Band 4.0 IELTS Writing Task 2 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 4.0 · Cambridge IELTS 21 · 2026-10-10

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 4.0)

All universities undergraduate course should include a period of time spent studying abroad or doing a work placement. Although might consider it negative, I believe it to be ver benefical. Not only beacause of universities allowed to spent time on studying abroad, and doing a work placement, This essay will explore how these mega advantages have the potential to overshadow any drawbacks.

There are multiple topic associated with that all universities courses should include a period of time spent studying abroad or doing a work placement.

Firstly, when student give time to thier universities they also got the benifits from the universities like getting the degree which may it helps alot. For example in getteing the job in thier future life which may help to work or stay in their counrty.

Thus, this mega benefit i believe has the potential to make this development a positive development.

Secondly, apart from first advantage that students got the degrees from thier universities, They can also be have another major benefit. As all universities include period of time spent studying abroad. In assistance, universities also give time for thier jobs for example students which enroll thier master degrees in part time status they can also get much hours in their week to spent on thier works to meet thier expenses. This advantage can be labbeled as the most significant advantage, giving this development a positive outlook.

Finally, first advantage can also be considered as leading benefit of topic.

To sum up, even though topic might have some drawbacks too, but i believed that the benefits it brings in term of first advantage we will discussesd.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response: Band 3.5

You state a position in favour of the proposal, particularly in the opening (“I believe it to be very beneficial”), and you attempt to discuss advantages such as gaining qualifications and earning money through work. However, the response does not adequately address the central comparison: it gives almost no explanation of studying abroad or work placements as distinct experiences, and it does not identify or weigh any disadvantages. Several points are unclear or repetitive, including the claim that students “give time to their universities” and the repeated reference to degrees. The conclusion does not clearly summarise why the advantages outweigh the disadvantages. The response is also 243 words, below the 250-word minimum; 29 words copied from the task prompt were not counted. Develop relevant reasons and examples, and explicitly compare benefits with drawbacks.

Coherence and Cohesion: Band 4.0

The response has an opening, several body paragraphs and a concluding paragraph, and signposts such as “Firstly,” “Secondly,” and “To sum up” show an attempt to organise the discussion. However, progression is difficult to follow because the paragraphs do not consistently develop separate, relevant points. The first body paragraph focuses on obtaining a degree, which is not clearly connected to the required overseas study or placement; the second shifts to part-time work and expenses without explaining how this supports the proposal. “Finally” introduces no new argument and repeats the first advantage. Some linking phrases, including “Thus” and “In assistance,” do not make the relationships between ideas clear. Use each paragraph for one distinct argument, explain its connection to the question, and make the conclusion follow from the points already established.

Lexical Resource: Band 4.5

You attempt some topic-related and evaluative vocabulary, including “work placement,” “drawbacks,” “benefit,” and “positive outlook,” so the reader can recognise that you are discussing the proposal. However, the range is often repetitive, especially the repeated use of “advantage,” “benefit,” and “positive development,” and several expressions are inaccurate or unnatural, such as “mega advantages,” “give time to their universities,” and “this development.” Spelling errors—including “ver benefical,” “beacause,” “thier,” and “counrty”—also reduce clarity and control. Aim for precise terms that describe the actual experiences in the question, such as gaining practical skills, adapting to another culture, or facing additional costs. Proofreading spelling and checking common word combinations would make your ideas easier to understand.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 4.5

You attempt both simple and more complex sentence forms, including a concessive opening (“Although might consider it negative”) and a sentence beginning “As all universities include…”. However, many sentences contain errors in clause construction, agreement, articles, or verb forms, and these often make the intended meaning unclear. For example, “Although might consider it negative” has no clear subject, while “students…they can also be have” combines incompatible verb forms. In “all universities undergraduate course,” the possessive and plural structure is not controlled, and “i believed” shifts tense unnecessarily. Punctuation and capitalisation are also inconsistent, as in the capitalised “This” after a comma and lowercase “i.” Practise building complete clauses first, then check subject–verb agreement and verb patterns before adding complex structures.

See this exact question answered at other band scores. The same prompt compared across bands.

Browse more IELTS Writing model answers or get your own writing scored by the same AI examiner.