Band 7.0 IELTS Writing Task 2 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 7.0 · Cambridge IELTS 21 · 2026-11-04

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 7.0)

I personally think students enrolled in university undergraduate courses such as computer engineering, should get the opportunity to study abroad or work at a firm as a part of their curriculum. I believe so because students will gain a tremendous amount of experience in foriegn universities or companies which wouldn't be possible in their existing environment.

Although academics and theoretical knowledge is necessary, it is also important for the students to gain real life practical experience from the industry of their respective fields. After graduating they will eventually be working in the industry and the problems that they will face in that environment will be vastly different from their college's. So, it is crucial to make students battle-ready from the get-go. It will not only make them better employees but also give them ample clarity on what sub-field they want to pursue. I can personally relate to this because after interning at IIT Bombay during my final semester of engineering, I decided to pursue research as a career. This decision wouldn't have been possible if I stayed at my university for the final semester.

Apart from Interning at a firm or institute, it is also beneficial to study in a foriegn university for a semester or two. This has many benefits including - meeting new people of various backgrounds, learning things which are not part of your traditional course, and learning about different cultures.

The advantages of such extracurricular activities definitely outweighs the disadvantages such as requirement of additional funds and time, and feeling anxious in a new environment. These activities will make students smarter and stronger since they will get to leave their comfort zones.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response: Band 7.0

Your position is clear throughout: you support including overseas study or work placements, and you directly state that their advantages outweigh the costs and anxiety. The response addresses both options and gives relevant reasons, including practical preparation, career direction, cultural learning, and your internship experience at IIT Bombay. The personal example effectively supports the point that a placement can influence career choices. To develop the argument further, explain more specifically how studying abroad benefits students academically or professionally, and consider the disadvantages in greater depth rather than listing them briefly. Some claims, such as these experiences making students “smarter and stronger,” are broad; explaining the skills they build would make the support more convincing and fully extended.

Coherence and Cohesion: Band 7.0

The essay has a clear overall progression: it introduces your view, develops the case for work experience, considers overseas study, and concludes by weighing benefits against drawbacks. Paragraphing helps distinguish these stages, and links such as “Although” and “Apart from” guide the reader through the discussion. The personal example is placed appropriately within the paragraph about practical experience. At times, however, the connection between ideas could be more explicit. For example, the paragraph on studying abroad lists several benefits but does not explain how they support your overall comparison of advantages and disadvantages. The final paragraph also moves quickly from naming drawbacks to asserting benefits. Develop these transitions and use clearer references to connect each example to your central argument.

Lexical Resource: Band 6.5

You use a sufficient range of vocabulary to discuss education, employment, and personal development, including “theoretical knowledge,” “practical experience,” “respective fields,” and “pursue research.” These choices communicate your ideas clearly, and phrases such as “leave their comfort zones” are relevant to the topic. There are also some imprecise or informal expressions that limit flexibility and precision. “Battle-ready” is vivid but rather conversational for an academic essay, while “things which are not part of your traditional course” is vague. “Extracurricular activities” is not quite accurate for placements or study that form part of the curriculum. Check spelling as well: “foriegn” appears twice. More precise academic collocations would strengthen the response.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 6.5

You use a mix of simple and complex sentence forms, including a concessive opening (“Although academics and theoretical knowledge is necessary”) and a conditional construction (“This decision wouldn’t have been possible if I stayed…”). Most sentences remain easy to understand, and the range supports the explanation of your position. Some errors in agreement and sentence construction persist. In “academics and theoretical knowledge is necessary,” the compound subject calls for “are necessary”; similarly, “The advantages … definitely outweighs” should use “outweigh.” The opening sentence also places a comma between the subject and its example (“courses such as computer engineering, should”). Review agreement with plural subjects and punctuation around inserted examples. Greater consistency in conditional forms would also improve control.

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