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)

These days, travelling to abroad for studies, is a very famous topic amoung all students. Many people thinks international degree is far more better than the local degree. I believe both are same in terms of value but international expoure is an important thing, it will enhance your working style if you are a working professional, and change your learning style if you are a student. In this essay i will explain advantages and disadvantages why its important to spend some time abroad during your degree or in your working period.

First of all, if you are a student and in your course some semesters are in international universites this will leads you to become more polished student, because your abroad stuidies are more updated and leatures willl delivers by using different methods, so you have a understanding of both local and international methods. Moreover, many international students are depressed, in the starting days they start suffering from home sickness.

Secondly, if companies send their employees to international tours for the sake of learning updated working style and skills, this will enhance the worker skill, for example if someone is from techincal field and his organization send him to china to learn about machine building skill, we all know china using very advance technology method, so i believe this tour will enhance the abilty of that emplooyee and when he can came back he knows the advance technical methods, and he is able to train the other emplooyee as well. Furthermore, many employees are unable to left thier places because of many reasons, for instance they have thier families and they are unable to left thier families alon, its quite hard for many indiviuals to travel abroad without family.

In conclusion, I belive universities and companies must add a little international tenure in ciriculum and in the working time period that will enhance both students and the professional, but they must select those who is able to attend that effectivelty.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response: Band 5.5

You address the topic by discussing both study abroad and work placements, and your position is that international experience is valuable, provided participation is suitable. The examples about learning updated teaching methods and an employee returning from China to train colleagues are relevant. However, the question asks whether the advantages outweigh the disadvantages, and this comparison is not made clearly: homesickness and family responsibilities are mentioned, but you do not explain how these drawbacks weigh against the benefits or state a decisive overall judgement. Some points, such as the claim that international studies are “more updated,” also need explanation or support. To strengthen the response, directly answer “outweigh” in the introduction and conclusion, then develop the disadvantages and explain why the benefits are greater—or not.

Coherence and Cohesion: Band 6.0

The response has a recognisable structure: an introduction, two body paragraphs signposted with “First of all” and “Secondly,” and a conclusion. The examples generally follow the points they are intended to support, so the overall arrangement is understandable. However, the progression is not always clear. The first body paragraph moves from improved study methods to homesickness without explaining the relationship between them, and the second combines workplace benefits with family-related drawbacks. The conclusion introduces a condition about selecting people who can attend, but this has not been developed as a central argument. Use separate, clearly focused paragraphs for benefits and disadvantages, and add linking or referencing that makes the comparison explicit rather than relying mainly on sequence markers.

Lexical Resource: Band 5.0

You use some topic-related vocabulary, including “international,” “working style,” “home sickness,” “technical field,” and “advanced technology,” which helps communicate the main ideas. However, the range is limited and several word-choice, collocation, and spelling errors make the writing less precise. Examples include “travelling to abroad,” “international expoure,” “international tours” for work placements, and “machine building skill.” Repeated use of “enhance” and “international” also reduces flexibility. Aim for more accurate phrases such as “study abroad,” “gain international work experience,” and “develop technical expertise.” Check spelling carefully and choose vocabulary that matches the task: a placement is usually a period of practical work, rather than a tour.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 5.0

You attempt both simple and complex sentences, including conditional structures such as “if companies send their employees…” and a longer example explaining how an employee could share new skills. However, complex sentences are often faulty, and errors occur frequently enough to make some passages difficult to follow. For example, “Many people thinks” has incorrect subject–verb agreement, while “this will leads you” combines an auxiliary with the wrong verb form. In “many employees are unable to left,” the verb pattern is incorrect, and “when he can came back” mixes modal and past forms. Articles, plurals, and punctuation also need attention. Practise building shorter accurate sentences first, then combine them using correct verb forms and agreement.

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