Band 5.0 IELTS Writing Task 2 Model Answer
Overall Band Score: 5.0 · 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 5.0)
All university undergraduate courses should provide students time to spend studying abroad or doing a work employment.
In my view, the advantages of this trend far outweigh the disadvantages.
On the one hand, it is clear that there are several advantages first is students can gain experience through studying abroad. They may learn how to be independent and face difficulties by themselves. For example, most people do part jobs to pay their school tuition . It can be financial burden for international students. In addtion, doing a work placement gives students oppurtunity to experience a real job. So that they can get knowledge and skills before they internship in companies.
On the other hand, there are significant drawbacks that must be considered. Students may feel solitude during their studying or woking abroad and may be get homesick. This is because international students may struggle with language, different workplace culture. For instance, cannot get along with their collegues can bring social pressure and stress. As a result, they may lose their confidence and social life.
In conclusion, while there are arguments for both sides, i believe that giving students chance to experience studying abroad and doing a work placement can be beneficial. It helps them grow personaly and help them see things differently.
AI examiner evaluation
| Criterion | Band |
|---|---|
| Task Achievement / Task Response | 5.0 |
| Coherence and Cohesion | 5.5 |
| Lexical Resource | 5.0 |
| Grammatical Range and Accuracy | 5.0 |
| Overall | 5.0 |
Task Achievement / Task Response: Band 5.0
The student addresses all parts of the task by discussing both the advantages and disadvantages of including study abroad or work placements in undergraduate courses, ultimately taking a clear position that the advantages outweigh the disadvantages. However, the response is significantly under length, containing only 212 words against the mandatory 250-word minimum specified in the instructions. This under-length issue prevents the ideas from being fully developed or extended, as seen in the body paragraphs where points are introduced but lack sufficient depth and elaboration. For instance, the discussion on homesickness and workplace culture is abruptly concluded without deeper exploration. Consequently, this criterion is capped at Band 5.0 due to limited and under-developed ideas resulting from the word count penalty.
Coherence and Cohesion: Band 5.5
The essay is divided into four paragraphs, showing a clear overall structure with an introduction, two body paragraphs representing opposing views, and a conclusion. Transitional phrases such as 'On the one hand' and 'On the other hand' are used to signal the progression of ideas. However, the cohesion feels somewhat mechanical and repetitive. There are issues with referencing and logical flow within the paragraphs; for example, the transition from part-time jobs to the financial burden of international students in the first body paragraph lacks clear logical connection to the main topic of study abroad benefits. Paragraphing is present, but internal cohesion requires better linking devices and smoother transitions to achieve a higher band score. Therefore, a Band 6.0 is appropriate here.
Lexical Resource: Band 5.0
The student demonstrates an adequate vocabulary for the task, successfully using terms such as 'undergraduate courses', 'independent', and 'financial burden'. However, there are noticeable spelling and word choice errors, such as 'employment' instead of 'placement', 'addtion' instead of 'addition', 'oppurtunity' instead of 'opportunity', 'solitude' instead of 'isolation', 'woking' instead of 'working', 'collegues' instead of 'colleagues', and 'personaly' instead of 'personally'. Furthermore, the student attempts some less common vocabulary, but inaccurate collocations and lexical slips prevent the score from reaching higher bands. The range is minimally adequate to convey the core message, making Band 5.5 a fair assessment for lexical resource.
Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 5.0
The response displays a mix of simple and complex sentence structures, such as 'In my view, the advantages of this trend far outweigh the disadvantages' and 'Students may feel solitude during their studying or woking abroad and may be get homesick.' There are several grammatical errors and awkward constructions throughout the text, including 'provide students time to spend' and 'may be get homesick'. Punctuation errors are also present, such as the lowercase 'i' in the conclusion. While the errors do not severely impede communication, they occur frequently enough to prevent the grammar from reaching Band 6.0, where error-free sentences should be more dominant.
See this exact question answered at other band scores. The same prompt compared across bands.
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