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)

One of the best way to acquire adequate knowledge is through experience. Some people believe that all university undergraduate courses should include a period of time spent studying abroad or doing a work placement, while some individuals think that it is not necessary for the reason that it will just be a waste of time. In my opinion, I agree that to gain more skills and enhance one's capabilities, students should have time period learning overseas and doing on job training.

One of the reasons is that students will be exposed to different nationalities. This will help them develop familiarities to various cultures. For example, students who have a background with other countries will have more opportunities to job offerings around the world than to those who do not have. They will have an edge in applying for vacancies for the reason that they have a sufficient knowledge and understanding of the area.

Equally important is the fact that the learners will gain practical skills by doing a work placement or on job training based on the majorship they took. For example, a graduate who is applying for the elementary school department position will have a big opportunity to get the job if she accomplished doing the practice teaching to learners aged 6 to 8. The candidate has gain expertise and become proficient in handling classroom management and teaching strategies.

In conclusion, I believe that obtaining substancial experience by studying abroad or doing work placement has a vast impact to the students. These things will help them become effective and efficient in the future.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response: Band 5.5

Your position is clear: you support including overseas study or work placements, and you give two relevant reasons—cultural exposure and practical experience. The examples about international job opportunities and practice teaching help illustrate these points. However, the discussion does not directly weigh advantages against disadvantages, and the opposing view is only briefly mentioned in the introduction, so this part of the task is not fully addressed. Some claims, such as having “more opportunities” worldwide, would benefit from fuller explanation or a more specific example. The response also contains 246 words, four below the 250-word minimum; the 18 words copied from the prompt are not counted. Develop the comparison and extend your support to cover the task more completely.

Coherence and Cohesion: Band 6.0

The response has a coherent overall arrangement: an introduction states your view, two body paragraphs present separate reasons, and a conclusion restates your position. Linking phrases such as “One of the reasons,” “Equally important,” and “In conclusion” make the progression easy to follow. However, the organisation is somewhat mechanical, and the relationship between the ideas could be made clearer. For instance, the first body paragraph moves from cultural familiarity to international job prospects without fully explaining the connection. The contrast introduced in the opening is not developed in the body. Use transitions to show how each example supports the main claim, and include a paragraph or clear comparison addressing possible disadvantages.

Lexical Resource: Band 5.5

You use a relevant range of vocabulary, including “exposed to different nationalities,” “practical skills,” “expertise,” and “classroom management,” which helps communicate the topic. There are also attempts at more formal expressions, such as “enhance one’s capabilities.” However, several word choices and collocations are inaccurate or unnatural, including “develop familiarities,” “job offerings,” “on job training,” and “majorship.” The spelling “substancial” is also incorrect, and “vast impact” is not the most natural phrase in this context. These choices do not prevent the reader from understanding your main points, but they limit precision. Aim to learn vocabulary in natural word partnerships and check spelling and word forms before submitting.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 5.5

You use both simple and more complex sentence forms, including a subordinate clause in “students who have a background with other countries” and a conditional structure in “if she accomplished doing the practice teaching.” Most sentences communicate the intended meaning, and the paragraph structure helps the reader follow your argument. Some grammatical errors remain, however. The opening says “One of the best way” rather than “One of the best ways,” and “The candidate has gain expertise” has an incorrect verb form. There are also issues with articles and sentence construction, as in “will have a big opportunity to get the job.” Review subject–verb agreement, verb forms after auxiliaries, and article use. More accurate control of these patterns would make your ideas clearer.

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