Band 5.0 IELTS Writing Task 2 Model Answer
Overall Band Score: 5.0 · 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 5.0)
Higher educations assist people to have better career opportunities .A group of people argue that universities should provide a certain amount of time to undergraduates so that they do study in other countries or can do work placements . This essay will indent to discuss the advantages which are overlapping the disadvantages in enumerated paragraphs .
To commence with , there are several positive factors of providing a period of time to undergraduate students in universities . Initially, it can provide the work experience to students because when they do work with their higher studies the can gain the information about work and can learn various working skills from the experienced workers . As a result , it can improve their working performance in future . Moreover , another key reason is that they can earn money with their studies which assist them to become financially independent . This can also help them to pay their fees as well as pay their own expenditures .
On the other hand , there are also some draw backs of this additional time . Firstly ,it can interrupt their university education
AI examiner evaluation
| Criterion | Band |
|---|---|
| Task Achievement / Task Response | 4.0 |
| Coherence and Cohesion | 5.0 |
| Lexical Resource | 5.0 |
| Grammatical Range and Accuracy | 5.0 |
| Overall | 5.0 |
Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 4.0
The response is significantly under the required word count of 250 words, reaching only 188 words. This failure to meet the minimum length requirement severely impacts the development of ideas. While you introduce the topic and state your intention to discuss the advantages, the essay is incomplete. You mention a few points regarding work experience and financial independence, but the discussion of disadvantages is cut off after only one sentence. To improve, you must fully develop your arguments with specific examples and ensure you provide a balanced view that addresses all parts of the prompt before concluding. The current lack of completion prevents a higher score.
Coherence and Cohesion — Band 5.0
The essay uses basic cohesive devices such as 'To commence with', 'Initially', and 'Moreover' to signal the start of points. However, the progression is interrupted by the abrupt ending of the text. Paragraphing is attempted, but because the essay is unfinished, the overall structure is not fully realised. Referencing is generally clear, but the lack of a concluding paragraph and the incomplete nature of the second body paragraph make it difficult to assess the logical flow of the argument as a whole. To improve, ensure each paragraph has a clear topic sentence and that the essay concludes with a summary of your position.
Lexical Resource — Band 5.0
The vocabulary used is adequate for basic communication but lacks the range and precision required for higher bands. You rely on simple phrasing such as 'positive factors' and 'work experience'. There are some awkward collocations, such as 'advantages which are overlapping the disadvantages', which is not standard academic English. To improve, try to incorporate more precise academic vocabulary and collocations related to higher education and professional development. Avoid repetitive sentence structures and aim for a more sophisticated tone by using synonyms and topic-specific terminology.
Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 5.0
The essay contains a mix of simple and some attempted complex sentences. There are several grammatical errors, such as 'Higher educations assist people' (should be 'Higher education assists'), 'so that they do study' (should be 'so that they can study'), and 'the can gain' (should be 'they can gain'). Punctuation is also inconsistent, with unnecessary spaces before periods. While the meaning is generally understandable, the frequency of these errors and the limited variety of complex structures restrict the score. Focus on subject-verb agreement and proofreading for minor slips to improve accuracy.
See this exact question answered at other band scores — the same prompt compared across bands.
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