Band 5.0 IELTS Writing Task 2 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 5.0 · Cambridge IELTS 21 · 2026-11-08

IELTS Writing Task 2 question

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.

Student answer (Band 5.0)

There is no denying the fact that university undergraduate courses should include a period of time spent studying abroad or doing a work placement. While it is a commonly held belief that university’s should include it, there is also an argument that opposes this idea. This essay will analyse this topic from both points of view and express my opinion.

On one hand, when university's include for undergraduate students a period of time that spend it studying abroad or doing a work placement its the best investment on the students and university also. In other words, the students will try something new and make friends. In addition, they will discover a new country and new traditions that make them out thinking about there studies. For example, going on volunteering trip or Erasmus in another country.

On the other hand, when students go studied abroad they will find it hard with there new university's or there studies. It is also possible to say that the new place and new people difficult to spend time with. Moreover, that’s will be hard for the students. For instance going to Australia for studies, this will be hard for them and there families also because will miss them a lot.

In conclusions, there are no easy answers to this question. On balance, however, i tend to believe that spending a period of time studying abroad or doing a work placement hits different, and trying new thing in this life always grateful also for your future.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response: Band 4.5

You address the topic and give reasons on both sides, including the potential benefits of new experiences and the difficulty of being far from family. However, the task asks whether the advantages outweigh the disadvantages, and your position is not clearly established: the opening says the essay will give an opinion, while the conclusion says the experience “hits different” without explaining whether its benefits outweigh its costs. The supporting ideas are also brief—for example, “make friends” and missing family are mentioned but not developed with clear consequences or examples. The response is 233 words, so it is 17 words below the 250-word minimum; 17 words copied from the task prompt were not counted. Develop the comparison and state your judgement directly.

Coherence and Cohesion: Band 5.5

The response has a recognisable structure: an introduction, two body paragraphs presenting opposing views, and a conclusion. “On one hand,” “On the other hand,” and “In conclusions” help signal these sections. However, progression within paragraphs is limited, and several links between ideas are unclear. For instance, the claim that students discover traditions “that make them out thinking about there studies” does not clearly explain how this is a benefit. The conclusion introduces “trying new thing” rather than drawing together the earlier points. Some linking phrases feel formulaic, and references such as “it” and “this” are not always precise. Build each paragraph around one clear point, explain its effect, and use the conclusion to compare the two sides.

Lexical Resource: Band 5.0

You use enough topic-related vocabulary to communicate the general subject, including “studying abroad,” “work placement,” “traditions,” and “families.” There are also attempts at less routine phrasing, such as “the best investment.” However, the range is limited and several word choices or collocations are inaccurate or unclear, which sometimes makes the reader work to understand the point. Examples include “hits different,” “trying new thing,” and “make them out thinking about there studies.” “Volunteering trip or Erasmus” is relevant but is not explained as an example of a specific benefit. Aim for precise, formal expressions and check spelling and word forms, including “their” rather than “there.”

Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 5.0

You attempt both simple and more complex sentence forms, including a contrastive opening with “While” and a sentence beginning “Moreover.” However, the range is limited, and errors occur frequently in sentence construction, verb forms, agreement, and punctuation. For example, “when university's include … a period of time that spend it” has an incomplete and confusing clause; “when students go studied abroad” uses an incorrect verb form; and “because will miss them” lacks a clear subject. Apostrophes are also used incorrectly in “university’s” and “university's.” These errors sometimes make meaning difficult to follow. Practise building complete clauses with clear subjects and verbs, and proofread each sentence for agreement and punctuation.

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

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