Band 5.5 IELTS Writing Task 2 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 5.5 · Cambridge IELTS 21 · 2026-09-29

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)

University education provides valuable life skills. All university students should spend some time studying in another country or gaining work experience. Some might consider this a negative development, but I strongly believe that it is beneficial because it can produce more creativity, provide hands-on experience, and make students independent.

There are many benefits associated with this topic. Firstly, spending time abroad can help students become more creative and learn about other cultures because they can experience different environments. As a result, students can develop critical thinking skills. For example, a student who works before completing university can easily complete a final-year project because they have experience in a practical environment. Hence, this can make students more creative and practical.

Secondly, studying abroad and working can make students more independent. Students who live in another country have to manage their daily lives by themselves and deal with different problems. As a result, they can develop problem-solving skills. For instance, students can improve their language skills by talking to people from other countries. Therefore, this is another significant advantage of studying abroad and gaining work experience.

Finally, studying abroad and working can increase students' job opportunities because they already have relevant work experience. They may also communicate better with others because they have worked in an international environment. For example, a student who completes an internship in an international company may have useful experience when applying for a job after graduation.

To sum up, although this topic might have some drawbacks, I believe that the benefits it brings, such as creative thinking, problem-solving skills, and better job opportunities, make it a positive development overall.

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 studying abroad or doing a work placement during undergraduate courses, ultimately taking a clear position that the benefits outweigh the drawbacks. The main ideas—such as fostering creativity, gaining practical experience, and developing independence—are introduced and supported with reasons. However, some ideas are slightly under-developed or repetitive. For instance, the transition between creativity and practical work experience in the second paragraph feels somewhat blurred, and the examples provided tend to be generalized rather than fully extended. Despite these minor limitations in depth, the writer successfully covers the prompt and maintains a consistent, coherent stance throughout, aligning well with the Band 6.5 or solid Band 6 descriptors. A band score of 6.0 is awarded because the ideas are relevant, though certain points could have been pushed further to reach a higher level of development.

Coherence and Cohesion: Band 5.5

The essay displays a coherent overall arrangement with a clear introduction, distinct body paragraphs, and a concise concluding summary. Paragraphing is used appropriately to separate distinct points, such as independence, creativity, and job opportunities. Cohesive devices are employed to guide the reader through the text, using transition words like 'Firstly', 'Secondly', and 'As a result'. However, the referencing and connection between sentences occasionally feel a bit mechanical or repetitive. For example, 'As a result' and 'For example' are relied upon frequently to link ideas. While the logical progression is generally easy to follow, the overuse of formulaic transitional phrases prevents the essay from achieving a more fluid and flexible level of cohesion. Consequently, the organization satisfies the criteria for Band 6.0, presenting a clear overall structure despite minor mechanical limitations in cohesive linking.

Lexical Resource: Band 5.5

The student demonstrates an adequate range of vocabulary for the task, successfully using terms related to education and employment such as 'undergraduate courses', 'practical environment', 'problem-solving skills', and 'internship'. There are attempts to use less common lexical items, though some word choices and collocations lack precision. For instance, writing 'produce more creativity' is slightly unnatural compared to 'enhance creativity' or 'foster innovation'. Spelling and word formation are generally accurate, and vocabulary errors do not impede communication at any point. The lexical range is sufficient to convey the student's message clearly, even though it lacks the flexibility and stylistic sophistication required for a higher band. This performance corresponds well to a Band 6.0, as the vocabulary used is adequate and minimally functional for academic writing.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 5.5

The essay features a mix of simple and complex sentence forms, demonstrating a reasonable attempt at subordination and relative clauses, such as 'Students who live in another country have to manage their daily lives...' and 'a student who completes an internship...'. There are several error-free sentences, and grammar and punctuation are generally under good control. While minor errors or slightly awkward phrasing appear occasionally, they rarely impede communication. The grammatical structures used are adequate for conveying the intended meaning, although the range of complex structures remains somewhat limited and repetitive in pattern. The overall control of grammar aligns closely with the descriptors for Band 6.0, reflecting a reliable command of basic and moderately complex sentence structures alongside some persistent, non-impeding inaccuracies.

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

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