Band 5.5 IELTS Writing Task 2 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 5.5 · Cambridge IELTS 21 · 2026-08-28

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)

In recent years, with the increasing competition in job market, it has become important to have exposure of international studies or work placement during undergraduate studies. I firmly believe that it advantages outweigh disadvantages because work placement provide us with experience required to secure a job in future and study abroad exposure provide a path to go abroad for higher studies and exposure to the international academics.

One significant advantage of doing internship at relevant workplace during undergraduate studies is that it equips students with necessary skills required to secure a job in future. Students get proficient in the work and get familiarity of the work environment. For instance, jobs in fields that require practical experience like lab technologists or architectural engineers should have a practical experience of the work before they can start full time work. otherwise there are chances that they may make mistakes without having prior experience. Additionally, semester exchange at some international university gives students an exposure of international study environment that helps students significantly who want to go abroad for higher studies.

Despite having considerable advantages, there are numerous disadvantages as well. These placement courses may distract students from their studies and that can eventually lead to poor semester results. Undergraduate studies require full attention of the students, some students cannot concentrate on studies while havi

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 5.0

The response addresses the prompt by taking a clear position, but it is significantly under-length at 221 words. This failure to meet the minimum word count requirement negatively impacts the development of ideas. While the main arguments regarding skill acquisition and international exposure are relevant, the essay ends abruptly mid-sentence, leaving the discussion of disadvantages incomplete. To improve, you must ensure you fully develop your points and provide a complete conclusion. The lack of a finished argument prevents a higher score, as the task is not fully addressed.

Coherence and Cohesion — Band 5.5

The essay shows a basic logical structure with an introduction, body paragraphs, and a clear position. However, the abrupt ending disrupts the overall flow. Cohesive devices are used, such as 'One significant advantage' and 'Additionally,' but the range is somewhat limited. Paragraphing is present, but the final paragraph is incomplete, which hinders the overall coherence of the argument. To improve, ensure that each paragraph is fully developed and that you include a concluding summary to tie your ideas together logically.

Lexical Resource — Band 5.5

The vocabulary is generally adequate for the task, allowing the reader to follow your ideas. You use some topic-specific terms like 'work placement,' 'international academics,' and 'practical experience.' However, there is some repetition, such as the frequent use of 'exposure' and 'studies.' To reach a higher band, try to incorporate more precise synonyms and collocations. For example, instead of 'get familiarity of,' use 'gain familiarity with.' Expanding your range of academic vocabulary will help you express your ideas with more precision and sophistication.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 5.5

The essay contains a mix of simple and complex sentence structures. There are several grammatical errors, such as 'it advantages outweigh' (should be 'its advantages'), 'work placement provide' (subject-verb agreement error), and 'study abroad exposure provide' (should be 'provides'). Additionally, there are minor punctuation and phrasing issues throughout. While these errors do not completely impede communication, they occur frequently enough to limit the score. Focusing on subject-verb agreement and proofreading for small errors will significantly improve your accuracy.

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

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