Band 5.5 IELTS Writing Task 2 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 5.5 · Cambridge IELTS 21 · 2026-10-27

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)

The university should include a class or session for undergraduate students so that they will have knowledge of studying abroad and about their career. I am agree with this opinion because nowadays lots of students are willing to go abroad for their further studies but they have no idea about the admission process. Due to that reason many students pay huge amounts to consultants for these services.

If the university will include a period to introduce about foreign studies it could be helpful for them to plan their higher studies. The attendees of this session will get advantages such as knowledge of doing higher studies from developed countries that would help to get admission in prestigious colleges, instead paying to consultant students can invest this money for further process of university application & fees.

Similarly, if a professor will guide students in extra classes about their placements and career opportunities, it will help them make better career decisions which is most important for their future. Although, there are several disadvantages of introducing these extra class such as attendees have to compromise with their regular classes, Professors need to adjust with their regular session undergraduate courses etc.

Instead of several negative impacts, students will have lots of clarity in their mind to keep it for their future planning which is so important for their further studies and career. Yes I also agree that advantages of this would outweigh the disadvantages. For example - when i did my graduation, since then had been plans to do my further studies abroad but because of lack of knowledge i decided to withdraw my plan, if university could provide me a session for this, then i would be able to make this dream happen.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response: Band 5.5

You give a clear opinion that the advantages outweigh the disadvantages, and you address both sides by mentioning guidance on overseas study and careers alongside possible disruption to regular classes. The personal example about abandoning plans to study abroad is relevant and helps explain why support could matter. However, the response partly shifts the proposal: the task asks for a period spent studying abroad or doing a work placement, whereas much of your discussion concerns an information session or extra classes about these options. The disadvantages are also only briefly identified, without explaining their likely impact. To strengthen the response, discuss the actual placement or overseas-study period, develop the costs or scheduling concerns, and explain more fully why the benefits outweigh them.

Coherence and Cohesion: Band 5.5

The response has a recognisable paragraph structure: it introduces your view, gives reasons related to overseas study and careers, considers disadvantages, and concludes with a personal example. Linking expressions such as “Similarly,” “Although,” and “Instead” help signal relationships between points. However, progression is sometimes unclear because the discussion moves from a required study-abroad or work-placement period to information sessions and extra classes. Some connections are also awkward or repetitive, particularly the repeated references to “further studies” and “future.” The sentence beginning “Although” is not smoothly connected to a main clause, and the final example is crowded into the conclusion. Keep each paragraph focused on one aspect of the proposal and use clearer links between the claim, explanation, and example.

Lexical Resource: Band 5.5

You use enough topic-related vocabulary to communicate your main ideas, including “admission process,” “career opportunities,” “prestigious colleges,” and “regular classes.” These terms show an attempt to discuss education and employment rather than relying only on very basic language. However, the range is limited and several word choices or collocations sound unnatural, such as “introduce about foreign studies,” “pay huge amounts to consultants,” and “clarity in their mind.” Repetition of “further studies,” “students,” and “session” also limits flexibility. Aim for more precise expressions that describe the proposed experience itself, such as international study, work placements, and practical experience, and check that verbs and nouns combine naturally.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 5.5

You attempt both simple and complex sentences, including conditional forms and clauses introduced by “because,” “although,” and “if.” This gives the response some structural variety, and the overall meaning is generally understandable. However, complex constructions are often inaccurate: “If the university will include” should use a present form after “if,” and “I am agree” has an incorrect verb pattern. There are also problems with articles, agreement, and sentence boundaries, as in “these extra class,” while the sentence beginning “Although” is left without a complete main clause. Capitalisation and punctuation are inconsistent, especially in the final example. Practise accurate conditional sentences and review agreement, articles, and complete sentence structure before adding more complex clauses.

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