Advantages and disadvantages of studying online
This is a model answer written to show what a Band 7 response looks like against the marking criteria. It is a worked example, not a graded submission. To see your own band, paste your writing into the free checker.
The prompt
An increasing number of students are studying courses entirely online rather than attending a physical institution. What are the advantages and disadvantages of this development?
Band 7 model answer (262 words)
A growing number of students now complete whole courses online instead of attending a campus in person. This development brings clear benefits, but it also carries some real drawbacks.
The greatest advantage of online study is its flexibility. Students can watch lectures and submit work whenever it suits them, which allows people with jobs or young children to gain a qualification they could never fit around a fixed timetable. It is also far cheaper, as there is no need to travel or move to an expensive city, and this opens higher education to learners who live far from any university. A student in a small town can now take a course from a respected institution on the other side of the world.
The main disadvantage is the lack of face-to-face contact. Studying alone at home can feel isolating, and it is harder to ask quick questions or to form the friendships and networks that a campus naturally provides. Online learning also demands a great deal of self-discipline, and students who struggle to motivate themselves without a fixed routine often fall behind or drop out. Without classmates working beside them, it is easy to lose momentum and to leave assignments until the last minute. In addition, some practical subjects, such as medicine or engineering, simply cannot be taught properly through a screen.
In conclusion, studying entirely online offers valuable flexibility and lower costs, but it can be isolating and requires strong self-motivation. Overall, it is a positive development for many learners, provided they are disciplined and choose a subject suited to remote study.
Why this reaches Band 7
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Task Response
The task asks for advantages and disadvantages, and this answer develops one clear advantage and one clear disadvantage in depth, rather than listing several of each without explanation.
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Coherence and Cohesion
One paragraph for the advantages and one for the disadvantages, with linking such as "In addition" and "Overall" guiding the reader smoothly.
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Lexical Resource
Precise phrases such as "flexibility", "no need to travel or move to an expensive city" and "a great deal of self-discipline", used accurately.
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Grammatical Range and Accuracy
A good range of structures, including relative clauses and "students who struggle to motivate themselves", with strong accuracy.
The one fix to reach Band 7
A Band 6 version tends to list four or five advantages and disadvantages in single sentences. To reach Band 7, choose one main advantage and one main disadvantage and extend each with a consequence and an example, so the ideas are developed rather than merely named.
Now check your own answer.
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