Band 5.0 IELTS Writing Task 2 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 5.0 · Cambridge IELTS 21 · 2026-10-22

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)

I am quite confident that studying abroad or working in a good country has a lot of benefits but also negative consequences. It also depends on which country you live and want to go.

On the one hand, living in a country which has perfect opportunities for geting education means there is no need to go abroad. Leaving family, friends and important people behind does not mean you are getting in a better place. There are also countries which can not offer as good adiploma as many other countries. If there is a need to go abroad, there is also a need to say goodbye to something or someone important. On the other hand, sometimes the government and the republic cannot give us the salary some work requires and most of the time there are no places to work. Even education costs thousands of dollars and euros nowadays. You can always go and work abroad, as well as quit and come back.

From my personal experience, my country does not give me the opportunities that other countries do. I am taking a lot of exams and spending time to go and study to get a valuable diploma from another country. I still do not now what I will do after university, but I know that I am willing to stay in Georgia and work here, because the government still do not understand the value of the work people do here.

As my final point, every case has as many advantages as disadvantages, but one will always outweigh another and in this case, working on your future, even if it will be broad and far from your family, is worth I because it is your future and you have a chance to make it better, so why not.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response: Band 5.0

You address both the benefits and drawbacks of studying or working abroad, and your personal example about Georgia gives the response a relevant perspective. Your final view—that working towards a better future abroad can be worthwhile—does answer the question. However, the position is not consistently clear: the opening says there are benefits and disadvantages, while “every case has as many advantages as disadvantages” does not directly establish whether the advantages outweigh the disadvantages. Several points, such as leaving family and the cost of education, are mentioned but not explained in relation to the required study-abroad or placement period. State your judgement clearly from the introduction and develop a few relevant reasons with specific examples and explanation.

Coherence and Cohesion: Band 5.0

The response has a recognisable structure, moving from an introduction to contrasting points, a personal example, and a conclusion. Phrases such as “On the one hand,” “On the other hand,” and “From my personal experience” help signal these stages. However, the progression within paragraphs is sometimes difficult to follow because several distinct ideas are placed together without clear links. For example, the first body paragraph moves from local education opportunities to family separation, diploma quality, salaries, job availability, and costs. The conclusion also combines several ideas in one long sentence. Organise each paragraph around one main point, explain how it supports your position, and use clearer referencing and transitions rather than relying mainly on formulaic signposts.

Lexical Resource: Band 5.0

You use enough topic-related vocabulary to communicate ideas about education, employment, family, and future plans, including “valuable diploma,” “opportunities,” and “government.” However, the range is limited and some word choices or combinations are noticeably inaccurate, which can make meaning less precise. For instance, “working in a good country” is vague, “perfect opportunities” is overstated, and “the salary some work requires” does not express the intended idea naturally. There are also spelling and word-form slips, including “geting,” “adiploma,” and “do not now.” Aim for precise terms connected to placements and overseas study, and check spelling and collocations. More accurate phrasing would make your ideas easier to understand and more convincing.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 5.5

You attempt a mixture of simple and longer sentences, including subordinate clauses such as “because the government still do not understand…” and “even if it will be broad and far from your family.” The main ideas are generally understandable, but errors in agreement, verb forms, articles, and sentence construction remain. For example, “the government … do not understand” needs subject–verb agreement, while “which has perfect opportunities for geting education” has an incorrect verb pattern. The final sentence is also difficult to control because several clauses are joined together, and “worth I” appears to be an incomplete construction. Practise building accurate complex sentences, especially with infinitives and conditional clauses, and divide long sentences where needed.

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