Band 5.5 IELTS Writing Task 2 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 5.5 · IELTS Complete Catalyst · 2026-08-24

IELTS Writing Task 2 question

In many countries these days, the number of people continuing their education after school has increased, and the range of courses available at universities and colleges has also increased.

Do you think this is a positive or negative development?

You should use your own ideas, knowledge and experience and support your arguments with examples and relevant experience.

Student answer (Band 5.5)

Nowadays, in various nations, more and more individuals prefers to pursue further studies after completing their schooling. Due to this, universities and colleges, now provide a range of courses . It has a very positive effect on development. This essay will further discuss about the pros of this change.

There are many obvious benefits of getting a large range of courses available in your region. One of the main advantage is, individuals can have access to different fields. Many individuals prefer to go abroad to pursue their bachelor or master degree, as it is not available in the colleges or universities of their area. Although the students get their degree from abroad, they do not return back to their country. So, the youth of the nation settle outside the country which affects the development of the country. For example: Rishi Sunek went to pursue his master degree in London, but now he is the President of England.

In addition to this, the revenue of the country also increases when foreign students comes to pursue their degree from the following country. Because of it the foreign money of the country also increases. And the number of well educated youth in a nation grows. Along with it, new technology also get introduced due to the foreign students. Although, arriving of foreign students increases competition for local students, but it also enhances the youth to study more.

In conclusion, countries economics along with it's technology enhances by introducing more new courses for higher studies.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 5.5

The response addresses the prompt by identifying the trend as a positive development. However, the development of ideas is inconsistent. While you mention the benefits of diverse courses, the argument regarding students going abroad and not returning is somewhat contradictory to the prompt's focus on the increase of education within a country. The example of Rishi Sunak is factually inaccurate (he is the Prime Minister, not President, and the context of his education does not fully support the argument about domestic course availability). To improve, ensure your examples directly support your main points and maintain a clear, logical focus throughout the essay.

Coherence and Cohesion — Band 5.5

The essay is organised into paragraphs, which helps the reader follow the structure. However, the use of cohesive devices is often mechanical or slightly awkward, such as 'In addition to this' and 'Along with it'. The transition between ideas is sometimes abrupt, particularly in the second paragraph where the shift from domestic course availability to international migration feels disjointed. Referencing is occasionally unclear, and the logical progression of arguments could be smoother. Using a wider variety of linking words and ensuring that each paragraph focuses on a single, well-developed idea would improve the flow.

Lexical Resource — Band 5.5

The vocabulary is generally adequate for the task but lacks the precision and range required for higher bands. You rely on basic phrasing such as 'very positive effect' and 'many obvious benefits'. There are also some issues with word choice and collocation, such as 'foreign money of the country' and 'arriving of foreign students'. To reach a higher band, try to incorporate more academic collocations and precise terminology related to education and economics, while ensuring that your word choices are natural and contextually appropriate.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 5.5

There is a mix of simple and complex sentence structures, but the accuracy is inconsistent. You frequently make errors with subject-verb agreement, such as 'individuals prefers' and 'foreign students comes'. Punctuation errors, such as unnecessary commas (e.g., 'One of the main advantage is, individuals...'), are also present. While these errors do not completely impede communication, they occur frequently enough to lower the score. Focusing on basic grammatical rules, such as pluralisation and verb conjugation, will significantly improve the clarity and professional tone of your writing.

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

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