Band 5.5 IELTS Writing Task 2 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 5.5 · 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 5.5)

Some people believe studying abroad is a great opportunity for bachelor’s students and some other ones oppose the statement. I think there are a lot advantages as compared to disadvantages.

The main advantage is when students get this kind of prospect he explores the world like an international exposure which is really important to meet the world requirements like someone will get the opportunity to get a job or anything like that. Another benefit is they knows about the culture and traditions. For Example: A Pakistani student gets a chance to study 1 semester after half graduation in a Turkish university. When he will go there he knows about the food, Turkish tradition and history as well. He will make friends there, make relations and when he back in the country you will see a lot of positive changes. The student will make himself self-believer and confident person as he done all the stuff on his own which make him an independent person.

On the other hand there are bit of problem and the first one is the financial issue because its quite difficult for the students to pay the whole finances itself and if the university pay, it will obviously from the pocket of students in terms of fee because its too difficult for the institute to pay for all the ones. Other issue is the mental stress due to the difference in the course work, study level and different nature as well. These things make the scholar to think about these type of disadvantage before making a decision.

In conclusion, I think there pros and cons of foreign study in the mid of undergraduate level. However, the benefits outclass the cons and make students and independent, courageous person with the benefits of different kind of exposure and opportunities to make relations.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 5.5

The response addresses the prompt by discussing both advantages and disadvantages, and a clear position is maintained throughout. However, the development of ideas is somewhat limited. For instance, the argument regarding financial issues is a bit repetitive and lacks depth. The example provided about the Pakistani student is relevant but could be more effectively integrated to support the broader argument about academic or professional growth. To reach a higher band, you should aim to expand on your points with more sophisticated reasoning and ensure that the link between the 'study abroad' experience and the long-term benefits is more explicitly articulated.

Coherence and Cohesion — Band 5.5

The essay is organized into clear paragraphs, which helps the reader follow the argument. There is a logical progression from the introduction to the body paragraphs and the conclusion. However, the use of cohesive devices is sometimes mechanical or slightly awkward, such as 'some other ones oppose the statement' or 'these things make the scholar to think'. The referencing is occasionally unclear, particularly in the second paragraph where pronouns like 'he' are used repeatedly without a clear antecedent. Improving the variety and precision of your linking words would enhance the flow of your writing.

Lexical Resource — Band 5.5

The vocabulary is generally adequate for the task, allowing you to express your ideas clearly. You use some topic-specific terms like 'undergraduate', 'course work', and 'financial issue'. However, there are instances of imprecise word choice and collocation errors, such as 'make relations' instead of 'build relationships' or 'make himself self-believer' instead of 'become more self-reliant'. The range of vocabulary is somewhat limited, and there is a reliance on basic phrasing. To improve, try to incorporate more academic collocations and precise synonyms to convey your points with greater sophistication.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 5.5

The essay contains a mix of simple and complex sentence structures. While the meaning is generally clear, there are frequent grammatical errors, particularly with subject-verb agreement (e.g., 'they knows', 'he done all the stuff') and article usage. Some sentences are also structurally awkward, such as 'if the university pay, it will obviously from the pocket of students'. These errors do not typically impede communication, but they are noticeable. To achieve a higher score, focus on mastering basic subject-verb agreement and refining your use of complex sentence structures to ensure they are error-free.

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

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