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)

It is often argued that all university undergraduate courses should add a period of time spent studying abroad or doing a work placement. While this requirement may create certain financial difficulties and challenges. I believe that advantages far outweigh the disadvantages because it helps student to develop practical skills, and improve their future career lookout.

One of the main benefits of studying abroad or undertaking a work placement is that students acquire valuable real-world experience. While universities provides theoretical knowledge, practical training enables students to apply what they have learned in real-life situation. They also help to develop team work skills, communications, problem solving, and time management. For example, a accounting student has recently completed six-month internship at bank and he learns how to prepare financial statement using accounting software and how to consult clients. After graduation he has better opportunities for work.

However, there are some drawbacks. Studying abroad can be expensive because they have to bear traveling, accommodation, and living expenses. In addition, work placement may not be suitable for an individual, gets difficulties to study with work. Remains stress and cannot give time for personal hobbies. For example, students from low-income families may struggle to afford overseas education, while those studying highly theoretical subjects may benefit less from workplace experience.

In conclusion, although compulsory study abroad programmer and work placements may involve huge financial costs and practical challenges, the benefits they offer in terms of practical skills, personal development, and career opportunities are far more significant. Therefore, I believe that the advantages clearly outweigh the disadvantages.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 5.5

You have addressed all parts of the prompt, providing a clear position that the advantages outweigh the disadvantages. Your ideas are relevant, such as the mention of practical skills and financial burdens. However, the development of these ideas is somewhat limited. For instance, the example of the accounting student is a good start but could be more effectively integrated to support your argument. To reach a higher band, ensure that each point is fully extended with more nuanced analysis rather than just listing benefits or drawbacks. Your position is consistent throughout the essay, which is a strength.

Coherence and Cohesion — Band 5.5

The essay is logically organized with a clear introduction, body paragraphs, and a conclusion. You use basic cohesive devices like 'One of the main benefits', 'However', and 'In conclusion' to guide the reader. However, the flow between some sentences is slightly mechanical, and there are instances where referencing is unclear, such as in the sentence 'They also help to develop team work skills', where 'They' refers back to 'practical training' but feels slightly disconnected. Paragraphing is used appropriately, and the progression of ideas is generally easy to follow throughout the response.

Lexical Resource — Band 5.5

You demonstrate an adequate range of vocabulary for the task, using terms like 'theoretical knowledge', 'practical training', and 'low-income families'. There are some minor errors in word choice and collocation, such as 'career lookout' (should be 'prospects') and 'a accounting student' (should be 'an'). You attempt to use some less common vocabulary, but there is room for more precision and sophistication. The vocabulary is sufficient to convey your meaning clearly, but it does not consistently show the flexibility required for a higher band score.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 5.5

You use a mix of simple and complex sentence structures. While you successfully communicate your ideas, there are frequent grammatical errors, particularly with articles ('a accounting student'), subject-verb agreement ('universities provides'), and sentence fragments ('Remains stress and cannot give time...'). Punctuation is also inconsistent, with some sentences starting with a fragment or lacking necessary commas. While these errors do not impede overall communication, they are frequent enough to prevent a higher score. Focusing on proofreading for basic subject-verb agreement and article usage would significantly improve your accuracy.

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

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