Band 5.0 IELTS Writing Task 2 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 5.0 · Cambridge IELTS 21 · 2026-10-11

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)

Every university undergraduate programs have to include a moderate amount of time spent studying in foreign countries or doing an internship. I strongly believe that the pros of doing work or studying abroad will lead to the better future of the students. In this essay , I will support my opinion with examples.

Firstly, studying in the international countries will grow the students career . For an instance , An international university graduate would have high chance to get a job in big companies like Microsoft, there freshers will improve their skills. As compare to the national university graduate because of the huge job market in foreign countries. In addition, they get to know about the international culture as well.

Another advantage is that internships could get a student to eperience practical work life. For example, A second semester university student could do a job with the studies would become an expert in his own field, Like in America university scholars do their job to cover their expenses. As a result, American economy is growing faster.

In conclusion, learning in international countries or doing any job both the ideas are beneficial for the students. they would know the outside world and experience foreign culture. Personally, I think that students must be able to afford their own expenses. Universities which are implementing these ideas, their students could get the excellent future.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response: Band 4.5

You give a clear general view that overseas study and internships benefit students, and you include two relevant areas: career prospects and practical experience. However, the response only partially answers the central question of whether the advantages outweigh the disadvantages: it does not identify or discuss any disadvantages, and the conclusion shifts to students being able to afford their own expenses without explaining how this supports your comparison. Examples such as Microsoft and American students working are mentioned, but their relevance and outcomes are not sufficiently explained. The response is also 20 words below the required minimum. To strengthen the answer, address both sides explicitly, state why one outweighs the other, and develop each example with a clear link to your argument.

Coherence and Cohesion: Band 5.5

The response has a recognisable structure, with an introduction, two body paragraphs signalled by “Firstly” and “Another advantage,” and a conclusion. This makes the main direction reasonably easy to follow. However, progression within paragraphs is uneven: the Microsoft example, comparison with national graduates, and reference to the foreign job market are joined without a clear explanation of how they connect. The internship example also moves abruptly from a student’s experience to the American economy. Some linking phrases, including “As a result” and “In addition,” are used, but they do not always show a convincing logical relationship. Build each paragraph around one claim, explain the example, and connect it directly to the question of advantages versus disadvantages.

Lexical Resource: Band 5.0

You use some topic-related vocabulary, including “internship,” “job market,” “practical work life,” and “international culture,” so the reader can understand the general subject. However, the range is limited and several word choices or collocations are unnatural, such as “international countries,” “grow the students career,” and “high chance to get a job.” There are also spelling and form errors, including “eperience” and “freshers,” which make parts of the response less precise. Aim for more natural academic phrasing and accurate collocations, such as “gain international experience,” “improve career prospects,” and “graduates.” Vary repeated general terms like “students” and “job,” while keeping vocabulary precise rather than choosing expressions that do not fit the context.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 5.0

You attempt some longer structures, for example, “A second semester university student could do a job with the studies would become an expert,” and use basic sentence forms to communicate your main points. However, complex sentences are often faulty, and errors in agreement, articles, sentence boundaries, and punctuation occur frequently enough to make some ideas difficult to follow. Examples include “Every university undergraduate programs have to include,” “there freshers will improve their skills,” and the incomplete comparison beginning “As compare to the national university graduate.” Capitalisation and spacing around punctuation are also inconsistent. Practise building accurate sentences with one clear main clause, then add subordinate clauses only when their grammatical relationship is clear. Check subject–verb agreement and sentence boundaries during revision.

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