Band 5.5 IELTS Writing Task 2 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 5.5 · Cambridge IELTS 21 · 2026-08-24

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 undergraduate students of all universities should be given a period of time to go to some foreign country for studying or for performing some kind of work. In my opinion, it is good for students to have that kind of time period because it has many advantages for them.

First of all, if students should be given the opportunity to study abroad, they will be able to learn about culture and traditions of foreign countries.Moreover, they will get to know how different are the students of other countries from them.

Secondly, it would help the students to pay the expenses of their study and to become independent. For example, if they will do a job or work in another country they will receive money. As a result, they will know the importance of saving and spending them. This thing will also make them independent.

Thirdly, the students will have a relax time from their studies. It would like short vacations or trip for them.For instance, students get fed up from same routine of study, a period of time spent in a foreign country could be like a break from their tough routine.

On the other hand, it may have some disadvantages. For example, the students who will do a job, there is a chance to forget their course study which they recently learned. When they will start it again they have to spent two to three weeks in revising the previous lessons.

To conclude, although studying abroad or doing a job during study has some disadvantages but its advantages outweigh the disadvantages.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 5.5

The response addresses the prompt by discussing both advantages and disadvantages, ultimately taking a clear position. However, the development of ideas is somewhat superficial. For instance, the point about 'relax time' is not particularly relevant to the academic or professional purpose of studying abroad, and the argument regarding the disadvantage of forgetting course material is underdeveloped. To reach a higher band, you should provide more substantial reasoning and specific examples that directly relate to the educational or professional benefits of such programs, rather than focusing on leisure or minor logistical inconveniences.

Coherence and Cohesion — Band 6.0

The essay is organized into clear paragraphs, each with a central topic. Cohesive devices such as 'First of all', 'Moreover', 'Secondly', and 'On the other hand' are used to guide the reader. However, the progression of ideas is sometimes mechanical, and the linking within paragraphs can be repetitive. For example, the transition between the idea of 'saving money' and 'becoming independent' is slightly disjointed. Improving the variety of cohesive devices and ensuring smoother transitions between sentences would enhance the flow of the argument.

Lexical Resource — Band 5.5

The vocabulary is generally adequate for the task, allowing the message to be conveyed clearly. However, the range is somewhat limited and relies on basic phrasing, such as 'good for students', 'do a job', and 'receive money'. There is little evidence of less common lexical items or sophisticated collocations. To improve, you should aim to use more precise academic vocabulary, such as 'financial independence', 'professional development', or 'cross-cultural competence', rather than repeating simple terms like 'do a job' or 'study'.

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 frequent grammatical errors, particularly with articles ('a relax time', 'the same routine'), verb tenses ('if they will do a job'), and word order. Some sentences are slightly awkward, such as 'It would like short vacations or trip for them'. While these errors do not significantly impede communication, they occur frequently enough to prevent a higher score. Focusing on subject-verb agreement and the correct use of conditional structures would be beneficial.

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.