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)

In the recent years, the choices for study abroad or doing a work placement increases because it will benefit individaual career and help in improving the skills. The advantages of this statement outweigh the disadvantages because overseas colleges focus on practical knowledge rather than theories and students can do work and gain numerous skills.

Intiating with the best possible benefits, the most significant notion is, scholars learn to manage a lot of things when they studying abroad alone. However, the study they are pursuing is for building their foundation to find good jobs and for learning skills. Moreover, students learn new culture and find more job opportunities when they moving to a different country, they also meet people from distinct nation and explore new things. To cite an example, In canada, students are from different countries meet each other, explain each other their dreams and goals and gain a new experience. As a result, youth inspire from each other and build their career.

On the paradoxical side, there are many demerits as well. First and foremost, children have to live alone, far away from their families and few individuals lost their track about being successfull and lost in the new country. Secondly, in aboroad, not everyone but few people show racism which is really scary for people as well as for their loved ones. For instance, In US, a man killed 23 year old indian student outside his university. The police do not find any specific reason. As a result, some people scared to send their children abroad for studying.

To conclude, without any doubt, this is a mixed bag. Although the merits are more yet we can not ignore the demerits.

AI examiner evaluation

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. You clearly state your position that the advantages outweigh the disadvantages. However, the development of ideas is somewhat limited. For instance, the point about 'practical knowledge' is mentioned but not fully explained with specific examples. The example provided regarding Canada is quite general and lacks depth. To improve, ensure that each main point is supported by a more detailed explanation or a more specific, well-integrated example. The conclusion is also quite brief and does not effectively summarize the main arguments presented in the body paragraphs.

Coherence and Cohesion — Band 5.5

The essay is organized into clear paragraphs, which helps the reader follow the structure. You use some cohesive devices such as 'In the recent years', 'To cite an example', and 'On the paradoxical side'. However, some transitions feel a bit mechanical or slightly unnatural, such as 'Intiating with the best possible benefits'. Additionally, the referencing is sometimes unclear; for example, in the second paragraph, the connection between 'moving to a different country' and 'meeting people' is a bit repetitive. Improving the variety of linking words and ensuring that sentences flow more smoothly into one another would enhance the overall coherence of your writing.

Lexical Resource — Band 5.5

You demonstrate an adequate range of vocabulary for the task, using words like 'practical knowledge', 'foundation', and 'demerits'. However, there are several instances of awkward word choice and spelling errors, such as 'individaual', 'Intiating', and 'aboroad'. Some phrases are also slightly unnatural, such as 'lost their track about being successfull'. To reach a higher band, you should focus on using more precise collocations and ensuring accurate spelling. While you attempt to use some less common vocabulary, the errors occasionally distract the reader, though they do not prevent the message from being understood.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 5.5

The essay contains a mix of simple and complex sentence structures. While you attempt complex sentences, there are frequent grammatical errors, particularly with subject-verb agreement (e.g., 'choices... increases') and verb tense consistency (e.g., 'when they moving'). Punctuation is also inconsistent, with some run-on sentences and comma splices, such as 'In canada, students are from different countries meet each other, explain each other their dreams...'. To improve, you need to pay closer attention to basic grammatical rules and proofread your work to correct these recurring errors. Increasing the variety of error-free complex structures will help you achieve a higher score.

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

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