Band 5.5 IELTS Writing Task 2 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 5.5 · Cambridge IELTS 21 · 2026-11-13

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)

Nowadays, some institutions all over the world offer diverse opportunities for the undergraduate students to experience study abroad, culture exchange and to explore the career opportunities, and i am in support that all universities should include a time period to be spent studying abroad for students to let them realise the extended scope of their studies. and they can offer a work placement opportunity for the students as well but, i personally think the advantages of including the time spent cross border for studying have more pros then the cons of it.

Firstly, i conisder that the universities should include a span period to be spent in studying abroad because, it will enable the students to experience the culture exchange and diversify the career growth and this initiative will also helps the students to understand the long term scope of their studies while studying overseas. For instance if biology major botany students are provided with such course, they can analyze,observe and test the multiple species of plants and can achieve far better understanding while having close proxymity.

On other hand including work placement also provide opportunities for undergraduates, as they can gain hands on experience in their relative field, but there is this problem that organizations doesn't really focus much on the internee, they don't provide them enough taining and complex task which leads to lack of experience, and sometimes the students are not motivated enough to work, as they are relatively missing the rewards in return for their efforts.

So, overall i feel that all the universities should inculde studying overseas studying period in the courses of undergraduate, as the advantages of it a far more in terms of undergraduates growth, cultural exchange, career opportunities then the disadvantages which are not much, Apart from that the students have to live far from their families as sometimes its a difficult for the youngs students but to achieve their personal growth in education and career its important.

concluding on part that the universiites should be focusing more on adding abroad study time spent in undergraduate courses as it more important that the work placements but they don't really have to neglect on the other part if the internship opportunities are from top international companies.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response: Band 6.0

Your position is clear: you favour study abroad over work placements, and you give relevant reasons, including cultural exchange and the chance for botany students to observe plant species directly. You also acknowledge disadvantages of placements, such as limited training, and briefly recognise the difficulty of living away from family. This addresses the main question, but the comparison is not fully developed: most of the essay explains benefits of overseas study, while the disadvantages of making it compulsory and the relative merits of placements receive less attention. The final point about international companies is also introduced without explanation. Develop both sides more evenly and show more explicitly why the benefits outweigh the costs.

Coherence and Cohesion: Band 6.0

The response has an overall structure, with an introduction, separate paragraphs on overseas study and work placements, and a concluding position. Sequencing words such as “Firstly,” “On other hand,” and “So, overall” help signal the direction of the argument. However, some links are mechanical or unclear, and the conclusion repeats earlier claims rather than drawing the comparison together. The opening sentence is overloaded, while the final paragraph combines several ideas—family separation, personal growth, and the value of internships—without clear transitions. Use one main point per paragraph, make references such as “this initiative” and “the other part” precise, and connect each example directly to the claim it supports.

Lexical Resource: Band 5.5

You use a relevant range of vocabulary, including “cultural exchange,” “career opportunities,” “hands-on experience,” and “personal growth,” which allows you to discuss the topic. There are also attempts at more specific language, such as “long-term scope” and “complex task.” However, several word choices and collocations are inaccurate or awkward, including “diversify the career growth,” “span period,” “close proximity,” and “relative field.” Spelling errors such as “conisder,” “taining,” and “universiites” also reduce control. Aim for natural academic combinations and check spelling carefully; for example, use “broaden career prospects” and “gain first-hand experience” rather than translating phrases literally.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 5.0

You attempt both simple and complex sentences, including clauses with “because,” “as,” and “while,” and the main ideas are generally understandable. However, errors in sentence boundaries, agreement, articles, and verb forms are frequent enough to make some sentences difficult to follow. For example, the opening joins several independent ideas with commas and a full stop before “and,” and “this initiative will also helps” has incorrect verb agreement. Other examples include “organizations doesn't” and “the advantages of it a far more.” Capitalisation of “I” and punctuation are also inconsistent. Practise building shorter, complete sentences first, then add subordinate clauses while checking subject–verb agreement and sentence boundaries.

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