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 suggested that before completing the undergraduation students should do some kind of intership. In my opinion this will have far more advantages for students as they will have experience before they are graduated and it will help them in finding a good position in a top firm.
Firstly talking about the advantages, if a person have a professional experience he will find himself more confident in landing a good job. It will boost his confidence. He will have more chances of growing because he does not have to start everything from scratch. For instance, a computer science student who completes an internship at a software company will already know how to work in a team, meet deadlines, and use industry-standard tools.
On the other hand there are some flaws, a student how is studying as well is doing a intership will not be able to focus on his studies that can cause him to achieve less grades also with that due to mismanagement of time and not taking proper rest can also cause health issues. In addition, there are many companies that gives very less salary and many the inters do a lot of hard work there should be a check on every firm.
In conclusion, the advantages are much more greater a intern gets professional experience, time management skills and much more but we cannnot over look the disadvantages, there should be a check on every company so that there are no inters that are being exploited.
AI examiner evaluation
| Criterion | Band |
|---|---|
| Task Achievement / Task Response | 5.5 |
| Coherence and Cohesion | 5.5 |
| Lexical Resource | 5.5 |
| Grammatical Range and Accuracy | 5.5 |
| Overall | 5.5 |
Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 5.5
The response addresses the prompt by discussing both the advantages and disadvantages of mandatory study abroad or work placements. However, the development of ideas is somewhat limited. While you mention benefits like confidence and industry experience, and drawbacks like academic pressure and low pay, these points are not fully extended or supported with deep analysis. The position is clear throughout, but the essay would benefit from more detailed examples or a more nuanced discussion of the 'all courses' requirement to reach a higher band. The conclusion is a bit repetitive and lacks a strong final synthesis of the argument.
Coherence and Cohesion — Band 5.5
The essay is organized into logical paragraphs, each with a clear focus. There is a basic progression of ideas from the introduction to the body paragraphs and the conclusion. However, the use of cohesive devices is somewhat mechanical and repetitive (e.g., 'Firstly', 'On the other hand', 'In addition'). Some transitions between sentences are abrupt, and the referencing is occasionally unclear, such as in the third paragraph where the connection between the student's workload and the need for a 'check on every firm' could be smoother. Paragraphing is used appropriately to separate the different aspects of the argument.
Lexical Resource — Band 5.5
The vocabulary used is adequate for the task but lacks the range and precision required for a higher band. You rely on common, sometimes imprecise phrasing (e.g., 'do some kind of intership', 'achieve less grades', 'gives very less salary'). There are also spelling errors such as 'intership' (internship) and 'inters' (interns). While the meaning is generally clear, the lack of variety and the presence of these errors limit the score. To improve, focus on using more academic collocations and precise terminology related to professional development and higher education.
Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 5.5
The essay contains a mix of simple and complex sentence structures, but there are frequent grammatical errors that occasionally impede the flow. Examples include subject-verb agreement issues ('if a person have', 'a student how is studying as well is doing'), article usage ('a intership'), and awkward phrasing ('the advantages are much more greater'). Punctuation is also inconsistent, particularly with comma splices in the third paragraph. While the meaning is usually understandable, the frequency of these errors prevents the essay from reaching a higher band. You should focus on proofreading for basic agreement and article errors.
See this exact question answered at other band scores — the same prompt compared across bands.
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