Band 5.5 IELTS Writing Task 2 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 5.5 · Cambridge IELTS 21 · 2026-10-14

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)

All universities should have include courses, like a period of time spent studing abroad or doing jobs at undergraduate level. I belive that this statement have both advantages and disadvantages. I also agree with this point.

On the one side , disadvantages include financial problem and incomplete studies. Moving abroad is chalanging for middle-class families.They do not have enough money to continue their studies in another country. If any student is going to abroad for their higher studies, then they will face difficulties to bear their expenses such as food, travel , cloth, gorocery and rent. Any student at undergraduate level do not get any job easily . Majority famous companies require experience. At this time, students have no experience for any job. For instance, my friend maria studies at undergraduate level . she wants to get a job but unfortunately due to lack of experience she did not get job.

On the other side, there are many advantages also, include studing abroad gives social exposure, confidence and we can easily getting a highly paid job. Study in foreign country gives social exposure and confidence. We can easily manage our problems, like money. Study in abroad also gets confidence. We are able to communicate with others effectively. we can talk to others without any hesitation. Studing abroad also beneficial to get job easily. when we comeback to our country, we can easily get a suitable jobs. Companies prefer those who get their education from abroad.

In conclusion, i stringly belive that all undergraduate courses should include study abroad or a work placement, as this provide practical experience such as job and develops confidence and independence which are essential for future success.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response: Band 5.5

You give a clear overall view in favour of including overseas study or work placements, and you address both disadvantages and advantages. Relevant points include the cost of living abroad, students’ limited work experience, and the potential for greater confidence and employment prospects. However, the discussion is only partly developed: the example about Maria illustrates difficulty finding a job but does not clearly explain how a required placement would address this problem. The claim that companies prefer graduates educated abroad is also broad and unsupported, and the essay does not compare the benefits and drawbacks sufficiently to show why the advantages outweigh the disadvantages. Explain how placements can provide experience and balance this against the financial and academic costs.

Coherence and Cohesion: Band 5.5

The response has a recognisable structure, with an introduction, separate paragraphs for disadvantages and advantages, and a conclusion. Phrases such as “On the one side” and “On the other side” help signal the contrast, and the final sentence restates your position. However, progression within paragraphs is limited by repeated points: confidence and social exposure are mentioned several times, while the relationship between studying abroad and work placement is not consistently clear. Some linking is mechanical, and the opening sentence is difficult to follow. Organise each body paragraph around one main claim, explain it, and then give a directly relevant example. Use clear references so readers can see whether “this” means overseas study, a placement, or both.

Lexical Resource: Band 5.0

You use some relevant vocabulary for the topic, including “social exposure,” “experience,” “expenses,” and “independence,” so the main ideas are generally understandable. However, the range is limited and several words or phrases are repeated, particularly “confidence,” “easily,” and “study abroad.” There are also noticeable spelling errors, such as “studing,” “chalanging,” “gorocery,” and “stringly,” alongside unnatural combinations such as “gets confidence” and “suitable jobs.” These choices sometimes make the meaning less clear or the argument sound imprecise. Build a wider set of accurate phrases for costs, practical experience, and career benefits, and check spelling and collocations carefully.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 5.0

You attempt both simple and more extended sentences, including a conditional structure in “If any student is going abroad … they will face difficulties” and a relative clause in “those who get their education from abroad.” However, the range is limited, and errors occur frequently in sentence construction, verb forms, agreement, articles, and punctuation. For example, “All universities should have include courses” has an incorrect verb pattern, while “this statement have” and “a suitable jobs” show agreement and number problems. Capitalisation and spacing around punctuation are also inconsistent. Practise building accurate sentences with one main clause and a supporting clause, and check subject–verb agreement, articles, and verb forms before submitting.

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