Three ways to get top marks on your Cambridge writing exam

Top marks in your writing exam is the dream, right? Well, actually it can be reality. If you know how, you really can get top marks. Here’s how…

Answer the question

It sounds obvious, right? But many candidates don't do it! In the essay in B2 First Part 1, you ALWAYS have to discuss three ideas, so make sure you do (each one in a new paragraph). In the C1 Advanced essay, you ALWAYS discuss two options and choose which one you think is best or most effective etc.

With my students, we practise analysing tasks like this so that in the exam, you can do it almost without thinking.

Ensuring you answer the question should mean you get tops marks for your ‘content’ score.

Use the right format

Cambridge exam writing follows a formula. Learn the five patterns for B2 First (an essay, a review, a report, an email or an article) and the five for C1 Advanced (an essay, a review, a report, a proposal or an email) and repeat them in the exam.

Getting this right is one of the easiest ways to improve in the writing exam. If you know exactly what the examiners want in each type of writing, you can get full marks for ‘communicative achievement’.

Check your writing at the end

This is probably the most important part of the exam! You WILL find a spelling mistake or a missed word or a sentence that doesn't make sense.

Getting feedback on your writing is the best way to help you get better at this. The more feedback you get, the more you start to notice the mistakes yourself.

Checking your work in the exam could find you a valuable extra mark which could be the difference between an A or B grade.

For more tips on writing, download my ten tips for B2 First – Get it write.

*you get a mark out of 5 for content, communicative achievement, organisation and language