Band 5.5 IELTS Writing Task 2 Model Answer
Overall Band Score: 5.5 · Cambridge IELTS 21 · 2026-09-12
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)
In this era, education saying a vital role in every person's life. It is often debated that the courses of undergraduate in all universities should include a time period where that student spent their time while studying abroad or by doing work. I strongly believe that the advantages of this would outweigh disadvantages.
On the one hand, if student get a chance to study abroad then they will have a experience of foreign study and their routine of study as well. If they face different environment then I think they will be benefited from this and it will help them in their future study process. For example, a student who is getting his education only from his local universities then if they move to any foreign university with a exchange program then their mind will be foster more with stronger ideas and mind. So, getting education with exchange program will be very advantages for students in any way.
On the other hand, students always take parts in education curriculum but they don't have much experience in the practical field. For this reason, it should be better to include this time period as important for the final degree. For example, if these students have experience of working in field of their respective degree, then it will be great help for them while their job hunting. For this instance, getting field experience should be needed while studying in the university.
In conclusion, getting experience of studying abroad and while working in the practical field will be a lot more helpful with positive impacts than that of negative.
AI examiner evaluation
| Criterion | Band |
|---|---|
| Task Achievement / Task Response | 5.5 |
| Coherence and Cohesion | 5.5 |
| Lexical Resource | 5.5 |
| Grammatical Range and Accuracy | 5.0 |
| Overall | 5.5 |
Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 5.5
The response addresses the prompt by discussing both studying abroad and work placements, clearly stating the author's position that the advantages outweigh the disadvantages. A position is maintained throughout the essay. However, the ideas lack deep extension and rely heavily on generalisations and repetition, particularly in the body paragraphs where points about gaining experience and job hunting are expressed rather simply. While all parts of the task are addressed, the level of development and support corresponds to the Band 6 descriptors, as some ideas are under-developed and lack specific, concrete examples beyond vague references to local and foreign universities.
Coherence and Cohesion — Band 5.5
The essay displays a coherent overall arrangement with clear introduction and conclusion paragraphs, and distinct body paragraphs for each main point. Cohesive devices such as 'On the one hand', 'On the other hand', and 'In conclusion' are employed to structure the text. However, referencing and cohesion are sometimes faulty or mechanical. For instance, phrases like 'if student get a chance' and awkward pronoun referencing ('then if they move... their mind will be foster more with stronger ideas') disrupt the logical flow. Paragraphing is used, but the progression within paragraphs feels somewhat repetitive, aligning well with the Band 6 descriptor for cohesion and logical organisation.
Lexical Resource — Band 5.5
The student uses an adequate range of vocabulary for the task, attempting some less common words and phrases such as 'undergraduate', 'exchange program', and 'practical field'. However, there are noticeable inaccuracies in word choice, collocation, and word form throughout the text. Examples include 'education saying a vital role' instead of 'playing', 'student spent their time' instead of 'students spend', and 'advantages' used as an adjective instead of 'advantageous'. Spelling and word-choice errors occur frequently, though they do not seriously impede communication, placing the response firmly at Band 5.5 for Lexical Resource.
Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 5.0
The writer attempts a mix of simple and complex sentence forms, utilising conditional structures such as 'if student get a chance to study abroad then they will have a experience'. However, grammatical control is weak, with frequent errors in subject-verb agreement ('if student get', 'student spent'), article usage ('a experience'), and passive/active voice forms ('will be foster more'). Complex structures often contain faults or awkward phrasing. Because errors are frequent and occasionally cause difficulty for the reader, yet basic communication is maintained, the performance fits the Band 5 criteria.
See this exact question answered at other band scores — the same prompt compared across bands.
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