Band 5.5 IELTS Writing Task 2 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 5.5 · Cambridge IELTS 21 · 2026-08-10

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)

University education is most important for students to complete degree of graduation. In modern era, every student should promote their education to graduate programs to build the strong future. But, during the undergraduate programs, students have a chance to do a job. Some people believe that all university undergraduate programs should include a time period for studying abroad or doing a job. In this essay, we will discuss the advantages or disadvantages of this opportunity in detail. In the end, I will give my opinion that advantages weigh more than disadvantages.

To begin, most students want to complete the graduation in abroad while, some others want to do a job. During the undergraduate programs, students have no any vacation or time period to spent at abroad. If the universities provide the time period to students for studying and doing work in abroad then, it will give benefit to students rather than disadvantages. In advantages, during this time period, students can go to abroad for higher studies. As we know that, graduated degree from abroad has more worth than in our own country. Students who complete graduation from abroad are more eligible for good jobs according to their fields. Moreover, some students go to abroad for doing a job who's are financially unstable. They do a job at abroad to support their families and meetup their education needs. Because, there are more job opportunities which give best salary package. Students earn more than ding job in our own country. In disadvantages, some students waste this time period by doing unusual activities. But disadvantages depend on student's nature.

In conclusion, i think so every university should provide time period to students for studying and doing job in abroad. I think so, it has more advantages than disadvantages.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 5.5

The response addresses the prompt by discussing the advantages and disadvantages of mandatory study abroad or work placements. However, the development is limited. While you state your position clearly in the introduction, the arguments are somewhat repetitive and lack specific examples or depth. For instance, the point about 'unusual activities' in the disadvantages section is vague and not fully explored. To reach a higher band, you should provide more concrete illustrations or logical extensions of your points, such as discussing the specific skills gained during a work placement or the cultural benefits of studying abroad, rather than focusing primarily on financial gain.

Coherence and Cohesion — Band 6.0

The essay is organised into clear paragraphs, which helps the reader follow the structure. However, the use of cohesive devices is often mechanical or repetitive. Phrases like 'In advantages' and 'In disadvantages' are used to signal points, but these are not natural transitions. Additionally, the referencing is sometimes unclear, such as in the sentence 'Some students go to abroad for doing a job who's are financially unstable,' where the connection between the clauses is awkward. Improving the variety of linking words and ensuring that each sentence flows logically from the previous one would significantly enhance the coherence of your writing.

Lexical Resource — Band 5.5

The vocabulary is generally adequate for the task but lacks the range and precision required for a higher band. There is a reliance on basic phrasing, such as 'do a job' or 'go to abroad,' which is grammatically incorrect and repetitive. You attempt to use some topic-specific vocabulary like 'financially unstable' and 'eligible,' but there are frequent errors in collocation and word choice (e.g., 'meetup their education needs' instead of 'meet their educational expenses'). To improve, focus on learning collocations and using more sophisticated synonyms to express your ideas more accurately.

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 of reading. Common issues include incorrect preposition usage (e.g., 'in abroad' instead of 'abroad'), subject-verb agreement errors (e.g., 'who's are'), and awkward phrasing (e.g., 'no any vacation'). While the meaning is generally clear, the high frequency of these errors prevents the writing from reaching a higher band. You should focus on mastering basic sentence construction, particularly the correct use of articles, prepositions, and verb forms, before attempting more complex structures.

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

Browse more IELTS Writing model answers or get your own writing scored by the same AI examiner.