Band 4.5 IELTS Writing Task 2 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 4.5 · Cambridge IELTS 21 · 2026-11-10

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 4.5)

The students who study abroad nrmally have the option to work while completing their courses. If all the university initiates to have a strict timeline for students to complete their respective undergraduates courses, it would cause more harm to international students. Although there are both advantages and disadvantages for doing this but in my opinion the disadvantages outweigh advantages, the essay will include both and also my reasons of having this view.

Firstly, if the universities mentions beforehand that this course needs to be completed within a certain span of time, it would give a more clear picture to students. For instance, whether they would be able to complete their courses on time. Secondly, the students would be able to see if they are allowed work while studying. This would cause them to make better financial decisions.

On the contrary, the biggest disadvantage of this is it would cause an immense pressure on international students. For example i know so many studentsThs who left their country to get better education struggles to complete their courses because of two reason. Number one they have are not studying in their native language and the other reason being the high amount of tuition fee let them work twice as hard then a normal student. Due to this, their time completing the studies increases the the normal student.

So in my opinion, although the advantage of knowing timing and work placement lead to make clearer decisions but it will make a majori

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response: Band 4.0

You state a clear view that the disadvantages outweigh the advantages, and you give relevant points about planning, work, language barriers and tuition costs. However, the response only partially addresses the actual proposal: the task is about requiring every undergraduate to study abroad or complete a work placement, whereas much of your discussion concerns setting a fixed course timeline and whether international students can work while studying. The advantages are also briefly listed rather than explained, and the final sentence is cut off, so your conclusion does not complete the argument. The response is two words below the required minimum. To improve, address the study-abroad/work-placement requirement directly, develop both sides with specific explanations, and finish with a complete conclusion.

Coherence and Cohesion: Band 4.5

There is a basic paragraph structure: an introduction, a paragraph presenting advantages, a contrasting paragraph about disadvantages, and an attempted conclusion. Signposts such as “Firstly,” “Secondly,” and “On the contrary” help show the intended direction. However, progression is weakened because the discussion shifts from the required overseas study or placement to course timelines and permission to work. Some links between ideas are unclear, particularly the explanation that tuition fees make students “work twice as hard” and therefore take longer to complete their studies. The conclusion is unfinished, leaving the argument without a clear ending. Build each paragraph around one directly relevant point, explain how it supports your position, and use linking phrases only where the relationship between ideas is clear.

Lexical Resource: Band 5.0

You use some relevant vocabulary for the topic, including “international students,” “tuition fee,” “financial decisions,” and “immense pressure.” This gives you enough language to communicate the general subject, but the range is limited and several inaccurate or awkward choices make parts difficult to understand. For example, “the university initiates to have a strict timeline” does not express the intended idea naturally, and “the high amount of tuition fee let them work twice as hard” is unclear. There are also spelling errors such as “nrmally” and “Ths,” and imprecise phrases such as “a more clear picture.” Aim for accurate collocations and topic-specific terms, such as “mandatory placement,” “study-abroad requirement,” and “financial burden,” and proofread spelling.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 5.0

You attempt both simple and more complex sentences, including a conditional structure beginning “If all the university…” and a contrast clause beginning “Although…”. However, complex constructions are often faulty, and frequent errors sometimes make the meaning difficult to follow. Examples include “the universities mentions,” where the subject and verb do not agree, “Although there are both advantages and disadvantages… but,” which combines incompatible linking structures, and “they have are not studying,” which has an incorrect verb sequence. The final sentence is incomplete, and punctuation and capitalization are inconsistent. Practise building accurate sentences with one clear main clause, check subject–verb agreement and verb forms, and read the response aloud to identify unfinished or tangled constructions.

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

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