Band 5.5 IELTS Writing Task 2 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 5.5 · Cambridge IELTS 21 · 2026-08-07

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 whether undergraduate courses should add period of a semester spent studying abroad or doing a work placement ,as a mandatory part of the course curriculum, has become widely debated.

In recent years, internships during the final semester among many universities have become increasingly widespread and showed enhanced number of students getting job opportunities compared with previous practice of undergraduate students, following theory based scores and old ways of education system.

Whereas, studying a period of semester in an international destination can hardly be seen among niche universities, though well reputed and globally connected private universities might be a whole different scenario. This essay will discuss the main advantages and disadvantages of this scenario.

I contend that the advantages of this practice will surely make an impactful significance among young generation wanting to pursue a skill based undergraduate course. The research based courses on the other hand, would still need the students to be accepted and introduced with the actual market scenarios and in-demand jobs and opportunities, so that they can easily bifurcate the course to pursue as a main occupation or as a side hustle. In 2026, during the world QS ranking, IIT Delhi stood first in India, due its wide research based courses and abroad study alternate programs. Many a students were placed in top MNCs and foreign based firms as well, due to excessive number of students opting for internships in between, or during there last semester.

In recent period, we can also notably accept the fact that the students who have accessibility, are choosing abroad as there study destination. This is because those who are familiar with not only the home country's economic situation but also the impact of globalization have been provide with better and much positive result.

The only disadvantage I can consider here is the country's economic condition, that is, if its a developed or a developing country, and whether every universities have enough funding to provide significant amount of student with these curriculums. I am also convinced with the fact that not every country has employment for every people of their own. But adding internships as a mandatory part of the course curriculum might make students ready enough to prepare for the future and also influence their mindset of the real world.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 5.5

The response addresses the prompt and maintains a clear position throughout. However, the development of ideas is somewhat uneven. While you mention the benefits of internships and study abroad, the discussion regarding the disadvantages is less focused, shifting quickly to economic constraints rather than exploring the potential drawbacks of mandatory placement for students. The example of IIT Delhi is relevant, but the argument could be strengthened by more clearly linking these experiences to the 'advantages' mentioned in the prompt. To reach a higher band, ensure that both sides of the argument are explored with equal depth and that your supporting points are more directly connected to the core question of whether the advantages outweigh the disadvantages.

Coherence and Cohesion — Band 5.5

The essay is organized into logical paragraphs, and there is a clear progression of ideas. You use some cohesive devices, such as 'whereas', 'on the other hand', and 'in recent period', to link your thoughts. However, some transitions feel slightly mechanical or forced, and there are instances where the connection between sentences is not entirely smooth. For example, the transition between the discussion of research-based courses and the IIT Delhi example could be more fluid. Additionally, some referencing is slightly unclear, which occasionally impacts the flow of the argument. Improving the variety and naturalness of your linking words will help enhance the overall coherence.

Lexical Resource — Band 5.5

You demonstrate an adequate range of vocabulary for the task, including terms like 'curriculum', 'globalization', and 'bifurcate'. However, there are several instances of awkward word choice and collocation errors, such as 'impactful significance', 'showed enhanced number', and 'introduced with the actual market'. These errors do not impede communication, but they do limit the precision of your writing. To improve, focus on learning common collocations and using more natural phrasing. Expanding your vocabulary to include more precise academic terminology would also help you move into a higher band.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 5.5

You attempt a mix of simple and complex sentence structures, which is a positive step. However, there are frequent grammatical errors, particularly with articles ('the' vs 'a'), subject-verb agreement ('every universities', 'every people'), and prepositions ('introduced with', 'due its'). There are also some punctuation issues, such as the placement of commas. While these errors rarely prevent the reader from understanding your meaning, they are frequent enough to affect the overall fluency of the text. Focusing on proofreading for basic grammatical accuracy and refining your use of complex sentence structures will be key to improving your score.

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

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