Writing
The Writing paper lasts 1 hour 30 minutes and has two parts. Part 1 is compulsory: an essay of 240–280 words based on two short texts. Part 2 offers four tasks, from which you choose one; the tasks are typically an article, a letter, a report, or a review, and the required length is 280–320 words. Writing is worth 20% of the overall score. Each task is assessed on content, communicative achievement, organisation, and language.
Core rules and concepts
- Part 1 must integrate both texts. Do not simply summarise them in sequence: show the relationship between their claims and develop your own position.
- Part 2 tests genre control. Identify the audience, purpose, and register before you write. A report needs a clear structure, headings, and recommendations; a review needs description plus evaluation and a recommendation; a letter needs an appropriate salutation and close; an article needs a title and an engaging opening.
- Content marks depend on covering the task fully, not on length alone. Organisation depends on paragraphing, topic sentences, and cohesive devices. Language marks reward range and accuracy, including complex structures and precise vocabulary.
- Register must be consistent. A formal letter should not slide into colloquialisms; an informal article should not become a bureaucratic report.
Worked example
Part 1 prompt: two texts discuss remote work. Text A argues that remote work weakens spontaneous collaboration; Text B argues that it gives companies access to global talent. A weak response lists: 'Text A says collaboration suffers. Text B says talent is global.' A stronger response writes: 'While Text A rightly warns that remote work can erode informal collaboration, Text B's point about global talent suggests that the problem is not remoteness itself but how teams are managed.' Reasoning: both texts are represented; the writer identifies a relationship (contrast plus qualification); and the final clause states an independent position that could be developed with an example.
Traps
- Ignoring one of the two texts in Part 1, or quoting it at length instead of using it.
- Writing a Part 1 essay with no own view, so it reads as a summary.
- Choosing a Part 2 genre but ignoring its conventions, such as a report without headings or a review with no judgement.
- Missing a content point in a letter or report, which limits the content mark.
- Using memorised 'impressive' phrases that do not fit the register or argument.
- Writing one long paragraph, or ending without a conclusion or recommendation.