Band 5.0 IELTS Writing Task 2 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 5.0 · Cambridge IELTS 21 · 2026-08-27

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)

Every university undergraduate courses are supposed to comprise a tenure that spent studying abroad or doing a work placement. In recent tears there has been growing debates over will this be beneficial for students and are there any bad consequences. From my perspective that the advantages outweighs the disadvantages. This will be discussed in this essay.

To begin with the benefits students would get by going abroad and studying or working there. There are numerous benefits for students. They will experience a new culture and they would be able to learn a new language better career opportunities however the major benefit among these is working there and getting

Experience about their field. For instance a person studying abroad pursuing higher education and doing internship there. He will have sufficient experience of his subject and in future it will be easy for him to obtain a job or he can provide services. This is how studying abroad and working temporary job will assist him.

But there are few flaws and the major one is this can only happen and which it is happening in developed countries. Developed and substandard countries can not come to an contemplate of doing this.

Furthermore there are several drawbacks in it for students if they are not aware such as getting deported

By doing something that they do not know it is illegal.

Which will cost them with their studies, career.

As far as I am concerned about this the advantages are far more and students should not be delusional and they should treat and live in other country with respect

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 5.0

The response addresses the prompt by taking a clear position that the advantages outweigh the disadvantages. However, the development of ideas is limited. While you mention benefits like cultural experience and career opportunities, the explanation is brief and lacks depth. The discussion of disadvantages is particularly underdeveloped; the point about 'substandard countries' is unclear, and the concern about deportation is presented as a vague possibility rather than a well-reasoned argument. To improve, you should provide more specific examples or logical chains of reasoning to support your claims. The conclusion is also quite abrupt and does not effectively summarise the main points of your argument.

Coherence and Cohesion — Band 5.0

The essay is organised into paragraphs, but the logical flow is often interrupted by awkward phrasing and a lack of cohesive devices. While you use some transition words like 'To begin with' and 'Furthermore', the connections between sentences are often weak. For example, the transition between the benefits and the drawbacks is abrupt. Additionally, the referencing is sometimes unclear, such as in the sentence 'The major one is this can only happen and which it is happening in developed countries.' Improving the use of linking words and ensuring that each paragraph has a clear, unified focus would significantly enhance the coherence of your writing.

Lexical Resource — Band 5.0

The vocabulary used is generally basic and sometimes inaccurate. You rely on simple words and phrases, and there are several instances of incorrect word choice or collocation, such as 'comprise a tenure that spent', 'substandard countries', and 'come to an contemplate'. The phrase 'delusional' in the conclusion is also stylistically inappropriate for an academic essay. To reach a higher band, you need to demonstrate a wider range of vocabulary and use it with greater precision. Focus on learning collocations—words that naturally go together—and avoid using words that you are not entirely sure how to use in a formal context.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 5.0

There are frequent grammatical errors throughout the text that occasionally impede communication. Issues include subject-verb agreement ('Every university undergraduate courses are'), incorrect verb forms ('tenure that spent'), and sentence fragments ('Which will cost them with their studies, career'). The sentence structures are mostly simple, and attempts at complex sentences often result in errors. To improve, focus on mastering basic subject-verb agreement and ensuring that every sentence has a clear subject and a main verb. Proofreading for punctuation and sentence completeness will also help reduce the frequency of these errors.

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

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