Band 5.0 IELTS Writing Task 2 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 5.0 · Cambridge IELTS 21 · 2026-11-04

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)

It is undenible fact that school and university both education sectors plays a vital role in every person life. However, many people believe that all university apart from study give free time to students for working outside becuase they gain knowlegde regarding many aspects of life. This essay will elucidate both views along with my perspective in this essay.

To commence with, no doubt university provide ample of benefits to a student like scholarships, some free food etc but apart from that students has life outside the university which they want to improve. One of the most significant advantages which student get from outside environment is improve communication skills. To elaborate, through their job they get chance to met new people belongs to different cultures and different environment consequently, they easily get chance to develope their inner well from many aspects. Moreover, many student support themselves financially along with their family.

On the other hand, every coin has two sides so are the situations. Many student get hard time for outside work because of their hectic study schedule given by the universities. Futhermore, many university peers face difficulty to outside the university bacause they never work either. As a result they decided to study rather than working outside. Another striking point is long working hours which might be dissrupted their sleep loss focus on their study.

In a nutshell, Although there are certain drawbacks associated with some spare time for studying student in university, i firmly beleive that get some free time would definately help them financial and culturally. Ultimately, the most effective approach is every student should do some work along with their study to support themself.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response: Band 4.5

The response is only partially focused on the question. It discusses benefits and drawbacks of students working outside university, but the task asks whether every undergraduate course should include a period of study abroad or a work placement. The essay does not address studying abroad and does not clearly distinguish a structured placement from general outside work. Your view appears in the conclusion—“every student should do some work along with their study”—but the opening says the essay will discuss “both views” without establishing a clear position on whether the advantages outweigh the disadvantages. The points about communication, financial support, workload and sleep are relevant in a broad sense, but they need to be tied directly to placements and weighed against each other. Develop specific examples and explain why the benefits do or do not outweigh the costs.

Coherence and Cohesion: Band 5.5

The essay has a recognisable structure: an introduction, a paragraph on benefits, a paragraph on drawbacks and a conclusion. This helps the reader follow the broad direction of the response. However, progression is weakened by the mismatch between the task and the discussion of general outside work, and some links between ideas are unclear. For example, “many university peers face difficulty to outside the university because they never work either” is difficult to interpret, so its role in the argument is uncertain. Connectors such as “To commence with,” “Moreover,” and “On the other hand” provide basic signposting, but some are formulaic and do not always clarify the relationship between claims. Use clearer topic sentences and make each paragraph build toward a direct comparison of advantages and disadvantages.

Lexical Resource: Band 5.0

You use some topic-related vocabulary, including “communication skills,” “different cultures,” “financially,” and “working hours,” which helps convey the general subject. However, the range is limited and several inaccurate word choices or collocations make parts of the argument hard to understand. Phrases such as “improve their inner well,” “get hard time,” and “difficulty to outside the university” do not express the intended ideas clearly. Spelling errors, including “undenible,” “becuase,” “knowlegde,” and “definately,” are also noticeable. Aim for precise language connected to the actual task, such as “work placement,” “professional experience,” and “international exposure,” and check spelling and collocations carefully. More accurate phrasing would make your ideas easier to follow.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 5.0

There are attempts to use complex sentences and linking clauses, for example, “Although there are certain drawbacks …, I firmly believe…,” and “because of their hectic study schedule.” However, the range is limited, and errors occur frequently enough to make several sentences difficult to process. Subject–verb agreement is inconsistent in “both education sectors plays” and “university provide”; verb forms are faulty in “students has” and “get chance to met”; and sentence construction is unclear in “which might be dissrupted their sleep loss focus on their study.” Articles, plurals and punctuation also need attention. Practise building accurate simple sentences first, then combine them with subordinate clauses. Proofread each sentence for a clear subject and verb, correct agreement, and a complete, logical structure.

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

Browse more IELTS Writing model answers or get your own writing scored by the same AI examiner.