Band 5.5 IELTS Writing Task 2 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 5.5 · 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 5.5)

Yes, as per my perspective undergraduate courses should include both by allocating a time for studying abroad and doing work placement.

The time available to a student for studying abroad is something which is the desire of everyone and the level of exposure, knowledge and communication skills which he learn is something unthinkable. I got the opportunity to study for 3 months at an international uiversity so the time i spent have so much quality and learning wheras i take part in different segments like I study the history, culture, tradition, economics and other things which made me more capable and give me the required confidence.

The second one is doing work placement and i think this is very necessary as experience matters more nowadays and with experience you learn the practical things which is important for your professional career. Strong and succsessfull experience can led you to a great career. I have done an internship at Bank of Khyber for 8 months but in those months I have learnt different aspects of job life like my coomunication skills improved, dealing with the customers and vendors, Audit softwares and how to do maximum work in less time. Also dealing two are three different responsibilities at the same time, in my case i was aslo studying and doing internship at the same time.

As per my opinion, both the courses should be introduced and be given proper time as both have more benefits than its disadvantages also the exposure and confidence a student can obtain is something extraordianry.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response: Band 6.0

You address both parts of the proposal—study abroad and work placement—and your position is clear: you support including both because their benefits outweigh the disadvantages. The personal examples of studying overseas and completing an internship make the response relevant, especially when you explain gains in cultural knowledge, confidence and workplace skills. However, the comparison with disadvantages is asserted rather than explored: the conclusion says there are “more benefits than its disadvantages,” but no specific drawback is identified or weighed against those benefits. Some claims, such as “the desire of everyone,” are also too broad. Develop one or two benefits with clearer explanation and acknowledge a realistic cost or challenge to make the argument more fully supported.

Coherence and Cohesion: Band 6.0

The response has a clear overall arrangement: an introduction, one paragraph on studying abroad, one on work placement, and a concluding statement. The sequence is easy to follow, and phrases such as “The second one” signal the shift between the two main ideas. However, the paragraphs largely list benefits rather than building a connected argument, and the relationship between examples and the claim about outweighing disadvantages could be made clearer. Some linking is mechanical, particularly the repeated use of “and” to join several points. The final paragraph repeats the position without synthesising the two examples. Use clearer topic sentences and transitions that show cause, contrast or consequence, and make references such as “both the courses” more precise.

Lexical Resource: Band 5.5

You use a relevant range of vocabulary for education and employment, including “exposure,” “professional career,” “internship,” “responsibilities” and “communication skills.” These choices help convey your examples, though some wording is imprecise or does not collocate naturally, such as “the time available to a student for studying abroad,” “strong and successful experience,” and “maximum work in less time.” Spelling errors—including “uiversity,” “wheras,” “succsessfull” and “extraordianry”—also reduce accuracy. Aim for more precise academic phrasing and check spelling carefully. For example, describe the skills gained as “practical workplace experience” and explain that an internship can improve “efficiency” or “time management,” rather than relying on broad or awkward expressions.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 5.0

You attempt both simple and more extended sentence forms, and the main meaning is generally understandable. However, some errors in verb forms, agreement, articles and sentence construction make parts less clear. For example, “the level of exposure … which he learn” needs a correctly formed verb and consistent subject; “the time i spent have so much quality” has a subject–verb agreement problem; and “experience can led you” uses the wrong verb form. The long sentence beginning “I got the opportunity” also joins several ideas without clear grammatical boundaries. Practise accurate present and past forms, agreement, and sentence punctuation. Breaking long lists into shorter sentences will help you show range while keeping control.

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