Written Examination: Comprehension, Text Production and Language Accuracy
What the written paper assesses
The written examination tests three linked skills: understanding authentic Romanian texts, producing your own text for a real purpose and audience, and controlling grammar and vocabulary under time pressure. The reading and listening sections reward locating specific information and inferring tone, while the writing section rewards structure, register and range as much as correctness.
Concepts to master
Know the conventions of the text types you may be asked to write: scrisoare formală and informală, articol, recenzie, raport, e-mail. Each has expected openings and closings - a formal letter uses Stimate domnule/Stimată doamnă and Cu stimă, an informal one uses Dragă and Cu drag. Revise connectors of cause, consequence, contrast and addition (deoarece, prin urmare, în schimb, în plus). Secure the subjunctive after vreau să, trebuie să and the correct use of să versus că. Watch noun genders, plural forms and the definite article suffixed to the noun (băiatul, casa, orașul).
Traps
- Writing a formal letter in informal register, or mixing tu and dumneavoastră.
- Ignoring the bullet points in the task; each one must be covered explicitly.
- Copying long phrases from the reading text instead of paraphrasing.
- Forgetting diacritics (ă, â, î, ș, ț) and losing accuracy marks.
- Overusing one tense; a good article mixes present, past and future.
Worked rule of thumb
Before writing, spend three minutes planning: audience, purpose, three bullet points, one linking phrase per paragraph. Then apply the one-idea-per-paragraph rule. For example, an article on volunteering opens with a hook (Tot mai mulți tineri aleg să facă voluntariat), gives a personal example, then a conclusion. Check verb endings last.