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)

It is argued that every university undergraduate course should have a time frame spent studying in foreign countries or doing a work placement. It can help students experience different cultures and meet new people. But it can also cause homesickness. In my onion, there are more benefits of studying abroad then there are drawbacks.

If a university course makes it necessary for students to move abroad and study for one or two semesters in a foreign country, it can benefit them in many ways. It will result in the students experiencing a whole new place with strangers having different cultures, language, religion and life events. Which can help them understand life better. Because a person can learn a lot from other people's experiences and mistakes. Learning other people's perspective can help a student become a better person.

Studying abroad can look fancy from afar. But once a person enters a foreign soil things are very dull and grey. A student can face problems in understanding the laws and bureaucracy. The most simplest thing can be really hard because students don't even know the basics of it. The most scary part is living alone. My own brother moved to Dubai for a job but after a few months he started getting ill every now and then. He even lost 5 kg of muscle mass. At last, we had to call him back.

According to me, the benefits of studying abroad outweigh the disadvantages because once a student stops thinking about his family, a lot of opportunities opens to them. My best friend Musa moved to Germany for higher studies. Firstly, he felt alone there but then he made new friends and attended different cultural fests. Now, he is planning to stay and pursue his Phd there.

To sum up, we can say that there are advantages and disadvantages of studying abroad but the former outweigh the latter. Because once a student stops thinking of going back and starts experiencing the life abroad. He meets new people and learn a lot of new things.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 6.0

The response addresses all parts of the task and maintains a clear position throughout. You have provided relevant arguments for both sides of the issue, using personal examples to support your points. However, the development of ideas is somewhat uneven. While the benefits are touched upon, the explanation of why these experiences are essential for an undergraduate curriculum could be more deeply explored. The conclusion is a bit repetitive and lacks a strong summary of the main points. To reach a higher band, ensure that your supporting arguments are more analytical rather than purely descriptive, focusing on the educational and professional implications of such a requirement.

Coherence and Cohesion — Band 5.5

The essay is logically organized into paragraphs, each with a clear central theme. You use some cohesive devices, such as 'To sum up' and 'Firstly', to guide the reader. However, the use of linking words is sometimes mechanical or repetitive. There are also instances where sentence structure impacts flow, such as the sentence fragment 'Which can help them understand life better.' Additionally, some transitions between ideas are abrupt. Improving the variety of cohesive devices and ensuring that sentences are fully connected rather than fragmented will significantly enhance the overall flow and coherence of your writing.

Lexical Resource — Band 5.5

You demonstrate an adequate range of vocabulary for the task, allowing you to express your ideas clearly. There are attempts to use less common vocabulary, such as 'bureaucracy' and 'pursue', which is positive. However, there are some inaccuracies in word choice and collocation, such as 'dull and grey' to describe a foreign country, or 'most simplest', which is grammatically incorrect. Furthermore, there is a spelling error in the introduction ('onion' instead of 'opinion'). To improve, focus on using more precise academic vocabulary and ensuring that your word choices are appropriate for the formal tone of an IELTS essay.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 5.5

The essay shows a mix of simple and complex sentence structures. While you attempt complex sentences, they often contain errors that slightly impede the reader, such as the fragment mentioned earlier and issues with subject-verb agreement (e.g., 'opportunities opens'). There are also punctuation errors and informal phrasing that detract from the academic tone. While the meaning is generally clear, the frequency of these grammatical slips prevents the essay from reaching a higher band. Focus on proofreading for basic errors like pluralization and verb agreement, and practice constructing more complex sentences without sacrificing accuracy.

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

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