Cambridge IELTS 21 Test 3 Writing Task 2: Degree Placements
Cambridge IELTS 21 · Test 3 · Academic Writing Task 2Advantages and disadvantagesEducation
The statement proposes that every university undergraduate course should include a period of studying abroad or doing a work placement. Candidates must decide whether the advantages of this requirement would outweigh the disadvantages and explain why.
The question
You should spend about 40 minutes on this task. You should spend about 40 minutes on this task. Write about the following topic: 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. Write at least 250 words. Write at least 250 words.
Free and timed, with a live word count, just like the computer-delivered test. Then get an instant AI band score.
The exam simulator runs on a computer. Open this page on a laptop or desktop to practise.
How to read the question
- This is an advantages and disadvantages essay with an outweigh question: you must discuss both sides and give a clear judgement about which is greater.
- The key word is all. The question is not whether study abroad or placements are useful in general, but whether they should be compulsory for every undergraduate course and every student.
- Notice the word or: students would choose either a period abroad or a work placement, which reduces some disadvantages, because those who cannot travel could do a local placement.
- Consider who is affected: students, universities and employers. Disadvantages such as cost, longer degrees, unequal access and the difficulty of finding placements for subjects like history or philosophy are all relevant.
- Your judgement can be qualified, for example that the advantages outweigh the disadvantages provided funding and flexible options are available, but it must be clear and consistent.
- Avoid writing only about studying abroad and forgetting work placements, or vice versa.
Suggested position
I believe the benefits of including a period abroad or a work placement in every degree would outweigh the drawbacks, provided that universities offer financial support and flexible options so that no student is excluded.
Paragraph plan
- 1
Introduction
Paraphrase the proposal that every undergraduate degree should contain time studying overseas or working in a placement, and state that the advantages would outweigh the disadvantages if the scheme is properly funded and flexible.
- 2
Body paragraph 1: the advantages
Explain how placements give practical skills, contacts and better job prospects, and how study abroad builds independence, language skills and cultural awareness. Use examples such as engineering or business placements and the Erasmus exchange scheme.
- 3
Body paragraph 2: the disadvantages
Discuss the cost of living abroad, the extra year that may delay graduation, the unequal access for students with family or financial responsibilities, and the difficulty of finding enough good placements for every subject.
- 4
Conclusion
Weigh the two sides and conclude that the advantages are greater because the disadvantages can largely be reduced through grants, local placements and short or paid options, whereas the benefits last for a whole career.
Ideas and arguments
- Work placements let students apply theory in a real workplace and develop teamwork, communication and time-management skills.
- Graduates with work experience often find jobs more quickly, and some are offered positions by their placement employer.
- Studying abroad builds independence, confidence and foreign language skills, and broadens students' understanding of other cultures.
- Exchange schemes such as Erasmus in Europe show that large numbers of students can study abroad successfully.
- Living abroad is expensive, so a compulsory period overseas could exclude students from poorer families unless grants are available.
- Adding a year can delay graduation and increase student debt.
- Some students have caring responsibilities, part-time jobs or health problems that make travel or a full-time placement difficult.
- Universities may struggle to find enough high-quality placements for every student, particularly in subjects such as history or philosophy, and poor placements may teach little.
Band 8+ model answer
308 words · An original model answer written for ieltswrites, not an official answer. It stays in English, as in the exam.
It has been suggested that every undergraduate degree should include a period spent either studying overseas or working in a placement. Although such a requirement would create certain difficulties, I believe its advantages would outweigh them, provided that universities offer financial support and flexible options.
The main benefit of this proposal is that it would make graduates far better prepared for working life. A placement allows students to apply theoretical knowledge in a real workplace, where they develop transferable skills such as teamwork and communication, as well as professional contacts. Engineering and business students who complete a year in industry, for example, often receive job offers from their placement employer before they graduate. Studying abroad offers different but equally valuable gains: living in an unfamiliar country builds independence and confidence, improves language skills and broadens cultural awareness, qualities that are increasingly prized in a global economy. Europe's Erasmus programme has shown that hundreds of thousands of students can benefit from this kind of experience every year.
On the other hand, making these experiences compulsory would have drawbacks. Living abroad is expensive, and an extra year could add to student debt, which might discourage young people from disadvantaged backgrounds from applying to university. Some students also have caring responsibilities or health conditions that make travelling or working full-time difficult. In addition, universities might struggle to find enough worthwhile placements in subjects such as history or philosophy, and a poorly organised placement would teach students very little.
These problems, however, are largely practical and can be reduced. Means-tested grants, shorter or part-time placements, and the option to work locally instead of travelling would allow almost every student to take part. By contrast, the benefits in skills, confidence and employability would last for an entire career. For these reasons, I am convinced that the advantages of the proposal outweigh its disadvantages.
Why this answer scores highly
- Task Response
- The answer discusses both the benefits and drawbacks of a compulsory period abroad or in work, addresses both options in the question, and gives a clear, consistent judgement that the advantages outweigh the disadvantages, with a reasoned condition.
- Coherence and Cohesion
- Advantages and disadvantages are presented in separate, well-organised paragraphs, and the conclusion weighs them explicitly, with linking such as on the other hand, in addition, by contrast and these problems, however.
- Lexical Resource
- Precise, topic-specific vocabulary such as employability, hands-on experience, transferable skills and means-tested grants is used accurately and naturally.
- Grammatical Range and Accuracy
- The essay uses conditional structures, passive forms, relative clauses and modal verbs such as would and could to discuss a hypothetical policy, with consistent accuracy.
Useful vocabulary
- undergraduate
- a university student studying for a first degree
- work placement
- a period of work with an employer as part of a course of study
- study abroad
- a period of study at a university in another country
- compulsory
- required by a rule; students have no choice
- employability
- the skills and qualities that make a person attractive to employers
- hands-on experience
- experience gained by doing something in practice
- transferable skills
- skills such as communication and teamwork that are useful in many jobs
- cultural awareness
- an understanding of how other cultures think and behave
- financial burden
- a cost that is difficult to pay
- student debt
- money that students owe, usually for tuition fees and living costs
- disadvantaged backgrounds
- families with low incomes or fewer opportunities
- means-tested grants
- money given to students according to their family's income
- outweigh
- be greater or more important than
Common mistakes
- Listing advantages and disadvantages without ever saying which outweighs the other, which is the central demand of the question.
- Ignoring the word all and discussing only whether study abroad is a good idea for some students.
- Writing about studying abroad for a whole degree rather than a period of time within an undergraduate course.
- Discussing only one of the two options, studying abroad or work placements.
- Giving a judgement in the conclusion that contradicts the introduction.
- Using vague claims such as it is good for students without explaining how or giving examples.
Frequently asked questions
- Which Cambridge book is this question from?
- This question about whether all undergraduate courses should include studying abroad or a work placement is Writing Task 2 of Test 3 in Cambridge IELTS 21 Academic.
- Do I have to say that one side outweighs the other?
- Yes. The question asks whether the advantages would outweigh the disadvantages, so you must give a clear judgement, ideally in the introduction and again in the conclusion.
- Should I write about both study abroad and work placements?
- Yes. The proposal includes both options, so mention each, and note that giving students a choice between them can reduce some of the disadvantages.
- How many words should I write for this Task 2?
- Write at least 250 words; about 270-310 words is usually enough to cover both sides and a clear judgement in 40 minutes.
Free and timed, with a live word count, just like the computer-delivered test. Then get an instant AI band score.
The exam simulator runs on a computer. Open this page on a laptop or desktop to practise.