Band 5.5 IELTS Writing Task 2 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 5.5 · Cambridge IELTS 21 · 2026-10-02

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)

All the university undergraduate courses should add a time period for the students to study out side or do work. The advantages of this development are more then disadvantages.

Firstly, when university courses allow a time period to the students for work or study out side the university, student can easily manage their daily routine. main benefit is that when student have extra time and they focus on their work they can earn money for their needs. For example a student go to Uk for study he definitely needs money and he has to do work to fulfill his desires and needs. so when he has extra time he spent his time in work and can survive easily in that country.

Secondly, Students do not have extra burden of study because they have much enough time for their study. when they are free they can oay more attention on their study. For example a student do bot have much time for study when he is at home, he is busy with his work he can not focus on his study. So when university courses give him extra time he must put his attention on study in the university time.

Thirdly, students feel relaxed, fresh and calm while studying because in extra time they can do different activities which keep them energetic and recharged.

In disadvantages, if university courses include time period for study or work, it is difficult for management to manage the time.

Initially, management increase the time table of study and it create trouble for students who work after their classes. For example, if a student do a part time job after his classes, so it would be a problem for him to reach on his destination.

In conclusion, There are difficulties for students to manage their work time after study, but they can manage it easily. So the advantages of including time period for work or study have more benefits as compare to drawbacks.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response: Band 5.5

The response addresses the task only partially. While the student attempts to discuss both the advantages and disadvantages of including study abroad or work placements in undergraduate courses, the ideas presented are limited and under-developed. For instance, the arguments regarding students managing their daily routine and earning money are repetitive and lack depth, often drifting into general survival tips rather than focusing on the academic and professional merits of the prompt. The position is stated, but the support lacks extension, leading to a tendency to over-generalise without providing robust, relevant examples from personal knowledge or experience.

Coherence and Cohesion: Band 5.5

The essay displays some organisation with basic paragraphing, but there is no clear overall progression. Cohesive devices are frequently inadequate, inaccurate, or repetitive, relying heavily on basic linkers such as 'Firstly', 'Secondly', and 'Initially'. Referencing is sometimes unclear, and transitions between sentences can feel abrupt, which hinders the flow of ideas. While the overall arrangement of the essay attempts to separate advantages and disadvantages, the mechanical use of cohesive ties prevents a smoother, more logical progression throughout the text.

Lexical Resource: Band 5.0

The vocabulary used is limited but minimally adequate to convey the basic message. There are noticeable lexical errors and awkward word choices, such as 'study out side' instead of 'study abroad', 'extra burden of study', and 'reach on his destination'. Word forms are occasionally misused, and spelling mistakes appear, such as 'oay' instead of 'pay' and 'bot' instead of 'do not'. These lexical inaccuracies and the restricted range of vocabulary mean that the student struggles to express ideas with precision or flexibility.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 5.0

The response demonstrates a very limited range of structures, relying primarily on simple sentences and basic coordinating conjunctions. Attempts at complex sentences are frequently faulty, leading to frequent errors in grammar and punctuation that can cause difficulty for the reader. There are persistent errors in subject-verb agreement, such as 'student can easily manage' and 'management increase', as well as missing articles and awkward prepositional patterns. Punctuation is also weak, particularly regarding sentence boundaries and comma splices.

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