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)

It is widely believed that all the universities should include a period of time spent studying abroad or doing a work placement for their students in undergraduate courses. I believe that there are a lot of advantages for students who spent some time of their course work in studying abroad and the advantages outweigh the disadvantages.

Some people totally agree with that all university undergraduate courses should include a period of time spent studying abroad or doing a work placement. It's a good opportunity for students who really wants to study abroad because they can learn from highly qualified professors among the world. This initiative should be taken by the government or the university and they should be responsible for all the expenses. Students cannot afford to live in a strange country so every thing should be manage by authorities. For instance, most of Pakistani students went to Sibanci university turkey in exchange program and they study one semester here. Furthermore, a majority of students applied for work placements and internships in a foreign country. They believe that they can earn more and get exposure if they work or study abroad. Additionally, some students also think that they can learn the culture of other countries by spending time in that particular country.

Despite these benefits there are significant drawbacks of sending students abroad for work and study. Moreover, if students spend some time in a foreign country they wish to settle in the specific country. They believe that there lifestyle has been change by living in this country. Additionally, some students also think that they can get better pay in a foreign country. Due to all this, the particular university and country cannot get any benefit because the individuals do not return back to their own country. For example, many Pakistani students went to America and Europe and did not return back due to facilities which are not available in their own country.

To conclude, I believe there are a lot of benefits of sending students abroad for short courses of study and work placement because they can get a better life style.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response: Band 5.5

You give a clear overall view that the advantages outweigh the disadvantages, and you address both benefits and drawbacks. Relevant points include gaining international academic experience, learning about other cultures, and the possibility that graduates may remain abroad. The Pakistani student examples help make the discussion more concrete. However, the position is not fully sustained: the conclusion mentions benefits but does not explain why they outweigh the concern about students not returning. Several ideas are also asserted rather than developed—for example, the claim that students can “earn more” abroad needs explanation or support. To strengthen the response, compare the importance of the benefits and drawbacks directly and develop each main point with a clear reason or example.

Coherence and Cohesion: Band 5.5

The response has a recognisable structure, with an introduction, a paragraph on benefits, a paragraph on drawbacks, and a conclusion. This makes the main stages of the argument easy to identify. However, progression within paragraphs is sometimes unclear, and linking expressions can feel mechanical or inaccurate. The benefits paragraph moves from government funding to an exchange example, then to work placements and cultural learning without clearly showing how these points connect. “Despite these benefits” appropriately signals a contrast, but “Moreover” immediately after it does not clearly introduce a new relationship. Repeated use of “Additionally” also makes the linking predictable. Group related ideas more tightly, use pronouns with clear references, and make the conclusion explicitly connect back to the comparison in your position.

Lexical Resource: Band 5.0

You use enough topic-related vocabulary to communicate the main ideas, including “work placements,” “internships,” “exchange program,” and “qualified professors.” However, the range is limited and several phrases are repetitive or imprecise, such as “a lot of advantages,” “spending time,” and “better life style.” Some word choices and collocations may make the reader pause: “among the world” and “the particular university and country cannot get any benefit” do not express the intended meaning naturally. There are also spelling and form issues, including “every thing” and “lifestyle” written as two words. Aim for more precise academic phrasing and check common collocations, while keeping your meaning direct.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 5.0

You attempt both simple and more complex sentences, including conditional and subordinate structures, so the response is not limited to short statements. However, errors occur frequently and sometimes make relationships between ideas harder to follow. Examples include “students who really wants” (subject–verb agreement), “every thing should be manage” (verb form), and “their lifestyle has been change” (pronoun and verb form). Articles and sentence patterns also need attention, as in “all the universities” and “agree with that all university undergraduate courses.” Some long sentences combine several ideas without secure grammatical control. Practise agreement, past participles, and clause construction, then proofread each sentence for a clear subject and correctly formed verb.

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