Band 5.5 IELTS Writing Task 2 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 5.5 · Cambridge IELTS 21 · 2026-09-01

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)

All higher educational institudes should include a time period for studying outside the country or doing a work placement in their undergraduate courses. In my opinion, this change is more advantageous and will help students to gain real world experience and to find more opportunities outside their courses.

Firstly, This small change will modify the structure of education system. This will give time to the students to learn new skills and gain knowledge by doing real world projects. In today's world, where we often see rapid growth in advacements of technology, this practice has become a must for students. For example, in Pakistan, the Higher Education Commision has made it compulsory for BS students to do atleast 1 internship in summer vacations.

If the students are given opportunities to study abroad, like in exchange programs, this will help them to work and learn under highly qualified teachers and open other gates of opportunities. Gaining professional experience and learn new concepts will definitely help the pupils to secure a better job. For instance, most companies take in their interns as a full time employees because they adapt themselves better to the enviroment and the nature of the work. Lastly, there are some disadvantages as well. Students may get distracted and start prioritizing job over education. Ultimately, some of them quit their studies to earn money.

In conclusion, I agree that including this time period will benefit the students and has fewer disadvantages. This will change their lives and help them to grow in their desired fields.

AI examiner evaluation

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 internships and exchange programs. However, the development of these ideas is somewhat limited. While you mention that students might get distracted, this point is not fully explored or balanced against the main argument. To reach a higher band, ensure that each point is supported with more detailed explanation or extended examples. The structure is logical, but the depth of analysis could be improved to fully satisfy the requirements of a Band 7 or higher.

Coherence and Cohesion — Band 5.5

The essay is organized into clear paragraphs, which helps the reader follow your argument. You use some cohesive devices, such as 'Firstly', 'For example', and 'In conclusion', to link ideas. However, the use of these devices is sometimes mechanical or repetitive. The transition between the advantages and the disadvantages in the third paragraph is a bit abrupt. To improve, try to use a wider variety of linking words and ensure that the progression of ideas within paragraphs is smoother. Referencing is generally clear, but the flow between sentences could be more sophisticated.

Lexical Resource — Band 5.5

You demonstrate an adequate range of vocabulary for the task, using terms like 'compulsory', 'professional experience', and 'advancements'. However, there are some inaccuracies in word choice and collocation, such as 'institudes' (spelling error: institutes) and 'advacements' (spelling error: advancements). Additionally, phrases like 'open other gates of opportunities' are slightly unnatural. To achieve a higher score, focus on using more precise academic vocabulary and ensure correct spelling and collocation. While your vocabulary is sufficient to convey your meaning, it lacks the flexibility and precision required for higher bands.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 5.5

The essay uses a mix of simple and complex sentence structures. While the meaning is generally clear, there are several grammatical errors, such as 'atleast' (should be two words: at least), 'a time period' (unnecessary article), and 'take in their interns as a full time employees' (incorrect article usage). There are also minor punctuation and capitalization issues, such as 'Firstly, This'. To improve, focus on subject-verb agreement and article usage. While these errors do not impede communication, they occur frequently enough to prevent a higher score. Increasing the variety of complex structures while maintaining accuracy will help boost your grade.

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

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