Band 5.5 IELTS Writing Task 2 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 5.5 · Cambridge IELTS 21 · 2026-09-05

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 modules should include a timeframe for studying in foreign countries or offer an internship program. I strongly believe that the advantages of studying abroad definitely higher than disadvantages.

The main advantage when an every university bachelor programme allow their students with a student exchange fellowship or a specific internship in their field of study, which means that they would be receiving a overall career development along with boost their confidence in life when facing the real hardships and getting the hand on experience of their project. For instance, in Pakistan every university's last year undergrad has compulsory apply for internships in their required field or they can also opt for a student exchange programme that allow them to visit and study Canada, USA and China for a one semester and generate a report on their overall experience their. From my perspective, foreign exchange programme and internship both has many advantages, confidence boost, career development, hand on experience and know other country culture and learn their language is a beneficial sign.

These undergrad opportunities has their advantages but also provide disadvantages. The primary disadvantage is that, the student who got the offer to study abroad don't come back in many cases as they found the foreign country more developed from their country in regard of their third world country. Second, Internships programme in many universities are offered in last year of their study and most students are focused in research thesis and other subjects projects and skip the internship which is necessary of their course. However, I feel internships and studying in abroad has more benefits.

In conclusion, although studying in abroad and work experience in the university undergraduate courses has some disadvantages, I strongly feel that advantages are heavier because career wellbeing and confidence building are two crucial factors for a student and the student exchange programme in foreign countries and internships are one of them. The Government should provide internships to undergrad students in collaboration with universities.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 5.5

The response addresses the prompt by taking a clear position that the advantages outweigh the disadvantages. The ideas are relevant, such as career development and confidence building, and the counter-arguments regarding 'brain drain' and academic workload are noted. However, the development of these points is somewhat superficial. For instance, the discussion on why students do not return is brief and lacks depth. To reach a higher band, you should expand on your examples with more detailed analysis rather than just listing benefits. The position is consistent throughout, but the explanation of the 'why' behind your arguments needs more elaboration to fully satisfy the requirements of a Band 7.

Coherence and Cohesion — Band 5.5

The essay is organized into logical paragraphs, each with a clear focus. There is an attempt to use cohesive devices such as 'For instance', 'However', and 'In conclusion'. However, the flow between sentences is sometimes mechanical, and some transitions are awkward, such as 'These undergrad opportunities has their advantages but also provide disadvantages.' Additionally, there are issues with referencing; for example, the phrase 'are one of them' in the conclusion is unclear in its reference. Improving the variety of linking words and ensuring that pronouns clearly refer back to previous nouns would enhance the logical progression of your arguments.

Lexical Resource — Band 5.5

The vocabulary is generally adequate for the task, allowing you to convey your ideas clearly. You use some topic-specific terms like 'undergraduate modules', 'internship program', and 'student exchange fellowship'. However, there are several instances of imprecise word choice and collocation errors, such as 'definitely higher than disadvantages' (should be 'outweigh the disadvantages') and 'generate a report on their overall experience their' (should be 'there'). The range is sufficient to communicate, but the lack of precision and occasional errors in word formation prevent a higher score. Expanding your vocabulary to include more sophisticated collocations would be beneficial.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 5.5

The essay contains a mix of simple and complex sentence structures. While you attempt complex sentences, there are frequent grammatical errors that occasionally distract the reader. Common issues include subject-verb agreement ('These undergrad opportunities has', 'internship and studying... has'), missing articles ('in last year of their study'), and awkward phrasing ('the student who got the offer to study abroad don't come back'). While these errors do not completely impede communication, they are frequent enough to limit the score. To improve, focus on mastering basic subject-verb agreement and article usage before attempting more complex grammatical structures.

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

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