FCE writing checklist: what to check before, during and after you write
This FCE writing checklist breaks every B2 First Writing task into three stages: before you write (understand and plan), while you write (stay on task and in register) and after you write (check content, errors and word count). Use it with every practice answer until it becomes automatic. It is part of our B2 First Writing guide.
By Eleanor BennettLast updated:
Why a checklist works
Most marks in the Writing paper are not lost because a student does not know enough English. They are lost because of avoidable things: a missed content point, the wrong register, no headings in a report, or the same grammar mistake made five times. A checklist turns these into habits.
The four stages below match the four criteria. If you can tick every box, you are protecting your Content, Communicative Achievement, Organisation and Language marks. You can read more about each criterion in how FCE Writing is marked.
Before you write (about 5 minutes per task)
- Task type: Is it an essay, article, email or letter, review or report? Check the last line of the task: Write your...
- Reader: Who will read this? A teacher, a friend, a magazine reader, a manager?
- Purpose: Am I arguing, describing, recommending, applying, complaining, advising?
- Register: Formal, neutral or informal? Decide now and write it at the top of your plan.
- Content points: Have I underlined every point I must cover? In the essay, have I written down my third idea, and is it different from both notes?
- Paragraph plan: Do I know what goes in each paragraph, with at least one reason or example for each main point?
- Vocabulary: Have I noted five or six topic words or phrases I want to use?
- Format features: Title (article, review, report)? Headings (report)? Greeting and sign-off (email or letter)?
While you write
- One idea per paragraph. Start each paragraph with a sentence that tells the reader what it is about.
- Develop, do not list. Point, reason, example.
- Keep the register consistent. No Hi! in a formal email; no Furthermore in a chatty email to a friend.
- Link your ideas with a variety of connectors and referencing words (this, these, such, which). Our linking words guide has lists by function.
- Use language you control. Try one or two ambitious structures, but do not build a whole answer on grammar you are unsure of.
- Watch the clock. If you are halfway through your time and still on paragraph two, shorten your plan rather than your checking time.
- Write clearly. On paper, make sure the examiner can read every word; on computer, use a blank line between paragraphs.
After you write (about 5 minutes per task)
Check in three passes, each with a different focus. Trying to check everything at once means you notice nothing.
- Content pass: Read your plan, then your answer. Is every content point there? Is the question answered? Does the recommendation, opinion or conclusion appear clearly?
- Organisation and register pass: Are paragraphs clear? Does the opening suit the task type? Is there anything too informal or too formal?
- Accuracy pass: Look only for your personal top-five mistakes.
Common accuracy problems at B2 include:
- subject missing: is very important → it is very important
- third person -s: the company offer → offers
- verb patterns: suggest to go, look forward to meet, should to do
- articles: the people are... when you mean people in general
- spelling of words you use often: beautiful, environment, necessary, responsible
Finally, estimate your word count. Count the words in three lines, find the average, and multiply by the number of lines. You need 140–190 words.
Building the checklist into your preparation
- 1
Find your personal error list
Look at your last four or five corrected texts and write down the mistakes that appear more than once. That list is your accuracy checklist.
- 2
Time your stages
In practice, time your planning and checking separately. Most students plan too little and check too little.
- 3
Use a tool for the boring parts
Paste practice answers into our free writing checker to count words, paragraphs and linking words and to spot repeated words, so your own checking can focus on meaning and accuracy.
- 4
Compare with a model
After checking, compare your answer with a marked answer on the same task type in our FCE writing examples.
Checklist traps
Trap: Planning in your head instead of on paper.
Fix: Write a short plan, even just key words. It takes three minutes and saves you from a missing point.
Trap: Spending all your time writing and none checking.
Fix: Protect five minutes per task for checking. A missing s or subject corrected five times is worth more than an extra sentence.
Trap: Rewriting whole paragraphs at the end.
Fix: At the end, only make small corrections. Big changes create new mistakes.
Trap: Counting every word one by one.
Fix: Estimate using the lines method on paper; on computer, the word count is usually shown.
Trap: Checking for everything at once.
Fix: Do three short passes: content, organisation and register, then accuracy.
FCE writing checklist: frequently asked questions
How long should I spend planning in B2 First Writing?
About five minutes per task is enough for most students. That leaves around 25 minutes to write and five to check each task.
What should I check first when I finish?
Content. Make sure every point in the task is covered and the question is answered, because a missing point costs more than a small grammar error.
Is it OK to cross things out on paper?
Yes. Draw a single neat line through the mistake and write the correction clearly. Examiners mark what they can read.
What happens if I write too many or too few words?
Stay within 140–190 words. Very short answers usually miss content, and very long ones tend to lose focus and include more errors.
Can I use the same checklist for every task type?
Yes. The stages are the same; only the format features change: headings for a report, a title for an article or review, and a greeting and sign-off for an email or letter.