and “they can also.” Some references, such as “this” in the opening, are not fully precise. Vary the transitions and make each sentence’s link to the main point explicit.

Lexical Resource: Band 5.5

You use enough topic-related vocabulary to communicate the main ideas, including “financial pressure,” “accommodation,” “foreign language,” and “relationship between two countries.” The examples and explanations remain understandable, but the range is limited and several phrases are inaccurate or unnatural, such as “study some period in United Kingdom,” “ask for money with their parents,” and “the advantage of studying certain period in abroad.” Repetition of “culture,” “opportunity,” and “students” also restricts flexibility. Aim for more precise collocations and vary key terms—for example, refer to cultural awareness, international experience, or living expenses where appropriate. These improvements would make your meaning more natural and exact.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 5.5

You attempt both simple and complex sentence forms, including cause-and-effect clauses and a concession: “although studying a certain period of time abroad … can make financial burden …, I believe…” The overall meaning is generally clear, but some grammatical errors recur. Examples include singular/plural agreement in “all university” and “One of the main drawback,” missing or incorrect articles in “during undergraduate time” and “in abroad,” and the verb form in “this can be reduce.” There are also awkwardly constructed clauses, such as “they should pay … by themselves.” Check agreement, articles, and verb forms, then revise complex sentences to ensure each clause is complete and correctly connected. Greater accuracy across these structures would strengthen the response.

See this exact question answered at other band scores. The same prompt compared across bands.

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