Band 5.0 IELTS Writing Task 2 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 5.0 · 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 5.0)

Many international universities offer various amounts of undergraduate courses to choose from. many of these undergraduate courses are attended by international students from different parts of the world and they require many niche details about the university and course as well. In my opinion, all university undergraduate courses should always include the study time and the work hours as well.

There are majority of advantages to this outcome, The first one being that a student coming from abroad doesnt have to always check or wait for the timing conformations which helps them plan and map their degree programs and also study plans more easily. Second reason is the international students are then less worried about the hassle and can then spend more time managing thier expenses to their study time and work in their part time with causing less burnouts. Another reason could be transparency, a well established course that has all its details always available to the public is more situable for students that are thinking about enrolment.

However, there are also many disadvantages of doing this. The highest disadvantage is outdated infromation because of course changes. If a student plans their life according to the listed times, they would have no idea what to expect if the timeline was never updated. This can cause maintainence to be more then normal but a university is always expected to be at thier best for every detail. The second disadvantage of this can be the period of time or the course modules can change which can make the already enrolled student subject to new changes. This however can be tackled fairly easlily beacuse such a change only effects minor things. The government changing work placement hours can also be a huge disadvantage. Neverthless, it can be tackled because all public and private universities have guidlines which are controlled by the government itself.

In conlusion, details about period of time and work placement will have huge advantage for all universities and the undegraduate courses they offer, mainly because their courses are mostly attended by international students whom really need these details as soon as possible.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response: Band 4.5

You give a clear overall view that the benefits outweigh the drawbacks, and you attempt to discuss both sides. However, the response only partially addresses the specific proposal: the task concerns a required period studying abroad or completing a work placement, while much of your discussion shifts to publishing course schedules and details for international students. For example, “check or wait for the timing conformations” and “details ... available to the public” do not explain how an overseas study period or placement benefits undergraduates generally. The disadvantages about outdated information and government changes are also not clearly connected to the proposal. To strengthen the response, focus on relevant effects such as practical experience, cultural learning, cost, disruption, and unequal access, then support these with specific examples.

Coherence and Cohesion: Band 5.0

The response has a recognisable structure: an introduction, a paragraph presenting advantages, a paragraph presenting disadvantages, and a conclusion. Sequencing phrases such as “The first one,” “Second reason,” and “However” help signal the direction of the discussion. However, progression within the paragraphs is often unclear because several points are loosely connected or do not directly develop the main question. The advantages paragraph moves from scheduling to expenses and then transparency without explaining their relationship to overseas study or placements. Some linking is mechanical, and references such as “this outcome” and “this” can be vague. Build each paragraph around one relevant central idea, explain it, and use clearer links between the claim and its consequence.

Lexical Resource: Band 5.0

You use some topic-related vocabulary, including “undergraduate courses,” “work placement,” “enrolment,” and “transparency,” and you attempt to express ideas about planning and costs. However, the range is limited and several word choices or collocations are inaccurate, sometimes making the intended meaning difficult to follow. For instance, “timing conformations” is not a natural phrase for schedule information, “situable” is an incorrect word choice, and “maintainence” appears to be used where you mean additional administrative work or maintenance. Spelling errors such as “thier,” “easlily,” and “guidlines” are also noticeable. Aim for precise vocabulary connected to the actual topic, such as “gain practical experience” or “adapt to a different culture,” and check spelling and collocations carefully.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 5.0

You attempt a mixture of sentence forms, including longer sentences with clauses such as “If a student plans their life according to the listed times...” and “which can make the already enrolled student subject to new changes.” However, the range is limited, and complex sentences are often faulty or difficult to follow. Examples include “There are majority of advantages,” where the noun phrase is incorrectly formed, and “spend more time managing thier expenses to their study time and work in their part time,” where the grammatical relationships are unclear. There are also errors in agreement and sentence boundaries, including the lowercase “many” after the opening full stop and the comma splice after “outcome.” Practise accurate clause construction, articles, agreement, and punctuation, then proofread each sentence for a clear subject and verb.

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