Introduction

The writing test is paper 2 of the Cambridge Advanced English exam. The paper takes two hours, and it is for 20% of your total mark in the exam. The CAE writing paper tests your grammar, vocabulary and spelling, and also your ability to organize your writing in a logical manner that does exactly what each question asks. The paper also checks that you use the correct register in your writing, and that you make your points effectively to your reader.

There are two papers in this part of the exam. Each requires you to write about 250 words.

Part 1. This is a compulsory question. You will be given material to read (often more than 150 words ) and you will have to perform a writing task based upon this material. For instance you may be given a job description from a company handbook. There are notes which "you" have scribbled in the margin about how accurate this description is, based on your experience in your first weeks in the job. Your task might be to write a letter to a friend based on this material telling him about the job.

Part 2. This time you can choose from four different types of question. Often these involve describing something - for example a guide for new students to your school. You may be asked to give an opinion - for instance you are reviewing a local nightclub for your college magazine. You may be asked for a narrative - for example a newspaper has asked you to describe a football game in which you played. The last question is always business related. It is very often, but not always, a letter. The prompt giving you details of your task will contain about 80 words.

You are marked in bands from 0 - 5. Band 0 means that your handwriting was unreadable, you wrote less than 50 words for the question, or your answer was not connected to the question. You should aim for at least Band 3, which means that what you wrote would be effective in real life, even if it is not perfect. Even for the top band, Band 5, you do not need to be perfect, but your errors should not interfere with the reader's understanding. Remember, perfect grammar and spelling are less important than the overall impression you give the examiner. American English spellings are acceptable as long as spelling is consistent.

The best way to prepare for this test is to write, but you should also work hard at developing your vocabulary. Remember, it is seldom necessary to write sentences of more than 20 words, or sentences which include many different clauses. If you are writing something which seems long and complicated, you might be better off with two or more shorter sentences. Clarity and good organisation of your ideas will impress examiners much more than attempts to write literature.

Remember: If you write too much or too little, you will lose marks. Bad handwriting is penalized.