FCE Writing: the complete guide to the B2 First Writing paper

The Writing paper tests whether you can produce two short, clear texts for a real reader and a real purpose. It is not a test of how many difficult words you know. Examiners want to see that you understood the task, covered every point, chose the right tone for the reader, organised your ideas logically and used a good range of B2 language with reasonable accuracy.

Part 1: the essay (compulsory) Everyone writes the same essay. You get a question, usually about a topic like education, technology, the environment or lifestyle, and two notes that you must discuss. You then add a third idea of your own. The essay is for your teacher, so the tone is neutral to formal. Read our full FCE essay guide for a paragraph plan and three marked answers.

Part 2: your choice of task You choose one of three questions. The possible task types are:

• an article for a magazine or website, written to interest and entertain
• an email or letter, which may be formal (to a company or organiser) or informal (to a friend)
• a review of a film, book, place, app or event, with a recommendation
• a report for a teacher, manager or club, with headings and suggestions

There is no story and no set-text question in B2 First, so you do not need to read a book in advance.

You have 1 hour 20 minutes for both tasks, and both are marked out of 20, so give them equal time. Here is a plan that works for most students:

1. Minutes 0–5: read the Part 1 essay question and all three Part 2 questions. Choose your Part 2 task now, while your mind is fresh.
2. Minutes 5–10: plan the essay. Write your third idea, your opinion and one example for each paragraph.
3. Minutes 10–35: write the essay.
4. Minutes 35–40: check the essay for your usual mistakes and count your words.
5. Minutes 40–45: plan your Part 2 task, paragraph by paragraph.
6. Minutes 45–70: write your Part 2 answer.
7. Minutes 70–80: check Part 2, then take a last look at both tasks.

Some students prefer to start with Part 2 because they feel more confident there. That is fine, as long as you protect the time for the other task. Use our writing checklist for what to look for in those checking minutes.

Each task gets a mark from 0 to 5 on four criteria:

• Content: did you do everything the task asked, and would the reader be fully informed?
• Communicative Achievement: is the format, tone and style right for this type of text and this reader?
• Organisation: are your ideas in a logical order, with clear paragraphs and a variety of linking devices?
• Language: do you use a good range of vocabulary and grammar, with errors that do not get in the way of understanding?

That gives 20 marks per task and 40 for the paper. A clear, accurate answer with simple but correct language usually scores better than an ambitious answer full of errors. For a plain-English explanation of what lifts a mark from 3 to 5, read how FCE Writing is marked. If you want to estimate your overall exam result, try the score calculator.

Start with the task types, then use the support pages to polish your answers.

Task types - FCE essay: the compulsory Part 1 task - FCE article: engaging the reader - FCE review: describing, evaluating and recommending - FCE email and letter: formal and informal registers - FCE report: headings, facts and recommendations

Support pages - FCE writing examples: marked model answers at three levels - Writing checklist: before, during and after you write - Linking words: linkers by function and register - How Writing is marked: the four criteria explained

When you have written a practice answer, paste it into our writing checker to count your words and spot repeated vocabulary. For the format of the other papers, see the B2 First exam guide.