Band 5.0 IELTS Writing Task 2 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 5.0 · 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 5.0)

Exchange semester to study abroad or doing a work placement in undergraduate courses in all universities is important.

Studying abroad in the undergraduate course can help the students in the personality development and also to decide better choices for the better future. Students who get this opportunity to study abroad in the exchange semester will have wider mind set about what to do. They get a chance to Experience new things like how to research work.

Doing a work placement in the undergraduate courses is also important because the students can get a chance to experience on the field work which can help them in their courses in the future because they have already worked in that placement before. It is very important for every student to do work placement in their undergraduate courses.

In my perspective these approaches are very grate for the students. It can help them to build their future better also they can develop confidence and broader mindset.

For example: Students who are enrolled in the Psychology and to complete their undergraduate degree they have to complete one course in the summers in the work placement with the psychologists in the clinics and also they work directly with the patients of the mental problems can help them in various ways. The students gets the clear understanding to what they have learnt in the classrooms now they can apply all those study and techniques on the patients. This will be very helpful for the students Due to all these factors.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 5.0

The response addresses the prompt by discussing the benefits of study abroad and work placements. However, the development is limited. While you mention that these approaches are 'grate' (great), you do not explicitly weigh the advantages against potential disadvantages, which is a requirement of the prompt ('Do you think the advantages... outweigh the disadvantages?'). The ideas are presented in a somewhat repetitive manner, and the conclusion lacks a clear summary of your position regarding the 'outweigh' aspect. To improve, ensure you acknowledge potential drawbacks—such as financial costs or academic disruption—to provide a more balanced and comprehensive argument that directly answers the specific question asked.

Coherence and Cohesion — Band 5.5

The essay is organized into paragraphs, but the logical progression is weak. Transitions between ideas are often missing or mechanical, such as the repetitive use of 'is also important' and 'it is very important'. The connection between the general argument and the specific example of psychology students is somewhat abrupt. While there is a basic structure, the lack of cohesive devices makes the flow feel disjointed. To improve, use a wider variety of linking words (e.g., 'furthermore', 'consequently', 'on the other hand') to connect your sentences and paragraphs more fluidly, ensuring that each point leads naturally into the next.

Lexical Resource — Band 5.0

The vocabulary is generally basic and repetitive. Phrases like 'better choices for the better future' and 'build their future better' show a limited range. There are also errors in word choice and spelling, such as 'grate' instead of 'great' and 'wider mind set' instead of 'broader mindset'. The use of 'mental problems' is imprecise; 'psychological disorders' or 'mental health issues' would be more appropriate in an academic context. To reach a higher band, you should aim to use more precise, academic vocabulary and avoid repeating the same simple adjectives and verbs throughout the text.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 5.0

The essay relies heavily on simple sentence structures. There are frequent grammatical errors, such as 'Exchange semester to study abroad or doing a work placement... is important' (subject-verb agreement/article usage) and 'The students gets the clear understanding' (subject-verb agreement). Punctuation is also inconsistent, particularly with the use of colons and capitalization. While the meaning is generally clear, the lack of complex sentence structures and the presence of persistent errors in basic grammar limit the score. Focus on mastering subject-verb agreement and incorporating a wider variety of complex sentence forms, such as relative clauses and conditional structures.

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

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