B2 First Writing Part 2 Information and Advice

Many students seem to miss basic facts about B2 First Writing Part 2, so this page is to fill in some of that missing information. There are also separate pages for more detailed information and advice for each part.

General

Part 1

Format	Candidates have a choice of task. The tasks provide candidates with a clear context, topic, purpose and target reader for their writing of one of the following: an article, email, letter, review or report.
Timing	40 minutes
Number of Parts	1
Task Types	Writing (choose one task from a choice of three) in 140 to 190 words.
Marks	There are 20 marks for each part, meaning a total of 40 for the whole writing test.

You will need to think carefully about who the target reader is for each task and try to write in an appropriate way.
Is the target reader somebody they know, or a stranger, or someone in a position of authority? Do you need to present difficult information, or are you trying to persuade somebody to do something? It is important to have a balance between the functions required by the task and the relationship with the target reader.

It is important that you familiarise yourself with the different task types that appear on the paper, and are confident that you know the differences between them.

An article is usually written for an English-language magazine aimed at teenagers, and the reader is assumed to have similar interests to the writer. The main purpose is to interest and engage the reader, so there should be some opinion or comment.

An email is written in response to the situation outlined in the input information. Candidates can expect to write to, for example, a school principal or an English-speaking friend.

A letter is written in response to the situation outlined in the question. Letters in the B2 First Writing paper will require a response which is consistently appropriate in register and tone for the specified target reader. Candidates can expect to be asked to write letters to, for example, an English-speaking friend, a classmate, a school principal, or a magazine editor.

A review is usually written for an English-language magazine, newspaper or website. The main purpose is to describe and express a personal opinion about something which the writer has experienced (e.g. a film, a holiday, a product, a website etc.) and to give the reader a clear impression of what the item discussed is like. Description and explanation are key functions for this task, and a review will normally include a recommendation to the reader.

A report is usually written for an English language magazine or website for teenagers. The main purpose is to engage the interest of the reader. Effective answers have a clear storyline which links coherently to the first sentence, successfully uses the prompts provided and demonstrates a sound grasp of narrative tenses.

Since not all task types appear on every paper, it is important for you to have experience of writing all the different types.

A pre-learned response on a similar topic is unlikely to meet the requirements of the specific task in the exam.

Learn how to plan B2 First Writing Part 2 tasks quickly and effectively.

You are free to agree or disagree with the opinions given in the task, or discuss both sides.

Practice selecting which task to do in Part 2. They should look at the task types and topic areas and consider which register, functions, grammatical structures and vocabulary are required by each task. Then select the task which you feel you can complete most successfully

You need practice writing appropriate opening and concluding paragraphs.

You need to ensure that all the content of their answer is clear and easy to follow. Effective organisation and cohesion are important features of a successful essay.

A range of grammar structures will be required to communicate ideas and opinions, along with the use of appropriate vocabulary.

Before your test, try to get some experience discussing the advantages and disadvantages of aspects of all kinds of topics at B2 level.

Use the official Cambridge B2 First Exam books for official writing questions and sample answers. These can also be found here and here.

a) It is vital that you read each choice very carefully in order to understand what you are expected to do. It is important that you keep to the focus of the topic in question and that all your ideas and opinions are relevant to the question.

b) Knowing who the target reader is, is crucial. There is a vast difference between writing a letter to complain about something, and writing a report for your boss.

Task	Register
letter/email	personal, informal, semi-formal, formal depending on the reader.
report	usually formal, sometimes semi-formal
review.	semi-formal
article	informal

c) You will save time and stress if you use the points and opinions given, unless your own ideas are clear.

d) Express your ideas in a clear and logical way, making sure that your writing is smooth and easy to follow. Varying the length of sentences and using a variety of structures and vocabulary may all help to communicate ideas more effectively.

f) Using a variety of linking words is important, as is ensuring that the flow of ideas in the writing is logical and easy for the reader to follow.

g) You should use a range of complex language. If, in doing so, you make mistakes, candidates will always be given credit for the complex language attempted, as long as the mistakes do not impede communication.

h) Be aware of the importance of spelling and punctuation. Although spelling errors and faulty punctuation are not specifically penalised, they can sometimes impede communication. (N.B. American usage and spelling are acceptable.)

i) Always plan so you can check your work.

j) No credit is given for language which has been obviously lifted from the question.

k) Part 1 and Part 2 in the B2 First Writing test carry equal marks, so you should practise planning the time you spend on each question carefully.

l) Practice typing and editing your answers, so you can complete both tasks within the required time.

m) The questions are in a booklet. The answers are written in a separate booklet with lined pages.

n) Any corrections candidates make should be clear, so that they can be easily followed.

o) Counting words wastes time in an examination and leads to clumsy alterations to what a candidate has already written. Practice writing tasks within the word limit so that you can estimate when you have written enough.

p) It is important to write clearly so that the answers are easy to read.

q) It is not important whether you write in upper or lower case, or whether their writing is joined up or not.

I hope that has helped to give you a better understanding of what is required for B2 First Writing Part 2, and that you will look into each part in more detail. There is a full list of pages on the B2 First Writing test here. Good luck with your test!

information on this page is adapted from The Cambridge B2 First Handbook for Teachers for Exams