Band 5.5 IELTS Writing Task 2 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 5.5 · Cambridge IELTS 21 · 2026-08-13

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)

Nowadays, some people think that all university students should study abroad or do a work placement during their course. In my opinion, I think the advantages are more than disadvantages, but there is also some problem with this idea.

Firstly, I think studying abroad can help students learn about different culture and improve their language skill. For example, if a student go to another country, they will meet new people and learn how to communicate in different situation. This is very useful for their future job. Also, work placement can give students real experience of working, not only theory from books. This make them more ready for real job after they finish university.

However, there is also some disadvantages. Not all student have enough money to study abroad, because it is very expensive to live in another country. Some student family cannot afford this, so it is not fair for everyone. Also, some courses like medicine or law maybe don't have good opportunity for work placement or study abroad, so it is difficult to make this rule for all courses.

In addition, some student might feel stressed if they must go to another country alone, especially if they never travel before. This can effect their study in negative way too.

In conclusion, I think studying abroad or doing work placement have more advantages than disadvantages, because it help student to grow and get more experience. But university should not make this compulsory for all courses, because not everyone have same situation.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 5.5

The response addresses all parts of the prompt by discussing both the advantages and disadvantages of mandatory study abroad or work placements. A clear position is maintained throughout, concluding that while beneficial, such programs should not be compulsory. However, the development of ideas is somewhat limited. For instance, the point about medicine or law courses is a strong, relevant argument, but it is not fully expanded upon. The essay remains quite general, and while it covers the requirements, it lacks the depth of analysis expected for a higher band score. The ideas are relevant but could be supported with more specific examples or deeper reasoning to fully explore the implications of the topic.

Coherence and Cohesion — Band 6.0

The essay is logically organized into clear paragraphs, each focusing on a specific aspect of the argument. The use of cohesive devices such as 'Firstly', 'Also', 'However', and 'In addition' helps to guide the reader through the text. While the progression of ideas is generally clear, some transitions feel a bit mechanical or repetitive. Referencing is mostly accurate, though the flow between sentences could be improved by using a wider variety of linking words and phrases to create a more natural, sophisticated connection between ideas. Overall, the structure is coherent and easy to follow.

Lexical Resource — Band 5.5

The vocabulary used is adequate for the task but remains relatively basic. There is a reliance on simple, high-frequency words (e.g., 'good', 'different', 'useful'). While the student attempts to use some topic-specific vocabulary like 'compulsory' and 'opportunity', there is a lack of less common or more precise lexical items. Some word choices are slightly imprecise, such as 'some problem' instead of 'some drawbacks' or 'some disadvantages'. To improve, the student should focus on using more academic collocations and synonyms to express ideas with greater precision and variety.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 5.5

The essay uses a mix of simple and complex sentence structures. While the meaning is always clear, there are frequent grammatical errors, particularly with subject-verb agreement (e.g., 'some student have', 'some student might', 'this make them') and pluralization (e.g., 'different culture', 'some disadvantages' used correctly, but 'some student' should be 'some students'). These errors are noticeable but do not impede communication. The range of structures is limited; the student relies heavily on simple sentence patterns. Incorporating more complex grammatical forms, such as conditional sentences or passive voice, would help to demonstrate a higher level of control.

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