Band 5.5 IELTS Writing Task 2 Model Answer
Overall Band Score: 5.5 · Cambridge IELTS 15 · 2026-09-02
IELTS Writing Task 2 question
In many countries, paying for things using mobile phone (cellphone) apps is becoming increasingly common. Does this development have more advantages or more disadvantages?
Give reasons for your answer and include any relevant examples from your own knowledge or experience.
Student answer (Band 5.5)
Yes it is true, In many countries paying for things using mobile phone apps is becoming increasingly common.
Even in third world countries e.g Pakistan , India , Bangladesh etc are also included. People prefer to pay their bills through cell phone apps.
In my point of of view it is a advantage. It is making purchase process/ shopping very easy. People don't need to carry heavy amount of cash with them specifically for expensive items.
It also saves time. People don't need to go to ATM or bank to withdraw money. Sometimes bank/ ATM visit takes a lot of time and you failed to manage it. In that sense it saves time.
Paying bills ( electricity bill, Gas bill, Water bills) has become very easy through mobile apps.
While laying on your bed you can pay bill.
In addition it saves snatching incident. Your money becomes more safe in your account.
On the other hand the biggest disadvantage of this facility is hacking your mobile app.
If a hacker is succeeded to hack your mobile/ bank app he can withdraw all of your money in no time and you will remain unaware from all of this.
But overall i support paying bills through mobile app as through high privacy and efficacy you can avoid such scams.
That's the reason paying bills through mobile app seems a advantage to me
AI examiner evaluation
| Criterion | Band |
|---|---|
| Task Achievement / Task Response | 5.0 |
| Coherence and Cohesion | 5.5 |
| Lexical Resource | 5.5 |
| Grammatical Range and Accuracy | 5.5 |
| Overall | 5.5 |
Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 5.0
The response addresses the prompt by discussing both advantages and disadvantages, but it fails to meet the minimum word count requirement of 250 words, which significantly impacts the development of ideas. While the position is clear, the arguments are underdeveloped and lack sufficient depth or illustrative examples. The points regarding convenience and security are mentioned but not fully explored. To improve, you must expand your arguments with more detailed explanations and ensure you meet the length requirement to allow for a more comprehensive discussion of the topic.
Coherence and Cohesion — Band 5.5
The essay is organized into short paragraphs, but the progression of ideas is somewhat disjointed. The use of cohesive devices is limited and occasionally repetitive (e.g., 'People don't need to...'). Some sentences are very short, which disrupts the flow of the argument. To improve, you should use a wider variety of linking words and transition phrases to connect your ideas more smoothly and create a more cohesive structure throughout the essay.
Lexical Resource — Band 5.5
The vocabulary is basic and functional, which is sufficient for simple communication but lacks the range required for higher bands. There are some awkward phrasings, such as 'saves snatching incident' and 'you failed to manage it'. The range of vocabulary is limited, and there is a reliance on simple, repetitive words. To achieve a higher score, you should incorporate more precise, topic-specific vocabulary related to digital finance and security, and work on using collocations more naturally.
Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 5.5
The essay contains a mix of simple and some complex sentence structures, but there are frequent grammatical errors. Examples include 'In my point of of view it is a advantage' (article error), 'If a hacker is succeeded' (passive voice error), and 'you will remain unaware from all of this' (preposition error). Punctuation is also inconsistent, particularly with spacing around commas and periods. To improve, focus on subject-verb agreement, correct article usage, and refining your control over complex sentence structures.
See this exact question answered at other band scores — the same prompt compared across bands.
Browse more IELTS Writing model answers or get your own writing scored by the same AI examiner.