B2 First review of a fitness app: model answers with marks
This page offers an original Part 2 review task about a health and fitness app, a top answer (19/20) and a solid answer (15/20), each with examiner-style comments. Read it with our B2 First Writing guide and the FCE review guide.
By Eleanor BennettLast updated:
How to approach this task
The task asks what the app does, what is good and bad about it, and who you would recommend it to. Four paragraphs plus a title work well:
- Opening: your experience with the app (how long you used it, why).
- What it does, explained simply.
- Good points and bad points (or one paragraph each).
- Recommendation for a specific type of user.
The model answers use invented app names; never copy a real app's advertising.
Top answer (19/20)
The task
You see this announcement on a technology website.
App reviews wanted Have you used an app that helps you keep fit or live more healthily? Write a review telling us what the app does, what is good and bad about it, and who you would recommend it to.
Write your review in 140–190 words.
Top answer186 words · estimated 19/20
StepUp: the fitness app that finally got me moving
I have downloaded and deleted more fitness apps than I care to admit, so I was not expecting much from StepUp. Three months later, it is still on my phone, and I am fitter than I have been for years.
The idea is simple. You choose a goal and the app builds a programme that starts gently and gets harder each week. Workouts last between ten and thirty minutes, so there is really no excuse to skip them.
What sets StepUp apart is its friendly tone. Instead of shouting at you, the virtual coach encourages you, and if you miss a session it simply adjusts the plan rather than making you feel guilty. The progress charts are clear and genuinely motivating.
On the downside, the free version is packed with adverts, and the most useful features, such as personalised meal plans, are only available with a monthly subscription, which is not cheap.
Even so, I would recommend StepUp to beginners or anyone who has struggled to stay motivated. Serious athletes, however, will probably find it too basic.
Examiner-style comments
- Content5/5
- All three questions are answered fully: what the app does (personalised programmes), good points (tone, flexibility, charts), bad points (adverts, subscription) and a recommendation for beginners with a clear exception.
- Communicative Achievement5/5
- The honest opening ('more fitness apps than I care to admit') builds trust, and the balance of praise and criticism makes the recommendation convincing for a technology website.
- Organisation5/5
- Well organised, moving from experience to description to evaluation to verdict. 'What sets StepUp apart', 'On the downside' and 'Even so' are effective signposts.
- Language4/5
- Precise and natural ('packed with adverts', 'no excuse to skip them', 'sets … apart') with accurate comparatives and relative clauses. Range is good but not exceptional.
A balanced, convincing review that answers every question and targets its readers clearly.
Marks are our estimate using the public B2 First writing criteria, not an official Cambridge mark.
Solid answer (15/20)
The task
You see this announcement on a technology website.
App reviews wanted Have you used an app that helps you keep fit or live more healthily? Write a review telling us what the app does, what is good and bad about it, and who you would recommend it to.
Write your review in 140–190 words.
Solid pass181 words · estimated 15/20
Review: FitNow app
If you want to get fit but you don't have time to go to the gym, FitNow can be a good solution. I have been using it for two months and here is my opinion.
FitNow is an app with short workouts that you can do at home without any equipment. You can choose between different levels, beginner, intermediate and advanced, and every day the app proposes you a new training of 15 or 20 minutes.
The best thing about the app is that it is very easy to use and the exercises are varied, so you don't get bored. I also like the reminders, because they help me not to forget my training.
However, there are some negative points. The free version has a lot of publicity and some exercises are too difficult for beginners even at the easy level. Moreover, the app doesn't give advices about food, which is important if you want to lose weight.
All in all, I would recommend FitNow for people who are busy and want to start doing exercise at home.
Examiner-style comments
- Content5/5
- Every part of the task is covered: what the app does, good points, bad points and who it is for. The information is relevant and complete.
- Communicative Achievement4/5
- The opening sentence targets the reader well and the tone is appropriate for a review. The evaluation is sensible but rather plain, so the review informs more than it engages.
- Organisation4/5
- Clear paragraphs with useful linkers ('However', 'Moreover', 'All in all'). The title simply repeats the app name and could do more.
- Language2/5
- Several errors caused by first-language influence: 'proposes you a new training' (suggests a new workout), 'publicity' (adverts), 'advices' (advice is uncountable), 'recommend FitNow for people' (to people).
Complete and well organised, but repeated word-choice errors keep the Language mark low.
Marks are our estimate using the public B2 First writing criteria, not an official Cambridge mark.
What to copy from the top answer
- Start with your experience. "Downloaded and deleted more apps than I care to admit" instantly tells the reader you know the topic.
- Show what makes it different. "What sets StepUp apart is…" is a great phrase for any review.
- Signal weaknesses clearly. "On the downside…" then "Even so…" leads naturally to the verdict.
- Check false friends. Publicity is not adverts; advice has no plural.
Check your own answer
Write your own review for this prompt before you look at the answers again. Then go through the B2 First writing checklist and paste your draft into the writing checker and word counter to make sure you are between 140 and 190 words. More marked answers are in our FCE writing examples.
Questions about this task
Can I write a B2 First review about an app or website?
Yes, if the task asks for it. Reviews can be about films, books, restaurants, apps, events and more. Always follow what the announcement asks.
Is 'advices' correct?
No. 'Advice' is uncountable. Say 'some advice' or 'a piece of advice'.
Do I need to mention prices in a review?
Only if the task asks for value or cost, or if it helps your recommendation. Here the cost of the subscription is an important weakness.
How do I recommend something to a specific group?
Use phrases like 'I would recommend it to anyone who…' or 'It's ideal for…, but … may find it too…'.