Band 5.0 IELTS Writing Task 2 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 5.0 · Cambridge IELTS 21 · 2026-09-18

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)

The undergraduate courses in all the universities should provide oppourtunities for students to study aboard or doing a work placement. It is highly benefical for the students to explore new options that pave way to their bright future.

A major advantage of this facility is that students get board explosure in the job market. Moreover they get an awareness regarding the dreadful competition happening in each of the field. In addition such a time provide them a chance to research and find out various field which they can be diligent and acquire knowledge. On top of that collaboration with diverse proffessionals also benefits their future. A best example is that a study conducted

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 4.0

The response falls significantly short of the required 250-word minimum, containing only 113 words and cutting off mid-sentence ("A best example is that a study conducted"). Because of this severe under-length, the ideas presented cannot be fully developed or extended as required for higher bands. While the writer attempts to introduce a position regarding the advantages of studying abroad and doing work placements, the overall task is only partially addressed due to the incomplete nature of the response. Furthermore, the disadvantages mentioned in the prompt are not addressed. This warrants a band score of 4.0 under the task achievement criteria.

Coherence and Cohesion — Band 5.0

The text demonstrates some basic organizational structure, opening with a clear introduction of the topic and attempting to link subsequent points using cohesive devices such as "Moreover", "In addition", and "On top of that". However, because the essay is severely truncated and cuts off abruptly, overall progression is disrupted. Paragraphing is also affected, as the response collapses into a single undeveloped body block following the introductory sentences. Referencing is generally clear, but the lack of completion prevents a sustained logical flow, leading to a band score of 5.0.

Lexical Resource — Band 5.0

The student uses a limited but minimally adequate range of vocabulary suitable for discussing university education and employment, such as "undergraduate courses", "opportunities", and "job market". However, there are notable spelling errors ("oppourtunities" instead of opportunities, "aboard" instead of abroad, "benefical" instead of beneficial, "proffessionals" instead of professionals) and awkward word choices ("board explosure" instead of broad exposure). These errors are noticeable and detract from the quality of the writing, though they do not completely impede overall understanding. This performance aligns with a band score of 5.0.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 5.0

The writer attempts a mix of simple and complex sentence forms, such as in the opening statement "The undergraduate courses in all the universities should provide oppourtunities for students to study aboard or doing a work placement." There are several grammatical inaccuracies, including missing articles ("in each of the field"), incorrect prepositions or gerund use ("to study aboard or doing"), and subject-verb agreement issues ("such a time provide"). Because the text is very short, the range of structures remains limited, and frequent errors persist, resulting in a band score of 5.0.

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

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