Band 5.5 IELTS Writing Task 2 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 5.5 · Cambridge IELTS 21 · 2026-10-03

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 university undergraduate programs should include a time period studying abroad or doing a internship and I think it has more advantages than disadvantages.

University undergraduate course should have atleast one semester where they place their students in relative field according to course. It will help students gaining physical practice rather than studying only theoratical coursework because no matter how much you are good at understanding theoratical work you should have the ability to perform that task physically and that will help you in real life.

The other advantage is exposure. By looking into people who are working in that particular field and be familiar with the working environment before making a step in it. Today, most companies do not see how good is your grades they judge you by your skills and understanding, and it will only come if university gives a taste of working environment to students.

For example, when I graduated from university I got good grades but no necessary skills. When I applied for job most companies rejected me because of not having skills or field work required for that particular job and most universities do not entertain stduents with a placement in companies as a part of course work.

The disadvantage of this would be the student will disstract from studies for particular time and maybe he will thought that this is not necessary at this stage and if he spent time in studying or doing work in abroad he will not adjust timely and that will affect his understanding.

In conclusion, I think all universities should make a period of time spent in work placement for undergraduate students permanent.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response: Band 6.5

The response addresses all parts of the task, presenting a clear position from the outset that the advantages of study abroad or work placements outweigh the disadvantages. Relevant ideas are introduced regarding practical skill acquisition, exposure to professional environments, and potential academic distractions. However, some ideas are more fully developed than others. For instance, the advantage regarding professional exposure and real-world skills is supported with a personal example, whereas the disadvantage concerning student distraction and adjustment issues is underdeveloped and lacks depth or specific explanation. To reach a higher level, all main ideas should be extended and thoroughly supported with robust explanations and examples throughout the essay.

Coherence and Cohesion: Band 6.0

The essay presents a coherent overall arrangement with a discernible progression of ideas from introduction to conclusion. Paragraphing is employed to separate main points, such as practical skills, exposure, personal experience, and disadvantages. However, cohesion is sometimes mechanical or faulty. The transitions between sentences feel abrupt at times, and referencing is not always clear, particularly with pronoun usage and connective phrases like 'The other advantage is exposure' leading directly into noun phrases without smooth integration. To achieve a higher standard, the writer needs to use a wider and more flexible range of cohesive devices to link sentences and paragraphs more naturally and ensure logical transitions throughout the text.

Lexical Resource: Band 5.0

The vocabulary used is adequate to communicate the main arguments, representing a limited range appropriate for basic task completion. The writer attempts some less common vocabulary, such as 'theoratical coursework', 'professional environment', and 'work placement', but these attempts are accompanied by noticeable inaccuracies in word choice, form, and spelling. For example, 'theoratical' and 'stduents' contain spelling errors, while phrases like 'gaining physical practice' and 'student will disstract' demonstrate improper word forms and collocations. These lexical shortcomings cause occasional difficulty for the reader. To improve this criterion, the writer must expand their lexical repertoire, pay closer attention to word formation and spelling, and employ precise collocations suitable for academic contexts.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 5.0

The response demonstrates a limited range of grammatical structures, relying heavily on simple sentences alongside some attempts at complex forms that are frequently faulty. There are noticeable errors in verb tenses, subject-verb agreement, and prepositions inside grammatical patterns, such as in 'student will disstract from studies' and 'maybe he will thought'. Punctuation and article usage also show frequent errors that cause some difficulty for the reader, including missing articles before singular countable nouns like 'job' and 'course'. To reach a higher standard, the writer should increase the variety of error-free complex sentences, ensure correct verb forms and tense consistency, and minimize basic grammatical lapses.

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