Band 5.5 IELTS Writing Task 2 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 5.5 · Cambridge IELTS 21 · 2026-11-12

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 5.5)

The issue of study in abroad and doing work become a matter of considerable debate in modern society. Some people believe that undergraduate courses should include a period of time spent studying abroad or doing a job placements. In this essay i will discuss the advantages and disadvantages of before presenting my opinion.

One of the primary advantage is that some universities send student to another place from out of the country to do study for gaining their knowledge. This is because educatee's should enhance their practical knowledge. Moreover, some learners get work placements from their universities to gain real world experience. For example, medical student can work in hospitals to understand how to treat patients. As a result, they become more skilled and confident in their professional careers.

While the arguments discussed above support only one side, it is also important to consider an alternative viewpoint. Some people reckon that studying abroad can be expensive because student have to pay more accommodation, transportation, food and tuition fees. They often argue that student may struggle to adjust to a different culture, lifestyle and language. For example, student travelling to another country may need to spend a large amount of money on living expenses and international student may find it difficult to communicate with local people As a result, this can create financial pressure on student, and they may experience stress and loneliness.

I believe that the advantages overweigh the disadvantages because international exposure and practical experience help students to develop professional skills, confidence and better career opportunities

In conclusion, although studying abroad or completing a work placement can be expensive and challenging. I strongly believe that advantages overweigh the disadvantages. This is because student gain practical experience improve their communication skills and increase their future career opportunities.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response: Band 5.5

You address both sides of the question and state a clear view: “the advantages overweigh the disadvantages.” Relevant support includes medical students gaining hospital experience and the costs and adjustment difficulties of studying overseas. However, the discussion is uneven: the benefits are mostly asserted, and the work-placement point receives little development beyond the medical example. The conclusion repeats the position but does not add much synthesis. To strengthen the response, explain more specifically how placements or overseas study improve later employment, and weigh those gains against the financial and personal costs. The response contains 14 words copied from the task prompt; these were not counted in the reported length.

Coherence and Cohesion: Band 6.0

The response has a recognisable overall structure: an introduction, separate paragraphs for benefits and drawbacks, a statement of opinion, and a conclusion. Linking expressions such as “Moreover,” “For example,” and “As a result” help show relationships between ideas. However, some transitions feel mechanical, particularly “While the arguments discussed above support only one side,” which introduces the opposing view in a formulaic way. The opinion paragraph is also very brief and sits separately from the conclusion, so the progression could be smoother. In the drawbacks paragraph, the example and its consequence overlap, and the missing full stop before “As a result” weakens the connection. Use clearer referencing and integrate the opinion into the discussion more naturally.

Lexical Resource: Band 5.5

You use a relevant range of topic vocabulary, including “practical knowledge,” “real world experience,” “international exposure,” and “financial pressure.” These choices make the main ideas understandable. However, several inaccurate or unnatural expressions limit precision: “study in abroad,” “job placements,” “educatee’s,” and “overweigh” do not fit the intended meaning or form. “Another place from out of the country” is also awkward and imprecise. Some wording is repetitive, especially repeated references to “student” and “advantages.” Aim for accurate collocations and vary terms such as “students,” “learners,” and “undergraduates.” More precise phrasing would make the argument sound more fluent and help convey the ideas without requiring the reader to interpret awkward expressions.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 5.5

You attempt both simple and complex sentence forms, including clauses introduced by “because,” “while,” and “although,” and the main meaning is generally clear. However, errors in agreement, articles, and sentence boundaries recur. For example, “One of the primary advantage” needs a plural noun, while “universities send student” and “student have to pay” need plural agreement. The opening “In this essay i” also requires a capital pronoun. The final sentence beginning “although” is a dependent clause presented as a complete sentence, and the example paragraph has a missing full stop before “As a result.” Practise checking subject–verb agreement and ensure each sentence has a complete main clause; this will make your varied structures more controlled.

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.