Band 5.5 IELTS Writing Task 2 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 5.5 · Cambridge IELTS 21 · 2026-09-03

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 university undergraduate programs should contain a dedicated time duration to study abroad or become an internee. In my opinion the advantages are definitely unarguable but their are certain reservations as well.

Studying abroad even for a limited period of time gives remarkable advantages to undergraduate students. Such as, they get to introduce with different culture and environment. They learn advanced skills in their subject. In modern countries educational institutes allocate huge budget for education and have well developed structures and equipment's. Where students learn the real life application in their fields. Although every student can't make it to the foreign universities therefore work placement is a better alternative where students get to familiar with work cultures. They deal with onboard problems and try to find solutions. This experience give them motivation and confidence to excel in their fields.

However, moving abroad brings cultural shock and loneliness for some students and at times pupils can't handle this stress and breakdown. It also involves a significant cost which most of the families can't afford. In some countries government awards scholarships to high achievers which is commendable but in developing countries this facility is not available. Therefore, students lose this opportunity and struggle in practical life when they start working after graduation.

In conclusion, the experience of studying abroad for a certain period of time or work placement gives pupil knowledge and confidence to fit in the real world smoothly and thrive for a bright future. Rather then the students who directly enter the fields without prior experience and face tough circumstances and take time to settle in and thrive.

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, covering cultural exposure, skill development, and work experience. However, the development of these points is somewhat limited. For example, the discussion on 'cultural shock' and 'cost' is brief and could have been expanded with more specific examples or deeper analysis to reach a higher band. The conclusion is a bit repetitive and lacks a strong summary of the main arguments. Overall, the response is well-focused, but the depth of argumentation is consistent with a Band 6.0 level.

Coherence and Cohesion — Band 5.5

The essay is logically organized into four paragraphs, with a clear introduction, body paragraphs, and conclusion. Cohesive devices are used, such as 'However', 'Therefore', and 'In conclusion', though some transitions feel a bit mechanical or slightly misused, such as starting a sentence with 'Such as' or 'Rather then'. Paragraphing is appropriate, and there is a clear progression of ideas from the benefits to the drawbacks. Referencing is generally clear, though some sentence structures make the flow slightly choppy. The overall arrangement is coherent, fitting the Band 6.0 criteria.

Lexical Resource — Band 5.5

The vocabulary is adequate for the task, allowing the writer to express their ideas clearly. There are some attempts at less common vocabulary, such as 'commendable' and 'thrive', but there are also noticeable errors in word choice and collocation, such as 'become an internee' (instead of 'undertake an internship'), 'introduce with different culture' (instead of 'be introduced to different cultures'), and 'equipment's' (incorrect pluralization). These errors do not impede communication, but they limit the score. To improve, the student should focus on more precise collocations and accurate word forms.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 5.5

The student uses a mix of simple and complex sentence structures. While the meaning is generally clear, there are frequent grammatical errors, including subject-verb agreement issues ('this experience give them'), incorrect preposition usage, and punctuation errors (e.g., 'their' instead of 'there'). The sentence 'Rather then the students who directly enter...' is a fragment and lacks a main verb. While complex structures are attempted, they are often faulty. The frequency of these errors suggests a Band 5.5 or 6.0 level; however, as the errors rarely impede communication, a 6.0 is awarded.

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