Band 5.0 IELTS Writing Task 2 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 5.0 · Cambridge IELTS 21 · 2026-10-29

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 5.0)

Nowadays, there is the common perception among the the people that they spend some of the their time during their bachelors whether at the exchange program or at the work during heir degree. For many people think this is one of the best opportunity to explore. However there are both pros and cons for deciding this.

Lets begin by looking at the advantages of the going abroad for some time during you degree, first of all it gives you the better perspective about life you see the world through different lens . It gives you the opportunity to become a better person.

One of the main positive is this , you interact with different people around the world and it gives you the chance to learn from the and to over come the shortcomings in you.

Secondly, not all people get a chance to study abroad during their undergraduate, one is young and adaptable and easily to mold according to the new and world for their betterment.

On the other hand during for studies and ding work is on of the best works one should do, it gives you the strong grip on your degree, because during degree students learn mostly the theoretical side of the studies while doing work on our degree helps you to implement the theory on the practical world, it gives you the better understanding of the knowledge you have acquire during your studies.

Turning to the other side of the argument is that most people wants to complete their studies in due time and are scare to take any risks. Another reason is that most students dont have the knowledge about other opportunities that broaden their horizons.

In conclusion, students should take the opportunities that helps them to explore them as the individual and helps them in their studies too.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response: Band 5.0

You address the topic by discussing benefits of studying abroad and gaining work experience, and your conclusion supports students taking these opportunities. Relevant points include seeing the world from a different perspective and applying theoretical knowledge in practice. However, the response does not clearly answer the central comparison: whether the advantages outweigh the disadvantages. The disadvantages are only briefly mentioned—students may want to finish on time or fear taking risks—and are not explained or weighed against the benefits. Several ideas, such as becoming “a better person” or being young and adaptable, remain general and lack a specific example. State your position clearly in the introduction and develop a balanced comparison before concluding.

Coherence and Cohesion: Band 5.5

The response has a recognisable structure, moving from an introduction to benefits, a contrasting paragraph, and a conclusion. Sequencing phrases such as “first of all,” “Secondly,” and “On the other hand” help signal the direction of ideas. However, progression is uneven: the paragraph beginning “On the other hand” mainly presents another benefit of work placements, so the contrast is unclear, and the actual disadvantages appear later without being developed. Some sentences are difficult to connect, particularly “For many people think this is one of the best opportunity to explore.” Use paragraphs that each have a clear purpose, and make references and transitions precise so the reader can follow the comparison.

Lexical Resource: Band 5.0

You use some relevant topic vocabulary, including “exchange program,” “undergraduate,” “theoretical,” “practical,” and “broaden their horizons.” These choices show an attempt to discuss education and international experience. However, the range is limited and several phrases are inaccurate or awkward, which sometimes makes the intended meaning harder to follow: “strong grip on your degree,” “learn from the,” and “new and world” are examples. Spelling and word-form errors such as “over come,” “heir,” and “scare” also reduce control. Aim for precise collocations and check spelling carefully. For instance, describe gaining “practical experience” or “a deeper understanding” rather than relying on unclear expressions.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 5.0

You attempt both simple and more extended sentence forms, including a contrast introduced by “while” and a reason introduced by “because.” However, complex sentences are often faulty, and frequent errors in agreement, articles, verb forms, and sentence construction can make ideas difficult to understand. Examples include “there is the common perception,” “For many people think,” “one of the best opportunity,” and “most people wants.” Some sentences also run together or lack clear punctuation, as in the opening paragraph. Practise building complete sentences with a clear subject and verb, then check singular/plural agreement and articles. Breaking longer ideas into shorter, correctly punctuated sentences would improve clarity.

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