Band 5.5 IELTS Writing Task 2 Model Answer

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

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)

Nowadays, some people believe that: the undergraduate students of the university, should go to other countries for some span of time during there studies and they also do some internships in the market to gain industry experience. I agree with their point of view, and i think this change have more advantages as compared to disadvantages.

Firstly, the students of started their graduation have the opportunity to study some of their semesters study aboard in different countries. This initiative gives them and other students more confident and huge motivation to study hard and achieve their goals and aims. For example, some countries in Europe provided this facility to their students to complete their graduation in various parts of the Europe and it also fascinates and encourage the students to learn more knowledge of their field, while exploring different countries culture and traditions. Moreover, it polishes more students communication and problem solving skills.

On the other hand, the significant number of individuals believe that: working in industry is also crucial for the students. For example, the university ongoing students when work in market they gain both technical and academic knowledge and they have stronger knacks which is needed for the better job in the future. In addition, in Japan it's compulsory to do a internship during your university career, as they make students familiar with market trends.

In contrast, it has also some disadvantages, it wastes most of the precious time of the students to work in the industry and not get any money in return, also some students lose their interest in their fields.

In conclusion, according to my perspective, it's beneficial for the students to work in the industry during their studies and to study aboard for some span of time, as it make more opportunity for the student and help them in their higher studies and also in job's point of view. However, they have also some negative consequences, but the advantages outweigh the disadvantages.

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 of studying abroad and work placements outweigh the disadvantages. The ideas are relevant, such as the mention of cultural exposure and industry experience. However, the development of these ideas is somewhat limited. For instance, the discussion of disadvantages is brief and lacks depth, and the connection between the examples (like the mention of Japan) and the overall argument could be more explicitly linked to the benefits. To reach a higher band, ensure that each point is fully extended with more detailed reasoning or illustrative evidence.

Coherence and Cohesion — Band 5.5

The essay is organized into logical paragraphs, each with a clear focus. Cohesive devices are used, such as 'Firstly', 'Moreover', 'On the other hand', and 'In conclusion', which help guide the reader through the argument. However, some transitions feel mechanical, and the referencing is occasionally unclear, such as the phrase 'it has also some disadvantages' which lacks a clear antecedent. The flow between sentences is generally functional, but the progression of ideas could be smoother. Improving the variety of linking words and ensuring that pronouns clearly refer back to their intended subjects would enhance the overall coherence.

Lexical Resource — Band 5.5

The vocabulary used is adequate for the task, allowing the student to convey their meaning clearly. There are attempts to use topic-specific vocabulary like 'internships', 'industry experience', and 'market trends'. However, there are several instances of awkward word choice and collocation errors, such as 'huge motivation', 'knacks', and 'job's point of view'. The range is somewhat limited, and the student relies on basic phrasing at times. To improve, the student should focus on learning more precise collocations and academic vocabulary to express complex ideas with greater accuracy and 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., 'this change have', 'it make more opportunity'), article usage, and punctuation (e.g., unnecessary colons). The use of 'there' instead of 'their' is a recurring error. While these errors do not significantly impede communication, they are frequent enough to prevent a higher score. To improve, the student should focus on proofreading for basic grammatical accuracy, specifically checking verb forms and possessive pronouns.

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

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