Band 5.5 IELTS Writing Task 2 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 5.5 · Cambridge IELTS 21 · 2026-10-24

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)

How undergraduates spent their time during their course of education is of great importance. While, many believe that giving students an opportunity to either study abroad or doing intership during their course period helps in increasing their practical knowledge and experience while others hold contrasting opnions.

Ther are several advantages of giving children such opportunities. First and foremost, is the practical and professional knowledge and experience. Students gets hand-on practice of what they have learned in their classrooms and have better understanding of their profession. For instance children who did internship during their education easily understand their course outline and worth of what they are learning.The other main reason is that, it helps in building confidence, communication skills and gives them a hands-up of what society expects from them. Another reason is that it improves the worth of their degrees and help in landing job opportunities.It also boost the economy and reputation of a university.

On the other hand, main disadvantage is that some students lose interest in their studies after internship or studying abroad. They thought that what they have learnt during their period was completely different from what they are supposed to do in the market. Other disadvantage is that some students would involve in illegal activities during such periods if not keep a close eye on them. Because they are away from the reach of their parents and teachers.

In conclusion, studying abroad for a short period or doing work placement have both advantages and disadvantage. But if we see the advantage such as building confidence, having practical experience and knowledge we could oversee its disadvantages as its nothing serious.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response: Band 6.0

You address both sides of the question and give a clear overall view: the benefits of practical experience, confidence-building and employment prospects outweigh the drawbacks. The examples about students understanding their profession and the possible effect on university reputation are relevant. However, the discussion is unevenly developed. The advantages are listed rather than explained in depth, while the concerns about losing interest and becoming involved in illegal activities are asserted without examples or explanation of how likely or serious they are. The response would be more convincing if you directly compared the scale of these benefits and risks, and supported one or two key points with a specific example. Your conclusion restates your position, but “nothing serious” dismisses the disadvantages rather than weighing them carefully.

Coherence and Cohesion: Band 6.0

The response has a clear overall structure: an introduction, a paragraph on advantages, a paragraph on disadvantages, and a conclusion. This makes the main line of argument easy to follow. You also use signposting such as “First and foremost,” “On the other hand,” and “In conclusion.” However, the advantages paragraph becomes a sequence of points joined by “Another reason,” so the progression can feel mechanical rather than developed. Some links between ideas are unclear, particularly the move from students’ confidence to the university’s reputation. Punctuation also disrupts cohesion in places, such as the comma after “First and foremost” and the sentence fragment beginning “Because they are away.” Group related points and explain their connections to create smoother progression.

Lexical Resource: Band 5.5

You use a relevant range of vocabulary, including “practical knowledge,” “professional knowledge,” “communication skills,” and “job opportunities,” which helps convey the topic. There are also attempts at less common expressions, but several are inaccurate or unnatural, such as “hands-up of what society expects,” “worth of their degrees,” and “oversee its disadvantages.” Spelling errors, including “intership,” “opnions,” and “Ther,” also reduce precision. Some word choices are vague, for example “children” when referring to university students and “illegal activities” without specifying the concern. Aim for accurate academic collocations and check spelling carefully; this will make your ideas sound more precise and natural.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 5.0

You attempt both simple and complex sentence forms, including a contrast in the introduction and conditional phrasing such as “if not keep a close eye on them.” The overall meaning is generally understandable, but errors in agreement, verb forms, articles and sentence construction are noticeable. For example, “Students gets” should use a plural verb, and “it improves … and help” needs consistent agreement. The opening “While, many believe…” is punctuated incorrectly and leaves the contrastive clause awkwardly connected. “Because they are away from the reach of their parents and teachers” is a fragment, while “have both advantages and disadvantage” has a number-agreement problem. Practise checking each sentence for a complete main clause, consistent verb forms and agreement.

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

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