Band 5.5 IELTS Writing Task 2 Model Answer
Overall Band Score: 5.5 · Cambridge IELTS 21 · 2026-08-26
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)
Some people feels that universities should encourage a program for the students to explore abroad studies or work environment during there semester. In my opinion, I believe it would be an amazing addition to undergraduate studies as students can get practical knowledge and career opportunities. Although It has some disadvantages such as homesickness and expensive courses. However, advantages outweigh the disadvantages.
One of the major advantage of the studying abroad is, students can improve there practical skills and find more career opportunities in future. For example, as an architect I personally experienced this thing that every field needs a practical knowledge by working as a volunteer or doing an internships. Studying in abroad will benefit the students in a various ways such as exploring new culture and tradition, language, environment and communication skills.
On the other hand, There might be some disadvantages, many people can not afford studying in abroad. Since it is quite expensive and students will miss their families making them homesickers. In addition, there university education may be interrupt temporarily. Accordingly, studying abroad is a valuable contribution to students career and future achievements.
From my perspective, I strongly believe that students should go for the studying abroad or internships, because it has major benefits for every student.
In conclusion, Although university education is most important for the students. Therefore, the authorities should include a period where students can spent their time in studying abroad or doing relevant work to enhance their practical knowledge and self development skills.
AI examiner evaluation
| Criterion | Band |
|---|---|
| Task Achievement / Task Response | 5.5 |
| Coherence and Cohesion | 5.5 |
| Lexical Resource | 5.5 |
| Grammatical Range and Accuracy | 5.5 |
| Overall | 5.5 |
Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 5.5
The response addresses all parts of the prompt, providing a clear position that the advantages outweigh the disadvantages. The ideas are relevant, such as the mention of practical skills and career opportunities. However, the development is somewhat limited. For instance, the point about 'homesickness' and 'expensive courses' is mentioned but not fully explored or balanced against the benefits in a sophisticated way. The essay remains somewhat superficial in its argumentation, which prevents it from reaching a higher band. To improve, you should expand on your examples and ensure that each paragraph provides a deeper analysis of the points raised.
Coherence and Cohesion — Band 5.5
The essay is organized into logical paragraphs, and there is a clear progression of ideas. You use some cohesive devices, such as 'On the other hand' and 'In addition,' to link your points. However, the use of these devices is sometimes mechanical or slightly inaccurate, such as the use of 'Accordingly' to introduce a summary point, which does not fit the context. Additionally, some sentences are disjointed, and the flow between ideas could be smoother. Improving the variety and precision of your linking words will help create a more natural and cohesive argument.
Lexical Resource — Band 5.5
The vocabulary used is generally adequate for the task, allowing you to express your ideas clearly. You attempt to use some topic-specific vocabulary like 'undergraduate studies,' 'practical knowledge,' and 'career opportunities.' However, there are several errors in word choice and collocation, such as 'explore abroad studies' (should be 'study abroad programs') and 'homesickers' (should be 'homesick'). There is also some repetition of basic vocabulary. To reach a higher band, focus on using more precise collocations and avoiding basic grammatical errors in word formation.
Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 5.5
The essay contains a mix of simple and complex sentence structures, but there are frequent grammatical errors that occasionally distract the reader. Examples include subject-verb agreement issues ('Some people feels'), incorrect pronoun usage ('improve there practical skills'), and punctuation errors, particularly with sentence fragments and comma splices (e.g., 'Although It has some disadvantages... However, advantages outweigh...'). While these errors do not completely impede communication, they are persistent throughout the text. Focusing on proofreading for basic agreement and sentence structure will significantly improve your score.
See this exact question answered at other band scores — the same prompt compared across bands.
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