adminWriting can be scary – especially when you have to do it in a second language and in an exam!
Use these top tips to help you succeed:
Time Management:
You have 1 hour 20 minutes for the Writing exam and each of the two parts is worth the same number of marks. Therefore, you should spend 40 minutes on each part. If you spend too much time on one part, you will not have enough time for the other part and your marks will suffer.
How many questions do I answer?
The short answer is two questions. There are two parts in the B2 First Writing exam. In Part 1, there is only one question, so you must answer this. In Part 2, there are three questions, but you only answer one of them. You choose which question you want to answer in Part 2.
What do I write about?
The questions include points that you must include in your answer. You need to be able to identity the points that the questions ask you to write about and then make sure that you write about them in your answer. If you do not include all the points, you will lose marks.
Style & Register:
It is important that you write in an appropriate style. Part one always asks you to write an essay; in Part 2, you might write a letter / email, review, article or report. The way you write a report is different to the way you write a letter, so if you are writing a report make sure it is in the style of a report, not in the style of a letter!
Register is also important. The questions will tell you who you are writing for. Use this information to help you decide if you need to write formally, semi-formally or informally.
Coherence & Cohesion:
To make your writing coherent, you need to write something that makes sense; to make your writing cohesive, you need to link your writing together – using linking words and expressions will help you to do this.
Grammar & Vocabulary:
The examiners are not looking for perfection! They know that you are learning English and that your language will develop over time. Therefore, it is better to use more complex grammar and vocabulary and make some mistakes rather than to use simpler language perfectly.
Put these top tips into practice in your B2 First Writing exam and you will be on the road to success! Good luck with your exam!