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)

Many people argue that all the undergraduate or bachelor programs taught in universities include a separate time for students by studying in abroad or to do some part-time or full-time work anywhere. Although, there will be some disadvantages but I think the advantages would outweigh them.

During the undergraduate degree, most students learn new things related to their bachelor course. There are many assignments given to students to test what they have been learned and weekly quizes arrange by teachers to know the progress of class in the subject they are teaching, these all are good practices but many students lacks to get a good job because of less industrial expereince in their field. To cover this gap there should include a period of time spent doing a work placement or internship in their respective field which also help students to increase their skill levels. Students by doing the part-time or full-time job during study will helped them to earn and pay the university fee by themselves. In many universities internship is now added as subject and marked properly based on company's feedback given to that student.

On the other hand, universities have many professors with different teaching skills and these are changing and get different in each country. When students go to study abroad, it will make an excellent impact on students skills and mindset, they will learn many new things and their communication will became very fluent. When students starts a paid job during the study they might lose their interest and studying or to get better grades and it will be changed to earn more which is bad for them. Going to abroad will make their mindset to always live there and after coming back they might end-up by not liking their own university or country.

In conclusion, there should be extra time during the undergraduate programs for students to do jobs and go to abroad for studies which increase their skill and understanding level, and also give them industrial experience, whereas their interest might get lost by doing these thing, which can be handled easily. So it's include a period of time for student to tdo these things.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response: Band 6.0

You address both the benefits and drawbacks and make your position clear: you believe the advantages outweigh the disadvantages. Relevant benefits include gaining industry experience, improving skills and helping students pay fees; you also recognise that paid work could distract from study and that overseas study may affect students’ willingness to return home. However, some points are asserted rather than fully explained. For example, the claim that studying abroad improves communication and mindset would be stronger with a specific explanation or example, and the concern about not liking one’s country again is not developed. Clarify whether every course should offer a placement, overseas study, or a choice, then support the main reasons more fully.

Coherence and Cohesion: Band 6.0

The response has a recognisable overall structure: an introduction, paragraphs presenting benefits and drawbacks, and a conclusion. Linking phrases such as “On the other hand” and “In conclusion” help signal the direction of the argument. However, the first body paragraph combines several ideas—coursework, employment prospects, placements and paying fees—so the progression is sometimes difficult to follow. Some connections are also mechanical or unclear, particularly the long sentence beginning “There are many assignments” and the conclusion’s shift from benefits to drawbacks. Organise each paragraph around one main point, use clearer sentence boundaries, and make references such as “these things” more precise to improve cohesion.

Lexical Resource: Band 5.5

You use a relevant range of vocabulary for education and employment, including “undergraduate degree,” “industrial experience,” “internship,” “communication” and “grades.” These choices make the topic clear, and you attempt some less common expressions. However, inaccurate word forms, spelling and collocations are noticeable, as in “expereince,” “quizes,” “students lacks,” “increase their skill levels” and “go to abroad.” Some phrases are also vague or unnatural, such as “excellent impact” and “understanding level.” These errors do not prevent the reader from understanding the main argument, but they limit precision. Check spelling and learn common word partnerships, especially for describing skills, work experience and studying overseas.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 5.0

You attempt both simple and complex sentence forms, including a concession in the introduction and longer sentences explaining cause and effect. The main ideas are generally understandable, but errors in verb forms, agreement and sentence construction occur across the response. For example, “what they have been learned” should use an active or passive form consistently, while “many students lacks” and “students starts” require subject–verb agreement. The sentence beginning “There are many assignments” also joins several clauses without clear punctuation, making its structure hard to follow. Practise building accurate complex sentences and check each clause for a clear subject and correctly formed verb; this will make your argument easier to read.

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