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 encourage the students to study abroad and also spend time working.

Although there are many advantages of abroad studies, students gain confidence and this confidence is helping to find jobs abroad. The international students move abroad for studying after inter and also after graduation. Some students are lazy and they cannot work in abroad and they cannot manage their expenses. Those students do not gain confidence and do not search for job for his easy life. Some of the students are missing their hometown and his families, those students are not move abroad. Those students are thinking whole day of their families and friends and also missing their hometown. While in contrast some of students are studying were going abroad for studies but those students are also working abroad and financial support of their families and those students are much more efforts for their strong background. In abroad the students more struggling for their 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 abroad and enjoying their lives.

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

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

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 5.0

The response addresses the prompt by discussing the advantages and disadvantages of studying abroad or work placements. However, the development of ideas is limited and often repetitive. For instance, the discussion on 'confidence' and 'financial support' is mentioned multiple times without clear progression or depth. The position is stated in the conclusion, but the arguments lack the necessary supporting examples or logical expansion required for a higher band. The essay tends to over-generalize about students' experiences, such as the claim that 'some students are lazy,' which does not contribute to a balanced academic argument. To improve, you should focus on developing two or three distinct, well-supported points rather than listing several loosely connected observations.

Coherence and Cohesion — Band 5.0

The essay lacks a clear structure. While there is an attempt at paragraphing, the transitions between ideas are often abrupt or missing. For example, the shift from discussing the benefits of working abroad to the disadvantages is marked by 'While in other hand,' which is grammatically incorrect and does not effectively signal a contrast. The use of cohesive devices is mechanical and sometimes inaccurate, such as the repetitive use of 'those students' to start multiple sentences. The progression of ideas is not always logical, making it difficult for the reader to follow the argument. Improved use of linking words like 'furthermore,' 'consequently,' or 'nevertheless' would help create a smoother flow.

Lexical Resource — Band 5.0

The vocabulary is limited and often repetitive, relying on basic terms like 'students,' 'abroad,' and 'work.' There are several instances of awkward phrasing and incorrect collocations, such as 'intense emotionally stress' instead of 'intense emotional stress' and 'difficult adjustment abroad' instead of 'difficulty adjusting abroad.' The range of vocabulary is insufficient to express complex ideas precisely. To reach a higher band, you should aim to incorporate more academic vocabulary and synonyms to avoid repetition. For example, instead of repeating 'students,' you could use 'undergraduates,' 'learners,' or 'individuals pursuing higher education.'

Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 5.0

The essay contains frequent grammatical errors that occasionally impede communication. There are consistent issues with subject-verb agreement (e.g., 'the students were easily settled'), article usage (e.g., 'in abroad'), and sentence structure (e.g., 'Conclusion, the advantage are more than disadvantages'). The range of structures is limited, consisting mostly of simple sentences with some errors in complex constructions. Punctuation is also inconsistent, particularly in the conclusion and within sentences. To improve, focus on mastering basic sentence construction, specifically ensuring that verbs agree with their subjects and that prepositions are used correctly in phrases like 'studying abroad' rather than 'in abroad.'

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

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