Band 5.5 IELTS Writing Task 2 Model Answer

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

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 universities offer various types of courses in their undergraduate programme which is very beneficial for the students. Some people also believe that universities should include a some time studying abroad or doing a work placement. While there are some consequences, i would go with the former view because of more advantages.

One of the reasons universities should add course to study abroad or doing a job is to help the students so that they can gather more experiences in such young age. These experiences will have them to know what are they going to do in the future and they will be able to prepare themselves which is very helpful for a bright career. Moreover, if students can spend some time during their university life in a different country it will help them to know about different culture and society which will benefit them to apply those knowledges in their country. For instance, after coming back from Nepal my cousin built an app to help tourists in Bangladesh by applying some ideas of his Nepal trip.

Yet there are some consequences too. Sometimes its hard to read people. Some students might not be interested in coming back to their country after going another country which is detrimental for a countries reputation. Last year 3 students of Brac University did not come back Bangladesh from Malta because they moved to Spain after reaching Malta.

Though there are some issues adding such courses in undergraduation level, in my opinion the advantages outweigh the disadvantages.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 5.5

The response addresses all parts of the prompt, providing a clear position that the advantages outweigh the disadvantages. The ideas are relevant, such as gaining experience and cultural exposure, and the inclusion of a personal example regarding the cousin's app adds support. However, the development is somewhat limited. The counter-argument regarding students not returning home is mentioned but lacks depth, and the overall explanation of why the advantages 'outweigh' the disadvantages is brief. To reach a higher band, you should expand on the long-term professional benefits of these programs and provide a more robust rebuttal to the disadvantages mentioned.

Coherence and Cohesion — Band 6.0

The essay is organized into logical paragraphs, with a clear introduction, body paragraphs for pros and cons, and a conclusion. Cohesive devices such as 'Moreover', 'For instance', and 'Yet' are used to link ideas. However, the flow is occasionally mechanical, and some transitions feel abrupt. For example, the shift to the counter-argument in the third paragraph could be smoother. Additionally, the referencing in the sentence 'Some students might not be interested in coming back to their country after going another country' is slightly repetitive. Improving the variety of linking words and ensuring smoother transitions between sentences would enhance the overall coherence.

Lexical Resource — Band 5.5

The vocabulary is generally adequate for the task, allowing the message to be conveyed clearly. You use some topic-specific terms like 'undergraduate programme', 'work placement', and 'detrimental'. However, there are instances of imprecise word choice and minor errors, such as 'apply those knowledges' (knowledge is uncountable) and 'at such young age' (should be 'at such a young age'). The range is somewhat limited, and there is a reliance on basic vocabulary. To improve, try to incorporate more sophisticated collocations and academic synonyms to demonstrate a wider range of lexical control.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 5.5

The essay uses a mix of simple and complex sentence structures. While the meaning is generally clear, there are several grammatical errors throughout the text. Examples include 'include a some time', 'These experiences will have them to know' (should be 'help them to know'), and 'after going another country' (missing preposition). Punctuation is also inconsistent, with some missing commas and capitalization errors (e.g., 'i' instead of 'I'). While these errors do not impede communication, they occur frequently enough to prevent a higher score. Focusing on subject-verb agreement and correct preposition usage will help improve accuracy.

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

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