Band 5.5 IELTS Writing Task 2 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 5.5 · Cambridge IELTS 21 · 2026-08-05

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)

In the modern era where jobs are getting more competitive and practical skills are tested during the hiring process. It has been argued that all the university undergraduate courses should have mandatory exchange program or industry internship.

The supporters of this statement claim that only theoretical expertise is not sufficient to understand how the industry actually works. More emphasis should be given to develop practical skills that could be gained by doing work internships in the field. Studying abroad also helps in providing exposure to global standards , their system of working, etc. Studies have shown that during the hiring process, the students having these skills and exposure, perform significantly better than others. Sometimes the academic curriculum is outdated and not at par to what the industry requires. In fields such as IT, there are rapid developments that academics could not maintain pace with.

However, the views of those who are against this should not be ignored. They are concerned that there is already a big syllabus that most undergraduate courses need to complete in 4 to 5 years of span. Allocating time for abroad studies and work would either affect the breath or the depth of the courses. This results in students getting less knowledge of their degree. However sometimes the academic curriculum is outdated or it is not at par to what the industry requires. In fields such as IT, there are rapid developments that academics could not maintain pace with. This could be compensated by doing work placement during the course.

To conclude, I think that the advantages are significantly higher than the disadvantages. Having exposure to the current practices and norms of industry helps the students to study wisely and focus more on what is more relevant.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 5.5

The response addresses all parts of the prompt and maintains a clear position throughout. The arguments regarding the benefits of practical experience and the potential drawbacks related to curriculum depth are relevant. However, the development of ideas is somewhat uneven. For instance, the point about IT curriculum being outdated is repeated almost verbatim in the third paragraph, which suggests a lack of full development and planning. To reach a higher band, ensure that each paragraph introduces a distinct, well-supported point rather than repeating information. The conclusion is clear, but the overall essay would benefit from more specific examples to illustrate the points made.

Coherence and Cohesion — Band 5.5

The essay is logically organized with a clear introduction, body paragraphs, and a conclusion. Paragraphing is used appropriately to separate different viewpoints. Cohesive devices such as 'However', 'In the modern era', and 'To conclude' are used to guide the reader. However, there is some mechanical use of these devices, and the repetition of the argument about outdated curricula in the third paragraph disrupts the logical flow. The referencing is generally clear, but the transition between the second and third paragraphs could be smoother to better highlight the contrast between the two perspectives.

Lexical Resource — Band 5.5

The vocabulary used is generally adequate for the task. You demonstrate an ability to use topic-specific terms like 'theoretical expertise', 'mandatory exchange program', and 'industry internship'. There are some minor inaccuracies in collocation and word choice, such as 'at par to' (should be 'on a par with') and 'breath or the depth' (should be 'breadth'). While the range is sufficient to convey your meaning clearly, it lacks the sophistication and precision required for a higher band score. Expanding your range of academic collocations would improve your performance.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 5.5

The essay uses a mix of simple and complex sentence structures. There are several grammatical errors, such as sentence fragments in the introduction ('In the modern era where jobs are getting more competitive and practical skills are tested during the hiring process.') and subject-verb agreement issues ('academics could not maintain pace with'). Punctuation is generally functional, but the sentence structure errors occasionally impede the flow. To improve, focus on ensuring that every sentence has a clear subject and verb and avoid starting sentences with dependent clauses that are not connected to a main clause.

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