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Writing Test Structure: Posted On 28/02/2018 By: Categories: Tags

The document provides tips for writing essays for Cambridge English exams such as the B2 First and C1 Advanced. It discusses the structure of the writing test, which consists of two parts where students must write 140-190 words for each. A three-step process is outlined for writing the essay: plan it, write it, and check it. Planning allows students to brainstorm ideas and structure their response. When writing, students should address content, organization, language and style. The final step of checking ensures no mistakes were made. Additional advice includes keeping lists of common errors and focusing on small words when proofreading.

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99 views4 pages

Writing Test Structure: Posted On 28/02/2018 By: Categories: Tags

The document provides tips for writing essays for Cambridge English exams such as the B2 First and C1 Advanced. It discusses the structure of the writing test, which consists of two parts where students must write 140-190 words for each. A three-step process is outlined for writing the essay: plan it, write it, and check it. Planning allows students to brainstorm ideas and structure their response. When writing, students should address content, organization, language and style. The final step of checking ensures no mistakes were made. Additional advice includes keeping lists of common errors and focusing on small words when proofreading.

Uploaded by

Paty
Copyright
© © All Rights Reserved
We take content rights seriously. If you suspect this is your content, claim it here.
Available Formats
Download as DOCX, PDF, TXT or read online on Scribd
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 Posted on 28/02/2018

  By: Brenda
  Categories:Blog

 Tags: B2 First,C1 Advanced,C2 Proficiency,Cambridge CAE Certificate of Advanced
English,Cambridge CPE Certificate of Proficiency in English,Cambridge
Exams,Cambridge FCE First Certificate of English,Learn English
Students take language certifications like the Cambridge B2 First qualification for lots of
different reasons. You might do it to motivate yourself to improve your language abilities,
to prove your level of English to an employer, or even to achieve an ambition like
travelling around the world and going to live in an English-speaking country.
The Cambridge B2 First exam includes a two-part writing section, which can
be daunting for some people. So if you’re thinking about taking an exam like this, we
have some top tips to help you write an excellent exam essay.
Most of the advice in this article can also be applied to any exam where you have
to write an essay, such as the C1 Advanced, C2 Proficiency or IELTS.
 

Writing test structure


 
Before we get into the details, let’s take a look at the structure of the writing paper. You
have 80 minutes to write two texts – and it will go quickly!
The first part is the essay; the second part is an article, email, letter, report, or review.
You will be given the essay title and two ideas or prompts. It’s essential that you
include both of these ideas in your essay, as well as another relevant idea that you have
to come up with yourself.
You have to write 140-190 words in each part and it shouldn’t take you more than 40
minutes per answer.
 

Writing an essay in three steps


 
Take a look at this example from a sample paper and then think about how you would
answer it in an exam:
Essay title:
Some parents teach their children at home rather than sending them to school. Is this a
good or a bad thing for the children?
Ideas:
 
 1. having a parent as a teacher
 2. making friends
 3. …..
 
Question taken from http://www.cambridgeenglish.org/exams-and-tests/first/exam-
format/ (Cambridge Assessment English, Feb 2018).
What could the third idea be? Stop reading, grab a pen and write down some ideas!
Keep them general, but relevant. When you’ve finished, scroll down to the bottom of the
page to see some of our ideas*.
 

Step One: plan it (10 minutes)

That’s what my old history teacher used to tell me. I hate to admit it, but he was right! If
you don’t usually plan before you start writing, you really need to get into the habit. Ten
minutes may seem a lot, but the more time you spend planning, the clearer your ideas
will be and the quicker the writing process will be.
A good place to start is to brainstorm keywords and phrases related to the topic.

Next, you should think about how you’re going to begin (the introduction), how you’re
going to connect the three main ideas (the body) and how you’re going to finish (the
conclusion). If you know where you’re headed, you’re much less likely to get lost along
the way!
 

Step Two: write it (25 minutes)


 
OK, you’ve got our plan – you’re good to go! It’s important to know what the examiners
are looking for. The mark you get for the essay is based on the following four aspects:
Content: Have you included all three ideas? Remember, all content should be 100%
relevant to the topic, so don’t go off on a tangent!
Communicative achievement: Is the style or tone of your essay appropriate? It should
be neutral and quite formal, so avoid contractions (e.g. it’s, don’t, they’ll) and first person
pronouns (e.g. I, me, my, we, us, our).
Organisation: Does your essay follow a logical order? To help your writing flow, try to
include linking words. Here’s a website with some examples.
Language: Have you used a variety of vocabulary and grammatical structures? Don’t
always write the first word that comes to mind – look for synonyms. Using some complex
structures (e.g. different verb tenses, passives, inversion) will boost your marks, but be
sure to use them correctly!
 

Step Three: check it (5 minutes)


 
This final step is essential. It’s your chance to read (and re-read) your essay to identify
any mistakes. No matter how careful you’ve been, there are probably a few things that
you can improve. Check for spellings. Check for plurals. Check for verb agreement.
Basically, check everything!
 

5 quick tips to improve your


proofreading
 
 Keep a list of (your) frequent mistakes, so you know what to look out for
 Read it slowly
 Use your finger to guide your eyes
 Correct one thing at a time (e.g. only punctuation, then only spelling)
 Focus on the little words (pronouns, articles, prepositions, etc.)
 

Still not sure if this is the right exam


for you?
 
There are many benefits of earning an English certification, but before you decide to do
so, it’s very important to check your English level. This will help you select the right exam
course and make sure you don’t waste time completing one that’s too hard or too easy
for you.
If you decide to do an exam preparation course with us, one of our trained level testers
will work with you to assess your level. But, if you can’t wait until then, here’s a multiple-
choice test for you to complete to give you some idea.
This article also outlines the differences between the Cambridge and IELTS exams to
help you decide which exam is for you.

Glossary for Language Learners


 
Find the following words in the article and then write down any new ones you didn’t
know.
Daunting (adj): something that worries you because it might seem difficult to do.
Prompts (n): something serving to suggest or remind.
To come up with (pv): to think of something such as an idea or a plan.
To get into the habit (exp): to begin to do something regularly or often.
Headed (adj): destined for.
You’re good to go! (exp): you’re ready!
To go off on a tangent (exp): to start doing, discussing, or thinking about something
completely different.
To flow (v): to proceed smoothly and continuously.
Key
n = noun
adj = adjective
pv = phrasal verb
exp = expression
v = verb
 
*Example ideas: ‘group work’, ‘bullying’, ‘class sizes’, ‘working parents’, ‘free curriculum’

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