Band 5.5 IELTS Writing Task 2 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 5.5 · Cambridge IELTS 21 · 2026-10-26

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)

Baccalaureate students are in the initial phase of their degree studies with a very little knowledge of their upcoming professional lives. Professional live is quite different from academic life and it needs alot of exposure and experience.

When the fresh graduates pass out with degree in hands and dreams in their eyes, thas where they get hit with a reality check. A job just not only requires a degree, skills and experince both are equally important for making position in a job market.

Moreover, during the undergraduate studies, students who get a chance for any semester exchange program, where they can spend their one or two smester in any other country would have very different level of confidence and exposure. Lately, this exposure would definitely be a plus point in their Curriculum Vitae.

Thus, a degree and a exposure to the outer world with a job experience, be it of short time span, is extremely important and obviously will worth it for the graduates once they will come in their professional field. This before hand, expereince and exposure will make them worry and stress less.

The example i want to quote here would be myself. I got my degress back to back. Graduation and post graduation. The field to which i belong requires alot of hands on experince, also the job market is very saturated As of now, for all this an internationl exposure that too with a good experince is required which will land me in a stable job and good income.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response: Band 5.0

You take a relevant position in favour of overseas study or work experience, and you give reasons connected to confidence, exposure and employability. The personal example about graduating without practical experience also helps make the topic relevant. However, the response addresses the comparison only partially: it does not explain what disadvantages might arise or why the benefits outweigh them. Several claims, such as international experience being required for a stable job, are asserted rather than supported with a specific explanation or example. The position is implied through phrases such as “extremely important” and “obviously will worth it,” but a direct statement answering the question would make it clearer. Develop both sides and explain the weight you give each.

Coherence and Cohesion: Band 6.0

The response has a recognisable overall arrangement: it introduces the gap between academic and professional life, gives reasons for practical or international experience, and ends with a personal example. Paragraph breaks and linking expressions such as “Moreover” and “Thus” help signal the movement between points. However, progression is not always clear: the semester-exchange point and the later claim about work experience are not fully connected, and the final personal example does not clearly conclude the comparison of advantages and disadvantages. Some links feel mechanical, particularly “Thus,” while “Lately” does not clearly express the intended relationship. Use each paragraph to develop one main point, and make references and transitions explicit so the reader can follow how each reason supports your position.

Lexical Resource: Band 5.5

You use relevant vocabulary for the topic, including “professional lives,” “exposure,” “semester exchange program,” “Curriculum Vitae,” and “job market.” These choices show an attempt to discuss education and employment beyond very basic terms. However, word choice and collocation are often inaccurate or repetitive, which limits precision: “making position in a job market,” “a degree and a exposure,” and “will worth it” do not sound natural. There are also noticeable spelling errors, including “experince,” “smester,” “degress,” and “internationl.” Aim to use fewer repeated forms of “exposure” and “experience,” and check spelling and common word partnerships. More accurate phrasing would make your ideas easier to understand and more convincing.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 5.0

You attempt both simple and more extended sentence forms, including the opening contrast between professional and academic life and the sentence beginning “When the fresh graduates pass out…”. However, control is inconsistent, and errors in sentence structure, verb forms, articles and agreement sometimes make the meaning difficult to follow. For example, “A job just not only requires” has an incorrect construction, while “will worth it” is missing the required verb form. In “students who get a chance … would have,” the conditional relationship is unclear, and “a exposure” shows an article error. Several sentences also run together or lack clear punctuation. Practise building accurate complex sentences, then check each sentence for a complete verb pattern, articles and punctuation.

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