Band 5.5 IELTS Writing Task 2 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 5.5 · Cambridge IELTS 21 · 2026-10-23

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)

As the world is progressing every single day and change is being seen in every sector, even education.The curriculum of undergraduate courses in universities should also be modified by adding a mandatory internship or a foreign exchange study semester.I think this pratice should definitely be implemented as it has alot of benefits which are as follows.

Firstly, doing an internship gives one alot of practical exposure.It gets you ready for the corporate world beforehand.Also, it helps you decide if you really want to pursue your course or switch it.It gives you a chance to network with people of the same field and also incease your chances to get recurited by the same company after you graduate.Furthermore, it can also add experience to your CV which can benefit you later on.

Another benefit of doing an internship or studying abroad is the amount of learning you get to do.You can learn a new culture,a new language or even work in a totally new environment, which we donot get to experience here.So,even if someone wants to move to that country later, it will be easier for them as they would already be familiar with their work environment.

Although, some people do not prefer an internship or studying abroad experience as it could burn them out way before than entering the field professionally.

In conclusion,the benefits are overshadowing the disadvantages which shows that taking this step would definitely bring a very positive change and development in our university courses.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response: Band 5.5

Your position is clear: you support making overseas study or work placement part of undergraduate courses, and the conclusion reinforces this view. You give relevant reasons, including practical preparation, career networking, CV experience, and exposure to another culture. However, the task asks whether the advantages outweigh the disadvantages, and the disadvantage is only briefly mentioned: possible burnout. It is not explained or weighed against the benefits, so this part is less fully addressed. The response also falls four words short of the required minimum. To strengthen the response, develop the drawback and explain why the benefits still outweigh it, using a specific example or comparison.

Coherence and Cohesion: Band 6.0

The response has a clear overall arrangement: an introduction, two paragraphs presenting advantages, a paragraph acknowledging a disadvantage, and a conclusion. Sequencing words such as “Firstly,” “Furthermore,” and “In conclusion” help readers follow the main points. However, the progression is somewhat mechanical, and the disadvantage paragraph is very short compared with the benefits, leaving the comparison incomplete. Some links between ideas could also be clearer; for example, the move from learning a new culture to finding it easier to work in that country needs a more explicit explanation. Use cohesive devices to show contrast and evaluation, and develop the paragraphs more evenly so the argument builds towards the conclusion.

Lexical Resource: Band 5.5

You use enough vocabulary to communicate the main ideas, including relevant terms such as “practical exposure,” “corporate world,” “network,” and “work environment.” There are also attempts at more specific expressions, such as “foreign exchange study semester.” However, several choices are informal or imprecise for an academic essay: “alot of benefits,” “gets you ready,” and “a new culture” are broad or conversational. Spelling errors such as “pratice,” “incease,” and “recurited” are noticeable and reduce accuracy. Aim for more precise academic collocations and check spelling carefully; for instance, describe placements as providing “professional experience” and say they “prepare students for employment.”

Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 5.5

You use a mix of simple and complex sentence forms, including a conditional clause in “if someone wants to move to that country later” and a relative clause in “which can benefit you later on.” Most ideas remain understandable. However, some sentence boundaries and punctuation are inaccurate: “education.The curriculum” needs a space after the full stop, and several sentences run together without spaces after commas or full stops. There are also awkward grammatical patterns, such as “burn them out way before than entering the field professionally,” where the comparison is not formed correctly. Review punctuation and practise constructing complex sentences with accurate comparisons and clause links.

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