C1 Advanced Writing Information and Advice

Many students seem to miss basic facts about the C1 Advanced Writing test, 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.

Part 1

Part 2

Format	The Writing test contains two parts
Timing	1 hour and 30 minutes in total
Number of Parts	2
Task Types	Part 1 is Writing an essay with a discursive focus in between 220 and 260 words. Part 2 is writing one from a number of possible text types based on a contextualised writing task. The three available tasks in Part 2 are chosen from: a letter / email a proposal a report a review The required word range is from 220 to 260 words.
Marks	There are 20 marks for each part, meaning a total of 40 for the whole writing test.

You should not reproduce a piece of writing that you have done in class on the same topic. It is essential that you fully address the specific task in the exam, and a pre-learned answer is very unlikely to meet the exact requirements.

Writing approximately the right number of words is an integral part of task achievement. If significantly fewer words are written, this is likely to mean that the task has not been successfully completed. If significantly more words are written, there is likely to be irrelevance, repetition of ideas, or poor organisation.

It is important to become familiar with the type of tasks in each part and the time it takes to write them, so you can quickly identify which task you are most suited to.

You have 1 hour and 30 minutes for the whole writing task, which is enough time to make a brief plan and write the required number of words.

Practice writing the different types of tasks, especially for Part 2, so you can use the correct register and tone for the different kinds of people who will read your answer.

You must write your answers on the lined pages in the separate answer sheets for Writing. There is no need to make a fair copy of a response, and copying what has already been written is a waste of time in the exam. If you need to make an alteration to what you have written, you should cross out the relevant words. The Writing Examiners will then ignore those words. Crossing out and making legible alterations will not have a negative effect on a candidate’s mark.

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

a) Read the questions carefully, highlighting or underlining the most important parts. Then make a plan, referring closely to the question and looking fr opportunities to develop (expand) your ideas and show your range of language.

b) Think carefully about who the target reader is for each task and try to write in an appropriate style and tone.

c) 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.

d) 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.

e) 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.)

f) Always plan so you can check your work.

g) Each question in the Writing test carries equal marks, so you should practise planning the time you spend on each question carefully.

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

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

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

k) 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.

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

m) 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 the C1 Advanced Writing test, and that you will look into each part in more detail. There is a full list of pages on the C1 Advanced Writing test here. Good luck with your test!

information on this page is adapted from The Cambridge C1 Advanced Handbook for Teachers for Exams