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 opinion, there are more benefits of studying abroad than 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. This can help them understand life better. Because a person can learn a lot from other people's experiences and mistakes. Learning other people's perspectives can help a student become a better person.

Studying abroad can look fancy from afar. But once a person enters foreign soil things are very dull and grey. A student can face problems in understanding the laws and bureaucracy. The simplest thing can be really hard because students don't even know the basics of it. The scariest 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.

In my view, the benefits of studying abroad outweigh the disadvantages because once a student stops thinking about his family, a lot of opportunities open 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 learns a lot of new things.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 5.5

The response addresses all parts of the prompt, clearly stating a position that the benefits outweigh the disadvantages. The ideas are relevant, such as cultural exposure and personal growth, contrasted with the challenges of homesickness and bureaucracy. However, the development is somewhat uneven. The second paragraph relies on generalisations, and the third paragraph focuses heavily on a personal anecdote about a brother, which, while illustrative, lacks the analytical depth required for a higher band. To improve, you should focus on expanding the academic or professional implications of these experiences rather than relying solely on personal narratives.

Coherence and Cohesion — Band 6.0

The essay is organised into logical paragraphs, each with a clear central topic. There is a progression of ideas from the introduction to the conclusion. However, the use of cohesive devices is sometimes mechanical or repetitive, such as the frequent use of 'but' at the start of sentences or the reliance on simple transition words. Referencing is generally clear, but the flow between sentences could be improved by using a wider variety of linking phrases to connect ideas more fluidly. Paragraphing is used appropriately to separate the different stages of the argument.

Lexical Resource — Band 5.5

The vocabulary is adequate for the task, allowing the writer to convey their meaning clearly. There is some attempt to use less common vocabulary, such as 'bureaucracy' and 'pursue', but the range is somewhat limited. Some word choices are slightly informal or imprecise, such as 'look fancy' or 'dull and grey'. To reach a higher band, you should aim to incorporate more academic collocations and precise terminology related to international education and professional development, while avoiding overly colloquial expressions.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 5.5

The essay demonstrates a mix of simple and complex sentence structures. While the meaning is generally clear, there are recurring grammatical errors, such as subject-verb agreement issues ('there are more benefits... than there are drawbacks') and some awkward phrasing ('starts experiencing the life abroad'). Punctuation is generally functional, but there are instances of sentence fragments or run-on ideas. The control of grammar is sufficient for communication, but the frequency of minor errors prevents a higher score. Focusing on sentence variety and proofreading for small errors would be beneficial.

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