Band 5.5 IELTS Writing Task 2 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 5.5 · Cambridge IELTS 21 · 2026-10-01

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)

Studying in Pakistan has made me question the education system quite often , I often found myself questioning my teachers the purpose of the subjects being taught or why do all these psychological theories barely make any sense of how will I be using them in real life setting? I was always eager to learn and always complained how we never get any chances of getting the onfield experience and exposure via our university.I think getting a hands on experience not only teaches you the course work but also the real essence of life- how to interact with people and really making a difference . It builds confidence , boosts self-esteem and teaches something that books fail to do so. When my university years passed I came across the semester exchange program and I was keen to apply for it but I wasn't eligible for being a last year student . Although I think such opportunities can be life changing as they give you all the exposure you can never experience while living in Pakistan. You meet new people from all around the world and you get to know about their culture . Apart from studying, you get to see the world that you have been imagining and seeing behind the screen. Building connections and forming relationships is the most interesting part of studying abroad. Some people learn to be independent - financially and emotionally while living away from their family. I read it somewhere that unless you step out of your comfortzone , you can not achieve something meaningfull in life. Studying abroad opens many doors and opportunities if you are eager and smart enough to grab them.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response: Band 5.0

The response addresses the task only partially. While the student touches upon the general theme of studying abroad and gaining practical experience, the prompt asks whether the advantages of including these elements in all undergraduate courses outweigh the disadvantages, a core comparative aspect that is largely neglected. Instead of presenting a clear, balanced argument regarding the trade-offs, the text relies heavily on personal anecdotes set in Pakistan and subjective assertions about how studying abroad changes lives. Ideas remain limited and under-developed, particularly because the discussion drifts into a narrative about a semester exchange program rather than evaluating the broader requirement for all students. To move forward, the writer needs to directly address both sides of the question and maintain a clear, sustained position throughout the essay.

Coherence and Cohesion: Band 5.0

The text displays some organisation, but it suffers from a lack of clear overall progression. The writing is presented as a single, dense block of text rather than being divided into logical paragraphs that separate the introduction, body arguments, and conclusion. Cohesive devices are minimal or inadequate, and referencing is occasionally unclear, such as shifting abruptly from local university frustrations to study abroad programs without a smooth transitional signpost. To improve Coherence and Cohesion, the writer must use standard paragraphing to structure ideas clearly and employ a wider range of cohesive ties to guide the reader logically through the comparative arguments.

Lexical Resource: Band 5.5

The vocabulary used is limited but minimally adequate to convey basic personal reflections, featuring items such as 'exposure', 'confidence', 'comfort zone', and 'independent'. However, there are noticeable lexical errors and awkward collocations that impact precision, such as 'onfield experience', 'making a difference', and spelling errors like 'meaningfull'. Attempts to use less common vocabulary are constrained by repetition and imprecise word choices. To achieve a higher band, the student should expand their range of academic vocabulary and ensure that words are paired naturally according to standard English collocations, while carefully proofreading for spelling accuracy.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 5.5

The response relies on a limited range of structures, with frequent run-on sentences and punctuation slips, such as spacing errors around commas and periods (e.g., 'system quite often , I often found'). Attempts at complex sentences often contain errors, such as awkward interrogative clauses within statements ('why do all these psychological theories barely make any sense of how will I be using them') and faulty prepositional patterns or verb forms. Frequent grammatical errors and punctuation lapses cause some difficulty for the reader. To progress, the writer should practice forming accurate complex sentences, improve control over tense consistency, and pay closer attention to punctuation and clause boundaries.

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