Band 5.5 IELTS Writing Task 2 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 5.5 · Cambridge IELTS 21 · 2026-09-20

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)

Undergraduate courses at every university must contribute a definite time span towards studying abroad or investing time at a work placement. This critera may or may not be accepted at universities worldwide due to many factors following the same.

As you may know, there are ennumerous types of courses which universities offer as well as these courses have their differential requirements which would definitely not be the same for all. Some courses may require prior experience while for some of them coursework would carry importance at a greater extent. For instance, studying abroad or gaining experience is not possible or even needed for a Diploma in Education as it stretches across 3 years covering all necessary modules. Moving abroad to study or gaining experience would mean skipping over these modules which would turn out to loads of knowledge being cut down. Moreover, moving abroad might not be the best option for students coming from financially weaker families or backgrounds.

Now, looking at the brighter side, courses such as Bachelors in Technology as well as Bachelors in Finance Management would particularly appreciate prior experience and students holding a study abroad certificate would be joining at their desired companies sooner than expected. Moving abroad to study won't just give exposure. It comes along with the experience of living independently, managing finance, household chores and many such valueable life lessons. Next, if only universities could sponser the students coming from financially weaker sections, it would solve the question regarding money of theirs and give them abundant chances to grow both financially and mentally.

In my opinion, balancing the 3 or 4 year undergraduate course by including both curriculam and work placement or study abroad, is promising and more career widening. Every student who is deprived of these opportunites would be provided . I agree that the advantages outweigh the disadvantages due to it's promise towards brighter future of the planet.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 5.5

The response addresses all parts of the task by discussing both the advantages and disadvantages of mandating study abroad or work placements for university undergraduates. The candidate takes a clear position in the introduction and reiterates it in the conclusion, arguing that the advantages outweigh the disadvantages. Ideas are extended and supported, such as mentioning specific courses like a Diploma in Education where studying abroad is impractical, as well as fields like Technology and Finance where placements are beneficial. However, some arguments tend to over-generalize or lack deeper development, placing the response firmly at Band 6.0.

Coherence and Cohesion — Band 5.5

The essay presents a coherent overall arrangement with a clear introduction, body paragraphs addressing opposing views, and a conclusion. Paragraphing is used appropriately to separate different facets of the argument. However, cohesion is sometimes faulty or mechanical, with transitional phrases like 'Now, looking at the brighter side' and 'Next' feeling somewhat conversational or abrupt. Referencing is also occasionally unclear, such as the pronoun use in 'due to many factors following the same.' These issues prevent the essay from achieving a higher band, making Band 6.0 an appropriate score.

Lexical Resource — Band 5.5

The student uses an adequate range of vocabulary for the task, attempting less common lexical items such as 'financial background', 'independent', and 'career widening'. However, there are noticeable spelling and word choice errors throughout the text, including 'ennumerous', 'critera', 'valueable', 'curriculam', and 'it's' instead of 'its'. While these errors do not severely impede communication, they reflect instability in less common vocabulary and spelling control, justifying a score of 6.0.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 5.0

The writer employs a mix of simple and complex sentence forms, demonstrating some ambition with structures like 'Some courses may require prior experience while for some of them coursework would carry importance at a greater extent.' However, there are frequent grammatical errors and awkward phrasing, such as 'must contribute a definite time span', 'knowledge being cut down', and 'solve the question regarding money of theirs'. Punctuation errors also occur, such as a stray full stop in the final paragraph ('provided . I agree'). These errors occasionally cause the reader some difficulty, aligning with the Band 5.0 descriptors.

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

Browse more IELTS Writing model answers or get your own writing scored by the same AI examiner.