Band 5.5 IELTS Writing Task 2 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 5.5 · 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 5.5)

Nowadays, whether all undergraduate educational institutes corriculum should include few semesters spent studying abroad or doing a internship has become a widely debated issue. Some people argue that it pose certain drawbacks than benefits, I strongly believe that the adavntages of this would outweigh the disadvantages. This essay will discuss the reasons for my view point.

The are several benefits of allowing students to spend a period of time internationally as a part of their university courses. The primary advantage is that it would give the students an opportunity to work or study in an environment where people from diverse backgrounds or culture are present. This will not only broaden their horizons but also improve their communication skills. For example, If a student studies in a multicultural university, he will gain confidence and explore his potential. Therefore, universities should need to send their undergrads to abroad to help them grow professionally and personally.

Another compelling reason is that it would open new doors for employment opportunities as well. This is mainly because by sending abroad universities give their students an opportunity to work or study in highly equipped or advanced environment. Students will be able to work or study under experienced professors. For instance, if a students studies some semesters in a well developed country like America, he will able to turn about new technology and advancements of world. Consequently, students get a valuable experience rthat will not improve their skills but also strengthen their CV or resume.

By contrast, some people argue that in this way students are distanced from their culture and traditions.

In conclusion, although some people disagree with that, I firmly believe that sending students for a period of time to abraod would help them to grow professionally.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response: Band 5.0

Your position is clear in the introduction and conclusion: you believe the advantages outweigh the disadvantages. You also give relevant benefits, including exposure to different cultures and improved employment prospects, with examples involving a multicultural university and studying in America. However, the task is only partially addressed because the disadvantage is mentioned in one brief sentence—students may become distanced from their culture—with no explanation or example. The benefits are also asserted more than fully developed; for instance, the link between studying abroad and better employment is not explained in detail. To strengthen the response, develop the disadvantage fairly, then explain why the benefits are more significant, using specific examples and clearer reasoning.

Coherence and Cohesion: Band 5.5

The response has a recognisable structure: an introduction, two paragraphs presenting advantages, a contrast paragraph, and a conclusion. Sequencing phrases such as “The primary advantage,” “Another compelling reason,” and “By contrast” help readers follow the main points. However, progression is uneven because the contrast paragraph consists of only one sentence and is not connected to the final judgement. Some linking is mechanical or unclear: “Therefore” and “Consequently” introduce conclusions without always showing the reasoning between ideas. References such as “in this way” are also vague. Build the disadvantage paragraph into a complete discussion and use clearer links between each claim, its example, and the overall position.

Lexical Resource: Band 5.5

You use some relevant topic vocabulary, including “diverse backgrounds,” “broaden their horizons,” “employment opportunities,” and “experienced professors.” These expressions help communicate the main ideas, and there is some attempt to vary wording. However, the range is uneven, with repeated use of “work or study” and “students,” while several inaccurate or misspelled forms reduce precision: “corriculum,” “adavntages,” “abraod,” and “turn about new technology.” Some combinations are also unnatural, such as “highly equipped or advanced environment” and “strengthen their CV or resume.” Aim for accurate collocations and check spelling carefully; more precise phrases would make your argument clearer and more natural.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 5.5

You attempt a mix of simple and complex sentences, including clauses with “because,” “if,” and “although,” and most of the intended meaning can be understood. However, errors recur in sentence structure and grammatical forms. For example, “Some people argue that it pose” has subject–verb disagreement, while “if a students studies” uses an incorrect plural form and “he will able” is missing a verb. The opening sentence also has an unclear construction, and “universities should need to send” combines modal forms incorrectly. Work on agreement, articles, verb patterns, and sentence boundaries, then proofread each sentence for a complete and correctly formed clause.

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