Band 5.5 IELTS Writing Task 2 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 5.5 · Cambridge IELTS 21 · 2026-08-17

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)

Some people believe that all universities undergraduate course should include a period of time spend studying abroad or doing a work placement. I agree with this because these experience can help students develop practical skills, confident and better career opportunity, although there are also some disadvantages.

One major advantage of studying abroad is that students gain international skill. They can learn about different cultures, its also help them to meet different peoples and gave chance to learn more things. And study in other country also help them to improve their communication skills. In addition living in other country make students more independent because they have to do their own work, for example a student who study in other country may more confident in English speaking and communication from different cultures.

Another benefit is work experience, university education is provide practical knowledge, students can use their knowledge in work place what they learn in study. This can help them about their capabilities in other word this can help exam their own self. also this can help finding job in future if they have work experience.

However, studying abroad have also some disadvantage like studying abroad can be expensive because student need more money for travel and accommodation and other living cost.

Some student have homesick they don't like to live without family.

In conclusion, although studying abroad or doing a work placement can be expensive and some time difficult, but i believe that advantages outweigh the disadvantages.

These experience can make more independent skill and also prepare for future.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 5.5

The response addresses the prompt by taking a clear position that the advantages outweigh the disadvantages. However, the development of ideas is somewhat limited. While you mention benefits like 'international skills' and 'work experience,' these points are not fully extended with specific examples or deep analysis. For instance, the mention of 'practical skills' remains vague. To reach a higher band, you should provide more concrete illustrations of how these experiences specifically impact a student's future, rather than listing general benefits. The disadvantages are also mentioned but are underdeveloped, lacking a balanced exploration of the counter-argument.

Coherence and Cohesion — Band 5.5

The essay is organized into paragraphs, which helps the reader follow your argument. However, the use of cohesive devices is often mechanical or repetitive. For example, you frequently start sentences with 'And' or 'Also,' which disrupts the flow. There is a lack of sophisticated linking words to connect ideas within and between paragraphs. Referencing is sometimes unclear, such as in the phrase 'this can help exam their own self,' where the connection to the previous point is weak. Improving the variety of transition signals would significantly enhance the logical progression of your writing.

Lexical Resource — Band 5.5

The vocabulary used is generally adequate for the task but lacks the range and precision required for higher bands. You rely on basic terms like 'good,' 'help,' and 'things,' which limits the impact of your arguments. There are also some errors in word choice and collocation, such as 'international skill' instead of 'intercultural competence' and 'exam their own self' instead of 'evaluate their own capabilities.' To improve, focus on using more academic collocations and precise terminology related to education and professional development.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 5.0

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 ('university education is provide'), missing articles, and incorrect verb forms ('a student who study'). Punctuation is also inconsistent, particularly with comma splices and run-on sentences. While the meaning is generally understandable, the high frequency of these errors prevents the writing from reaching a higher band. Focusing on basic sentence construction and proofreading for subject-verb agreement would be a great next step.

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.