Band 5.5 IELTS Writing Task 2 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 5.5 · Cambridge IELTS 21 · 2026-10-04

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)

Some people believe that all undergraduate university students should spend time studying abroad and complete a work placement, ideally related to their course. As a result, it can include many challenges, but it can help them gain knowledge and face many difficulties while living alone in another country. It can provide a lot of experience to improve their skills, knowledge of practical life, and have a great impact on their communication skills. I believe that it can have advantages outweigh the disadvantages.

One of the major advantages of studying abroad and completing a work placement, it can play an important role in gaining world experience. The student can learn the things in class room have a chance to apply this knowledge in their workplace. Students have successful to apply this skills and have become professionals in their fields. They can improve skills like communication, teamwork, and broaden their scope. For example, a student of business management can have an internship with the company and gain skills in their field; he is better than a student who can study academically alone. In addition, it is very beneficial for employment opportunities because the student can study in another country; they can join the job with their studies and already have experience in their work.

However, it can have some disadvantages because it is so expensive that it is not suitable for all of the people. Not all people can afford the fees. Some students can face difficulty in adopting the new culture.

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 and completing a work placement, leading to a clear overall position in favor of the advantages. However, some ideas are under-developed or lack full extension. For example, while the writer mentions that studying abroad helps students face difficulties while living alone and gain practical life knowledge, these points remain broad and lack specific supporting details. Similarly, the disadvantages section touches upon financial barriers and cultural adaptation, but these crucial points are stated rather than explored in depth. To move to a higher band, the writer needs to provide more fully developed explanations and concrete examples for every main point introduced.

Coherence and Cohesion: Band 6.0

The essay presents a coherent overall arrangement with a clear introduction, body paragraphs, and a concluding stance. Logical progression is visible as the writer transitions from introducing the topic to outlining advantages, and subsequently examining disadvantages. However, cohesion at the sentence level is sometimes faulty or mechanical. For instance, phrases like 'One of the major advantages... it can play an important role' create redundant subjects, and referencing is occasionally unclear, such as the pronoun use in 'he is better than a student who can study academically alone.' Paragraphing is used, but transitions between ideas within paragraphs could be smoother. To achieve a higher band, the writer should employ a wider and more flexible range of cohesive devices without repetition or awkward mechanical linking.

Lexical Resource: Band 5.5

The student uses an adequate range of vocabulary for the task, attempting some less common lexical items such as 'work placement,' 'business management,' and 'internship.' However, there are noticeable limitations and inaccuracies in word choice, collocation, and word form. Examples include 'gaining world experience' instead of 'real-world experience,' 'learning the things in class room have a chance to apply this knowledge,' and 'difficulty in adopting the new culture' instead of 'adapting to.' These errors reflect a limited control over lexical chunks and precise collocations. To improve, the writer should focus on expanding their working vocabulary and ensuring that words are used in their correct grammatical forms and conventional contexts.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 5.5

The response demonstrates a mix of simple and complex sentence forms, attempting complex structures such as relative clauses and subordinate clauses. However, there are frequent errors in grammar and punctuation, particularly involving verb forms, prepositions, and article usage. Examples of these issues include 'it can have advantages outweigh the disadvantages,' 'The student can learn the things in class room have a chance to apply,' and 'Students have successful to apply this skills.' These errors can occasionally cause difficulty for the reader. To reach a higher level, the writer needs to exercise greater control over complex sentence patterns, ensure correct subject-verb agreement, and minimize basic structural inaccuracies.

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