Band 5.5 IELTS Writing Task 2 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 5.5 · Cambridge IELTS 21 · 2026-09-24

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 today's increasingly competitive world, gaining international experience has become an important part of university education. Although requiring undergraduates to study a particular part abroad or doing work placement may present certain challenges for instance, financial burden and it might not be suitable to every student. However, i believe the benefits of such opportunities outweigh the disadvantages.

International exposure without any doubt has a great potential for students to enhance their skills and learn beyond the boaders. Furthermore, this is particularly beneficial for professions that require, versatility, adaptability and a unique perspective. Global exposure allows students to experience different cultures, work environments, and open mindness, which can help students broader their vision and become more flexible.

Despite these advantages, this approach may also present several challenges. One significant drawback of this proposal is financial burden, making this requirement compulsory may burdenise students financially and not every student would be able to bare the cost of international studies. Additionally, this proposal might not be suitable for every student, travelling far from home may disturb student's personal lives, as they could have family responsibilties, or health concerns. they might not be able to fly or living alone for certain months. Following that, it could be very difficult to manage the travel and living arrangements involved, and it could also intrupt their studies if the placement doesn't directly match their degree.

In conclusion, although requiring students to study or work for a certain period in abroad may create financial and practical challenges, i believe that the benefits of international exposure, practical experience, and personal development make it valuable part of higher education.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response: Band 6.0

The response addresses all parts of the task by discussing both the advantages and disadvantages of making study abroad or work placements compulsory, leading to a clear overall position that the benefits outweigh the drawbacks. Ideas are generally relevant, such as financial burdens and personal responsibilities versus international exposure and skill enhancement. However, some arguments tend to be slightly over-generalised or under-developed, such as the brief mentions of health concerns or family responsibilities without further elaboration. Despite these minor limitations, the main stance is sustained throughout the essay, meeting the requirements for a Band 6.5 or 7.0. Given the solid coverage and balanced viewpoint, a score of 6.5 is appropriate.

Coherence and Cohesion: Band 5.5

The essay displays a coherent overall arrangement with a logical progression of ideas. It is divided into an introduction, two body paragraphs tackling advantages and disadvantages respectively, and a conclusion. Cohesive devices are used to connect ideas, such as 'Although', 'Furthermore', and 'Despite these advantages'. However, referencing and transitions are sometimes a bit mechanical or faulty, as seen in run-on sentences and comma splices like 'financial burden and it might not be suitable to every student. However, i believe'. Paragraphing is present and appropriate, but paragraph internal cohesion could be smoother. These issues align well with the Band 6 descriptors for Coherence and Cohesion.

Lexical Resource: Band 5.5

The student uses an adequate range of vocabulary for the task, successfully attempting less common items such as 'international exposure', 'versatility', 'adaptability', and 'financial burden'. However, there are noticeable spelling and word choice errors, such as 'boaders' instead of 'borders', 'open mindness' instead of 'open-mindedness', 'broader' instead of 'broaden', 'burdenise' instead of 'burden', 'bare' instead of 'bear', and 'intrupt' instead of 'interrupt'. Additionally, the pronoun 'i' is uncapitalised. These lexical errors and awkward word formations occasionally impede precision, placing this response firmly in the Band 6 category.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 5.5

The essay incorporates a mix of simple and complex sentence forms, demonstrating some attempt at variety with subordinate clauses introduced by 'Although', 'whereas', and 'if'. Nevertheless, there are frequent grammatical errors and punctuation issues, notably comma splices and fragment sentences (e.g., 'For instance, financial burden and it might not be suitable to every student.', 'they might not be able to fly or living alone for certain months.'). Subject-verb agreement and prepositional usage also show occasional lapses, such as 'period in abroad'. While communication is not severely obscured, the density of grammatical errors prevents the response from achieving a Band 6.5, making Band 6.0 the most accurate descriptor.

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

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