Band 5.5 IELTS Writing Task 2 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 5.5 · Cambridge IELTS 21 · 2026-10-20

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)

Undergraduate courses in universities should be more interesting and innovative. In order to make these courses more innovative the courses should add the opportunity of studying abroad or doing a work placement . The benefits of this opportunity will surely outweigh the drawbacks of courses .

University time is the prime time for a student to build himself as a person and it is the best for the growth for academic achievements and personal development . In these period , students gain knowledge through their assigned courses but they also learn different ways and techniques to lead their practical life . They grow emotionally and become more mature and get the chance to be more confident

All these positive changes are possible if they get the proper environment and opportunities to learn and develop .

If the assigned courses in the universities provide necessary opportunities and advantages of studying abroad , they will be able to learn in a different environment for a particular period of time . They will learn how diverse the process of learning can be in many ways . Different countries with diverse culture , society and people with different thinking and lifestyle will also help to develop themselves as a person .

Doing a work placement will also develop skills which will help in future job life . Working with different type of people will help to grow patience , students will learn to think with diverse perspectives and improve their analytical abilities in thinking .

The proper growth of a student does not only relies on bookish knowledge but also the knowledge from the surroundings and the whole world . The more they get to explore the world the more they will think deeply and gain knowledge and skills which will help them to understand the courses in a proper way with practical knowledge.

The different learning environments will enhance there adaptive skills and they will learn to fight the difficulties and odds . Same learning environments throughout the whole university life will give them a sense of comfort which will not only hinder their development but also they will become weaker in fighting the odd situation . Facing difficulties in different learning environments will make them more patient , intelligent and capable. They will learn to take help and also help others . The more they will interact the more they will grow .

For example , I got the opportunity to travel in India during my fourth year undergraduate internship . I visited different architectural buildings and met with different people which helped me to gain practical knowledge.

So finally I can say that universities should include studying abroad in their courses.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response: Band 6.0

Your position is clear: you believe the benefits of overseas study and work placements outweigh the drawbacks. You address both options and give relevant reasons, including cultural exposure, practical learning, confidence and employability; the example of your internship in India also supports your view. This covers the main parts of the question. However, the disadvantages are not discussed, despite the task asking you to weigh advantages against disadvantages. Some benefits are also asserted rather than fully explained—for instance, how encountering different environments makes students “more patient, intelligent and capable.” Develop this reasoning with a specific consequence, and briefly acknowledge possible costs or disruption before explaining why the benefits remain greater.

Coherence and Cohesion: Band 5.5

The response has an overall progression from the value of university development to the benefits of overseas study and placements, followed by a personal example and conclusion. Paragraph breaks help separate some points, and phrases such as “For example” signal supporting evidence. However, several paragraphs repeat similar claims about personal growth, learning and interaction, so the argument does not always advance clearly. Connections between ideas can also feel mechanical, as in the repeated “The more… the more…” construction. The conclusion mentions studying abroad but omits work placements, narrowing the final position. Group related benefits into fewer, more focused paragraphs, use clear references to link claims and examples, and ensure the conclusion reflects both options and the comparison requested.

Lexical Resource: Band 5.5

You use a relevant range of vocabulary, including “personal development,” “diverse perspectives,” “analytical abilities” and “practical knowledge,” which helps communicate the topic. Some less common expressions are attempted, but word choice and collocation are not consistently natural: “growth for academic achievements,” “different type of people,” “bookish knowledge” and “fight the difficulties and odds” sound awkward or imprecise. There is also repetition of “different,” “learn” and “grow,” which limits flexibility. Aim for more precise academic collocations and vary repeated terms—for example, describe “academic progress,” “people from varied backgrounds,” or “overcome challenges.” These changes would make your ideas clearer and more fluent without requiring unnecessarily complex vocabulary.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 5.5

You attempt both simple and complex sentences, including conditional structures such as “If the assigned courses… provide necessary opportunities… they will be able to learn” and comparative patterns such as “The more they get to explore…”. Meaning is generally understandable, but some grammatical errors recur. Examples include “In these period” instead of “In this period,” “The proper growth… does not only relies” instead of “does not only rely,” and “there adaptive skills” instead of “their adaptive skills.” There are also sentence-boundary and punctuation issues, including the final sentence beginning “The more they will interact…” as a fragment. Review subject–verb agreement, pronoun forms, articles and sentence completeness, then proofread punctuation. More accurate control of these structures would strengthen the range you are already attempting.

See this exact question answered at other band scores. The same prompt compared across bands.

Browse more IELTS Writing model answers or get your own writing scored by the same AI examiner.