Band 5.5 IELTS Writing Task 2 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 5.5 · Cambridge IELTS 21 · 2026-08-23

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)

Most of the universities courses are just theory. All university should offered courses related to a practical experience by studying abroad or doing inter-ships for a particular time frame. Although it has some disadvantages, I believe advantages outweigh the dis advantages.

First advantage for students, through this practical approach they can polish there skills by doing a work placement. They can learn and boost skills like communication, time management and problem solving attitude. Study abroad can open up global interactions. Assess to different cultures and teaching style can sure broad there knowledge and skills.

Secondly, the hands on approach before getting degree made them fimiliar to the work related to there field. There is a chance to switch or alter the field if they feel current field is not according to them. For instance, a student get a work placement in the cyber security centre and realise that he can do better work outdoor can shift into engineering field.

There are some disadvantages like this can take more time to complete their degree because of work placement and studying abroad. Due to positive impacts ,I strongly believe advantages outweigh the disadvantages. This approach definately should apply to all around the world.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 5.0

The response addresses the prompt by taking a clear position that the advantages outweigh the disadvantages. However, the essay is significantly under the 250-word minimum requirement, which severely limits the development of ideas. While the main points regarding skill acquisition and career exploration are relevant, they are underdeveloped and lack sufficient supporting evidence or depth. The conclusion is brief and does not fully synthesize the arguments presented. To improve, you must expand on your points with more detailed explanations and concrete examples to meet the length requirement and provide a more comprehensive discussion.

Coherence and Cohesion — Band 5.5

The essay is organized into logical paragraphs, with a clear introduction, body paragraphs, and a conclusion. Cohesive devices such as 'First', 'Secondly', and 'Although' are used to signal the progression of ideas. However, the flow is sometimes hindered by grammatical errors and awkward phrasing, which makes the transition between sentences feel mechanical. The use of referencing is occasionally unclear, such as in the second paragraph where the connection between ideas could be smoother. Improving the variety and accuracy of your linking words will help create a more natural and cohesive flow.

Lexical Resource — Band 5.5

The vocabulary is generally adequate for the task but lacks the range and precision required for a higher band. There are several spelling errors, such as 'inter-ships' instead of 'internships', 'there' instead of 'their', and 'fimiliar' instead of 'familiar'. Additionally, some word choices are imprecise, such as 'broad their knowledge' (should be 'broaden'). While you attempt to use topic-specific vocabulary like 'practical experience' and 'work placement', the overall lexical range is limited, and the frequent spelling mistakes occasionally distract the reader.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 5.5

The essay contains a mix of simple and complex sentence structures, but there are frequent grammatical errors throughout. Common issues include subject-verb agreement ('All university should offered'), incorrect word forms ('made them fimiliar'), and missing articles. Punctuation is also inconsistent, particularly with comma placement. While these errors do not completely impede communication, they are frequent enough to be noticeable. To reach a higher band, you need to focus on mastering basic sentence construction and proofreading for common errors like subject-verb agreement and article usage.

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

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