Band 5.5 IELTS Writing Task 2 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 5.5 · 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 5.5)

I strongly agree with the statement that all universities should provide opportunities for the student to guide them for their future preparation whether it is for studying abroad or doing a work placement.

Firstly, a student must have to choose a path between studying abroad or entering into work environment after completing their undergraduate studies. If they dont have any idea about how to get them prepared for these two different kinds of field, they will suffer a lot. For example, if a student choose to study abroad but he has no idea about preparing documents and which steps he should take, he cannot make it properly.

Secondly, the undergraduate period is the time to prepare for the future. So, one cannot be succeded in life without a proper planning and preparation. Being prepared for the next level of study or gaining some skills for job will help a student to reach his desired level. Students dont have to waste time aimlessly after graduation. For instance, after being graduated, many students become depressed and dont even know which path they should choose.

On the contrary, the time they'll spend for their future preparation may harm their regular studies. But it wouldnt the that much harmful when they kill their valuable time after graduatin doing no fruitful works.

To sum up, if the undergraduate studies cannot provide a proper guidelines for the student, every student will fail to see the light of hope. To ensure the proper utilisation of their knowledge and study, spending time to become crystal clear about the upcoming uncertainty is very necessary.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response: Band 5.5

Your position is clear in the opening and conclusion: you support including preparation for study or work in undergraduate courses. You give relevant reasons, such as helping students plan their next step and avoiding uncertainty after graduation, with examples about preparing documents and feeling directionless. However, the response only partly addresses the exact proposal. The task asks about a period spent studying abroad or doing a work placement, whereas much of your discussion is about universities providing general guidance and preparation. The disadvantage is also mentioned briefly but not explained in detail. To strengthen the response, compare the benefits and costs of an actual placement or overseas study period, and develop each point with a specific explanation or example.

Coherence and Cohesion: Band 5.5

The response has a recognisable structure: an introduction, two supporting paragraphs, a paragraph beginning “On the contrary,” and a conclusion. “Firstly,” “Secondly,” and “To sum up” help signal the stages of your argument. However, progression is limited because the first two paragraphs repeat the broad idea of preparing for the future, and the contrast paragraph is too brief to develop a clear counterargument. Some connections are also unclear: “But it wouldnt the that much harmful” is difficult to follow, and the conclusion introduces “proper utilisation” without linking it clearly to the earlier points. Organise the body around distinct advantages and disadvantages, and use linking phrases to show how each example supports its paragraph’s main idea.

Lexical Resource: Band 5.0

You use some topic-relevant vocabulary, including “work placement,” “undergraduate studies,” “preparation,” and “desired level,” so the main ideas are generally understandable. However, the range is limited and several word choices or collocations are unnatural, which sometimes makes the meaning less precise. For example, “guide them for their future preparation” and “entering into work environment” do not express the intended ideas naturally; “crystal clear about the upcoming uncertainty” is also confusing. There are noticeable spelling and word-form errors, such as “succeded,” “graduatin,” and “dont.” Build a more precise set of phrases for discussing placements, international study, skills, and costs, and check spelling and collocations during revision.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 5.0

You attempt both simple and complex sentences, including conditional structures such as “If they dont have any idea … they will suffer a lot” and a contrast introduced by “On the contrary.” However, control is inconsistent, and errors occur frequently enough to make some sentences difficult to understand. Examples include “a student must have to choose,” “if a student choose,” and “it wouldnt the that much harmful.” There are also problems with articles, agreement, and verb forms, as in “a proper guidelines” and “many students become depressed and dont even know which path they should choose” (the latter also needs consistent apostrophe use). Practise accurate subject–verb agreement and conditional patterns, and proofread each sentence for a complete, correctly formed verb phrase.

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