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)

There are different views when high school under graduate take a gap for traveling or work.

before entering university. All university undergraduate courses should include a period of time spent studying abroad.

it is more advantageous to spent time before the university students gain more experience of life and the work they have to spend time in traveling and working this is most important.

On the one hand, travelling or working before university can help young people gain practical experience and develop a clearer understanding of their future goals. Many students are uncertain about which major or career path suits them best. By working in a real environment or travelling to different places, they can learn more about themselves and make better educational decisions. However, taking a gap year also has disadvantages. Some students may lose their academic momentum and find it difficult to return to studying after a long break. In addition, spending a year or two outside education may delay their career progression.

On the other hand going directly to university allow students to continue their education without interruption. At this stage they are highly accustomed to studying and highly motivated to learn. As the result, they may archive better academic performance. Furthermore, graduating earlier enable students to enter workforce sooner and being building their careers some young people choose a major without fully understanding their interests, which could lead them to change their field of study later.

In conclusion both approaches the advantage and disadvantages through traveling and work.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 5.0

The response addresses the prompt but lacks a clear, consistent position. While you mention both sides of the argument, you do not explicitly state your own opinion on whether the advantages outweigh the disadvantages. The introduction is somewhat confusing, as it refers to 'high school under graduate' taking a gap year, which is slightly off-topic from the prompt's focus on mandatory university course requirements. The conclusion is underdeveloped and fails to provide a summary or a final verdict, leaving the reader without a clear answer to the question asked. To improve, ensure your thesis statement is clear in the introduction and that your conclusion directly answers the prompt.

Coherence and Cohesion — Band 5.5

The essay is organised into paragraphs, which helps the reader follow the structure. However, the use of cohesive devices is limited and sometimes mechanical. For example, the transition between the introduction and the body paragraphs is abrupt. Some sentences lack logical flow, such as the final sentence of the second paragraph, which feels disconnected from the rest of the argument. The conclusion is also very brief and does not effectively link back to the main points discussed. Using a wider range of linking words (e.g., 'consequently', 'furthermore', 'nevertheless') would help improve the flow and logical progression of your ideas.

Lexical Resource — Band 5.5

The vocabulary is generally adequate for the task but lacks the precision and variety required for a higher band. You rely on basic terms like 'travelling', 'working', and 'studying'. There are some errors in word choice, such as 'archive better academic performance' (should be 'achieve') and 'being building their careers' (should be 'begin building'). To reach a higher band, you should aim to incorporate more academic collocations and topic-specific vocabulary related to higher education and professional development. Avoid repetitive phrasing and focus on using words that accurately convey your intended meaning in a formal context.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 5.0

There is a mix of simple and complex sentence structures, but the accuracy is inconsistent. You frequently make errors with verb forms and subject-verb agreement, such as 'going directly to university allow students' (should be 'allows') and 'the advantage and disadvantages' (should be 'advantages'). Punctuation is also problematic, with several run-on sentences and missing commas that make the text harder to read. While the meaning is generally clear, the frequency of these grammatical errors prevents the essay from reaching a higher band. Focus on proofreading for basic subject-verb agreement and ensuring that your complex sentences are punctuated correctly.

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.