Band 5.0 IELTS Writing Task 2 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 5.0 · Cambridge IELTS 21 · 2026-10-15

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)

IN RECENT YEARS,UNDERGRADUATE COURSES CONSUME LARGE TIME TO COMPLETE STUDY ABROAD OR OTHER WORK HAS BECOME A SUBJECT OF CONSIDERABLE DEBATE.ALTHOUGH THIS TREND HAS BOTH ADVANTAGES AND DISADVANTAGES.THIS ESSAY WILL DISCUSS BOTH SIDES BEFORE PRESENTING MY OVERALL OPINION.

ONE OF THE MAIN ADVANTAGE IS THE UNDERGRADUATE COURSES SPENT TIME IN ABROAD FOR GOOD EDUCATION.THIS IS BECAUSE IN EUROPE COUNTRIES EDUCATION IS VERY GOOD.STYDENTS HAVE MUCH MORE EXPERIENCE FROM TIME TO TIME .STUDENT HAVE NOT FACE ANY STRICKNESS DURING THE STUDY.FOR INSTANCE UNDERGRADUATE STUDENT DOING WORK IN A SPECIFIC HOURS WITH THE STUDY.FURTHERMORE THE SECOND ADVANTAGE IS THE STUDENT CAN SEND MONEY EASILY TO THE HOME WORKS IN SPECIFIC HOURS IT CAN HELP THE FAMILY AND AFTER SPEND 2 TO 3 YEARS IN A ABROAD MANY STUDETS SETTLE DOWN AND START OUR BUSINESS EASILY.

ON THE OTHER HAND,ONE SIGNIFICANT ADVANTAGE IS THE STUDY IN ABROAD YOU NEED MUCH MORE MONEY.THIS IS MAINLY BECAUSE THE UNIVERSITY FEES IS VERY HIGH EVERY STUDENT CANNOT AFFORD.GOVERNMENT OF EUROPE COUNTRY HAVE POLICEY STUDENT COULD NOT DO MORE THAN 20 HOURS IN A WEEK.FOR EXAMPLE IF A STUDENT FEES IS MORE THAN THEY CANNOT AFFORD AND STUDENT NOT DO EXTRA TIME TO THE WORK THEY DONOT MANAGE AND THE MANY STUDENTS EXPEL THEM.FURTHEREMORE THE OTHER DISADVANTAGE IS THE STUDENTS HAVE VERY FAR FROM THIER HOUSES THEY DID NOT GIVE TIME TO THE FAMILY.

TO CONCLUDE ALTHOUGH SPENT TIME IN STUDY ABROAD HAS CERTAIN DISADVANTAGE STUDENTS NOT AFFORD MUCH MORE MONEY.IT ALSO OFFERS SIGNIFICANT BENEFITS INCLUDING HIGH LEVEL OF ADVANCE EDUCATION LEARN MORE EXPERIENCE.IN MY OPINION THE ADVANTAGES WEIGHTOUT OF DISADVANTAGES

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response: Band 5.5

You address the topic by discussing benefits and drawbacks and give a clear final preference for the advantages. Relevant points include gaining educational experience, earning money, and the costs and distance from family. However, the response only partly answers the specific question about making a period abroad or a work placement compulsory for all undergraduates: much of the discussion shifts to studying abroad generally, and the work-placement aspect is not developed. Several claims, such as students settling and starting businesses, are introduced without explaining how likely or relevant they are. Develop fewer points with clearer links to the proposed requirement, and explain why the benefits outweigh the costs.

Coherence and Cohesion: Band 5.5

The response has a recognisable structure: an introduction, a paragraph presenting benefits, a paragraph on drawbacks, and a conclusion. Signposting such as “On the other hand” and “To conclude” helps readers identify the stages of the argument. However, progression within paragraphs is often difficult to follow because several ideas are joined without clear explanation. For example, the point about working during study moves quickly to sending money home and then settling abroad. “Furthermore” is repeated to introduce points that are not always clearly connected, and the conclusion does not fully resolve the comparison. Organise each paragraph around one main idea and use linking phrases to show the relationship between claims and examples.

Lexical Resource: Band 4.5

You use some topic-related vocabulary, including “university fees,” “experience,” “government,” and “disadvantages,” so the reader can identify the general subject. However, the range is basic and repetitive, and frequent spelling and word-choice errors strain understanding. Examples include “strickness,” “policey,” “stydents,” and “weightout”; phrases such as “send money easily to the home works” and “high level of advance education” are also unclear or unnatural. Aim to learn accurate collocations for education, employment, and costs, and check spelling carefully. More precise wording would help you express your ideas without relying on repeated general terms such as “good” and “much more.”

Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 4.5

You attempt some longer sentences and use basic complex structures, including “This is because…” and “Although…,” but control is limited. Frequent errors in sentence formation, agreement, articles, and verb forms can make meaning difficult to follow. For example, “the university fees is very high every student cannot afford” joins two clauses without a clear grammatical link, while “students have very far from their houses” does not form a correct sentence. Capitalisation and punctuation are also inconsistent, with many sentences written in capitals and full stops or commas missing. Practise building accurate simple sentences first, then combine them using conjunctions and check subject–verb agreement and articles.

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