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)

There is no doubt that education play a significant role of making in the individual's career. A time period spent studying foreign nations or internship ought be included for those students who are studied bachelors in university. I think that the merits are more far as compared to demerits which will analyze in the subsequent paragraph.

On the constructive side, university learner give an opportunity to polish the skills and gain the international working experience. To clarify it, during a bachelor program, if learner give a chance to complete a placement and a semester in aboard university or organization. Due to this, it is very fruitful for students as these programs provide more knowledge and experience which helps to create a strong profile and get a easy to join an international company as a successful worker. Therefore, in the future, they do white collaring jobs and earn better income which is helpful to decrease the inflation of the nation.

Furthermore, it creates more interest for students to do studying higher education. To make it more clear, students show more interest to complete the university study as well as they get an opportunity to meet the international students and make a new friends, which is beneficial for both nations. Because it create the strong bond between both nations and create a more peace in both nations. With the help of strong bonds, it is also the reduce the chance of wars in both countries.

On the destructive side, it may lead to increase the chances of inflation. To elaborate it, foreign education and placement fees are very high as compared to own nations. So students face difficulties to spent the large amount of money. As a consequence, it is also face the troubles of economy loss of any particular country.

From what has been discussed above, it can be concluded that although doing a year study aboard or placement is very beneficial such as enhance the knowledge level and gain the more practical skills but it is very costly.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 6.0

The response addresses the prompt by discussing both advantages and disadvantages, maintaining a clear position that the merits outweigh the drawbacks. However, the development of ideas is somewhat superficial. For example, the argument regarding 'inflation' is logically weak and not clearly linked to the topic of studying abroad. While the essay covers all parts of the task, the supporting points lack depth and occasionally rely on generalizations, such as the claim that international student exchanges directly prevent wars. To reach a higher band, you should provide more concrete, logical examples and ensure that your arguments are fully explained rather than just stated.

Coherence and Cohesion — Band 6.0

The essay is organized into clear paragraphs, each with a central topic. You use some cohesive devices like 'Furthermore', 'On the constructive side', and 'As a consequence' to link ideas. However, the progression of ideas is sometimes hindered by awkward phrasing and mechanical transitions. For instance, the transition 'To clarify it' is used incorrectly, and the connection between sentences within paragraphs is occasionally disjointed. The use of referencing is sometimes unclear, which forces the reader to work harder to follow your train of thought. Improving the variety and natural flow of your linking words will enhance the overall coherence.

Lexical Resource — Band 5.5

You demonstrate an adequate range of vocabulary for the task, including terms like 'constructive', 'fruitful', and 'subsequent'. However, there are several instances of incorrect word choice and collocation, such as 'white collaring jobs', 'decrease the inflation of the nation', and 'do studying higher education'. These errors occasionally impede the precision of your meaning. To improve, focus on learning common collocations and using more precise academic vocabulary rather than attempting to force complex-sounding phrases that do not fit the context. Your spelling is generally accurate, but the range of vocabulary remains limited to basic or slightly misused academic terms.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 5.0

The essay contains a mix of simple and complex sentence structures, but there is a high frequency of grammatical errors. Frequent issues include subject-verb agreement ('education play', 'learner give'), missing articles, and incorrect verb forms ('ought be included', 'it is also face the troubles'). These errors are persistent throughout the text. While the meaning is generally clear, the high density of grammatical slips prevents the essay from reaching a higher band. You should focus on mastering basic sentence construction, specifically ensuring that subjects and verbs agree and that verbs are correctly conjugated in the passive and active voices.

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.