Band 5.0 IELTS Writing Task 2 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 5.0 · Cambridge IELTS 21 · 2026-09-11

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)

Nowadays, many universities are encouraged the students to studying abroad and also spent time for work.

Although there are many advantages of abroad studies, students gain confidence and this confidence is helping to find jobs in abroad. The international students move to abroad for studies after inter and also after graduation. Some students are lazy and they cannot work in abroad and they cannot manage his expenses. Those students are not gained confident and not a searching of job for his easy life. Some of the students are missing his hometown and his families, those students are not move in abroad. Those students are thinking whole day of his families and friends and also missing his hometown. While in contrast some of students are studying were going abroad for studies but those students are also working in abroad and financial support of his families and those students are much more efforts for his strong background. In abroad the students more struggling for his career and many opportunities in abroad for students. The first three years are difficult for survival of students but after some period of time the students were easily settled in abroad and enjoying his lives.

While in other hand some disadvantages of going to abroad for studies, the students cannot pay easily his university fee because they are much higher in cost, the students are feel loneliness in abroad. Some of students are intense emotionally stress. Most of students are difficult adjustment in abroad. In contrast, the living costs and food can much more expensive in abroad.

Conclusion, the advantage are more than disadvantages for studying in abroad.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 5.5

The response addresses the prompt by discussing the advantages and disadvantages of studying abroad. However, the development of ideas is limited and often repetitive. For example, the discussion on 'lazy' students and 'missing hometown' lacks depth and does not directly relate to the broader academic requirement of work placements. The position is clear in the conclusion, but the arguments throughout the body paragraphs are somewhat disjointed and lack specific, well-supported examples. To improve, you should focus on developing a clear, logical argument for each point rather than listing general observations. The response covers the task requirements but lacks the depth of analysis expected for a higher band score.

Coherence and Cohesion — Band 5.0

The essay is organised into paragraphs, but the progression of ideas is often unclear. Cohesive devices are used, but they are frequently mechanical or misused, such as 'While in contrast some of students' and 'While in other hand'. Referencing is also problematic; for instance, the use of 'his' to refer to students in general is inconsistent and confusing. Paragraphing is present, but the internal structure of the paragraphs lacks logical flow, making it difficult for the reader to follow the argument. You need to use a wider range of linking words more naturally and ensure that your sentences connect logically to one another.

Lexical Resource — Band 5.0

The vocabulary is limited and repetitive, often relying on basic phrasing. There are frequent errors in word choice and collocation, such as 'not gained confident' instead of 'not gained confidence' and 'searching of job' instead of 'searching for a job'. The range of vocabulary is sufficient to convey the basic message, but it lacks the precision and flexibility required for higher bands. You should work on using more academic collocations and avoiding the repetitive use of simple words. Expanding your vocabulary related to education and employment would significantly improve your ability to express complex ideas clearly.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 5.0

The essay contains a high frequency of grammatical errors, including subject-verb agreement issues ('universities are encouraged the students'), incorrect verb tenses, and missing articles. Sentence structures are mostly simple, and attempts at complex sentences are often faulty, such as 'Those students are thinking whole day of his families and friends and also missing his hometown.' These errors are frequent and occasionally impede the reader's understanding. To improve, focus on mastering basic sentence construction, subject-verb agreement, and the correct use of pronouns. Reducing the number of errors is essential 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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