Band 5.5 IELTS Writing Task 2 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 5.5 · Cambridge IELTS 21 · 2026-08-11

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)

Yes, all universities must include a period of time spent studying abroad or doing a work for undergraduate courses. Because, this leaves positive impact on the students overall personality. They will become more socialize and also able to understand other perspectives.

Nevertheless, it has some advantages as well as some disadvantages. The benefits of this type of opportunity make students more socialize, open minded, develop the sense of responsibility and punctual in their acts. They are also able to groom themselves physically, morally and religiously. They are more confident by availing different opportunities at foreign platforms. Besides, the disadvantages include some students forget the purpose of this opportunity and they become more stubborn shortly, they wander out of their path and indulge themselves in different absurd activities like drug addict or gambling. So, before this step implementation, proper counselling is required for students so they will not forget of their purpose of life . And should guide them to develop their personalities to become a ideal for coming students.

I think brilliant and bright students should give this opportunity because they have interest to explore new things they have proper sense to differentiate between right and wrong and they also have specific aim which they are trying to achieve.

In conclusion, although students have strong command on their courses but this golden opportunity must be offered them because at young age, this type of change will prove effective for them that leads to the progress and prosperity of our country as well as nation.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 5.5

The response addresses the prompt by discussing both advantages and disadvantages, but the development of ideas is limited. While you mention benefits like 'responsibility' and 'punctuality', these points are listed rather than explained or supported with concrete examples. The suggestion that only 'brilliant and bright students' should participate contradicts your initial stance that 'all universities must include' this requirement, leading to a lack of a clear, consistent position. To improve, ensure each paragraph focuses on a single, well-developed argument supported by specific evidence or logical reasoning, and maintain a consistent stance throughout the essay.

Coherence and Cohesion — Band 5.5

The essay is organised into paragraphs, but the logical flow is often disrupted by abrupt transitions and sentence-level errors. While some cohesive devices are used (e.g., 'Nevertheless', 'Besides', 'In conclusion'), they are sometimes used incorrectly or in a way that makes the progression of ideas feel mechanical. The referencing is occasionally unclear, particularly when shifting between the benefits and the risks of the programs. Improving the use of linking words to show relationships between sentences—rather than just starting new thoughts—would significantly enhance the overall coherence of your writing.

Lexical Resource — Band 5.5

Your vocabulary is generally adequate for the task, but it lacks the precision and range required for higher bands. You rely on basic descriptors like 'absurd activities' or 'groom themselves', which are not always used in the most natural way. There are also issues with word forms, such as 'more socialize' instead of 'more social' or 'socialised'. To reach a higher band, focus on using more sophisticated collocations and ensuring that words are used in their correct grammatical form. Expanding your range to include more academic vocabulary related to education and personal development would be beneficial.

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 clarity. Common issues include subject-verb agreement (e.g., 'students forget the purpose... and they become'), missing articles, and awkward phrasing (e.g., 'drug addict or gambling'). Punctuation is also inconsistent, particularly with comma usage. While the meaning is generally understandable, the frequency of these errors prevents the writing from reaching a higher band. Focus on proofreading for basic subject-verb agreement and ensuring that complex sentences are constructed with correct grammatical subordination.

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

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