Band 5.5 IELTS Writing Task 2 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 5.5 · IELTS Summit Mastery · 2026-10-29

IELTS Writing Task 2 question

Write about the following topic:

Many young people choose to take a year out between finishing school and starting university in order to gain work experience or to travel. The experience of non-academic life this offers benefits the individual when they return to education.

To what extent do you agree or disagree?

Give reasons for your answer and include any relevant examples from your knowledge or experience

Student answer (Band 5.5)

I completely agree with this statement that many students choose to take a break between finishing school and starting university to gain work experience or to travel. This non-academic experience benefits them when they return to education. This essay will discuss the reasons for my answer.

One major reason that i agree to the statement is because initially, young people nowadays are very progressive and critical thinkers. They think of the future and make plans for it to avoid mistakes that they would maybe regret later. They think that gaining experience in work would be a good point for their CV when they enter in their practical lives. In this way they are preparing for the coming time.

Another reason to agree is that in some countries school students only study from the books that are in the syllabus. They are not taught any practical skills that will help them in real life other than qualification and degree. Moreover, almost every company wants employees who have experience in work before for example, in almost every company, office and even factory in Pakistan they want experienced people for work . Therefore, to gain work experience and real life skills most of the young people are choosing to take a year out after finishing school and before starting university.

In conclusion, young people should not fully skip their studies in order to gain work experience and they should not ignore the importance of experience as well.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response: Band 5.0

Your position is clear at the start: you agree that a year away can benefit students, and you give relevant reasons involving work experience, CVs and practical skills. However, the response only partially develops the task. The discussion focuses mainly on why young people take time out and why employers value experience, rather than explaining in detail how this experience benefits students when they return to university. Travel, mentioned in the prompt, is not discussed, and the conclusion introduces a caution about not neglecting studies without resolving your stated position. The response is also six words below the required minimum. Develop the return-to-education link with a specific example, and make the conclusion directly reinforce your view.

Coherence and Cohesion: Band 5.5

The response has a recognisable structure: an introduction, two body paragraphs and a conclusion. The paragraphs generally have a central focus, and signposts such as “One major reason,” “Another reason” and “In conclusion” help readers follow the argument. However, progression is somewhat mechanical, and the ideas do not consistently build towards the question of how a gap year helps students after they resume education. The second body paragraph also repeats the point about companies wanting experienced workers, while the final sentence shifts to a new caution rather than summarising the argument. Use clearer links between work experience and later study, avoid repeating the same claim, and ensure the conclusion follows logically from the reasons given.

Lexical Resource: Band 5.5

You use enough topic-related vocabulary to communicate the main ideas, including “work experience,” “CV,” “practical skills” and “qualification.” There are also attempts at more formal phrasing, such as “non-academic experience” and “real life skills.” However, the range is limited and some expressions are imprecise or unnatural, including “enter in their practical lives,” “a good point for their CV” and “experience in work before.” Repetition of “experience” and “work” also makes the argument less varied. Aim for more precise collocations and alternatives, such as describing how a placement develops transferable skills or improves employability. Check spelling and capitalisation too: “i” should be “I,” and “Pakistan” needs a capital letter.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 5.5

You use a mixture of simple sentences and longer structures, including a relative clause in “mistakes that they would maybe regret later” and a conditional-style explanation with “when they enter…”. Meaning is generally understandable, but errors and awkward sentence construction recur. For example, “One major reason that i agree to the statement is because” is an inaccurate, cumbersome structure; “students… are not taught any practical skills… other than qualification and degree” has problems with number and article use; and the long sentence beginning “Moreover, almost every company…” is poorly punctuated and difficult to control. Capitalise “I,” use full stops to separate the example from the general claim, and practise accurate complex sentences with clear subject–verb relationships.

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

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