Writing test structure

Before we get into the details, let’s take a look at the structure of the writing paper.
You have 80 minutes to write two texts – and it will go quickly!
The first part is the essay; the second part is an article, email, letter, report, or
review.
You will be given the essay title and two ideas or prompts. It’s essential that you
include both of these ideas in your essay, as well as another relevant idea that you
have to come up with yourself.
You have to write 140-190 words in each part and it shouldn’t take you more
than 40 minutes per answer.

Writing an essay in three steps

Take a look at this example from a sample paper and then think about how you
would answer it in an exam:
Essay title:
Some parents teach their children at home rather than sending them to school. Is
this a good or a bad thing for the children?
Ideas:

 1. having a parent as a teacher

 2. making friends
 3. …..

Question taken from http://www.cambridgeenglish.org/exams-and-tests/first/exam-

format/ (Cambridge Assessment English, Feb 2018).
What could the third idea be? Stop reading, grab a pen and write down some ideas!
Keep them general, but relevant. When you’ve finished, scroll down to the bottom
of the page to see some of our ideas*.

Step One: plan it (10 minutes)

That’s what my old history teacher used to tell me. I hate to admit it, but he was
right! If you don’t usually plan before you start writing, you really need to get into
the habit. Ten minutes may seem a lot, but the more time you spend planning, the
clearer your ideas will be and the quicker the writing process will be.
A good place to start is to brainstorm keywords and phrases related to the topic.
Next, you should think about how you’re going to begin (the introduction), how
you’re going to connect the three main ideas (the body) and how you’re going to
finish (the conclusion). If you know where you’re headed, you’re much less likely
to get lost along the way!

Step Two: write it (25 minutes)

OK, you’ve got our plan – you’re good to go! It’s important to know what the
examiners are looking for. The mark you get for the essay is based on the
following four aspects:
Content: Have you included all three ideas? Remember, all content should be
100% relevant to the topic, so don’t go off on a tangent!
Communicative achievement: Is the style or tone of your essay appropriate? It
should be neutral and quite formal, so avoid contractions (e.g. it’s, don’t, they’ll) and
first person pronouns (e.g. I, me, my, we, us, our).
Organisation: Does your essay follow a logical order? To help your writing flow, try
to include linking words. Here’s a websitewith some examples.
Language: Have you used a variety of vocabulary and grammatical structures?
Don’t always write the first word that comes to mind – look for synonyms. Using
some complex structures (e.g. different verb tenses, passives, inversion) will boost
your marks, but be sure to use them correctly!

Step Three: check it (5 minutes)

This final step is essential. It’s your chance to read (and re-read) your essay to
identify any mistakes. No matter how careful you’ve been, there are probably a few
things that you can improve. Check for spellings. Check for plurals. Check for verb
agreement. Basically, check everything!

5 quick tips to improve your

proofreading
 Keep a list of (your) frequent mistakes, so you know what to look out for
 Read it slowly
 Use your finger to guide your eyes
 Correct one thing at a time (e.g. only punctuation, then only spelling)
 Focus on the little words (pronouns, articles, prepositions, etc.)

Still not sure if this is the right exam

for you?
There are many benefits of earning an English certification, but before you decide
to do so, it’s very important to check your English level. This will help you select the
right exam course and make sure you don’t waste time completing one that’s too
hard or too easy for you.
If you decide to do an exam preparation course with us, one of our trained level
testers will work with you to assess your level. But, if you can’t wait until then,
here’s a multiple-choice test for you to complete to give you some idea.
This article also outlines the differences between the Cambridge and IELTS exams
to help you decide which exam is for you.

Glossary for Language Learners

Find the following words in the article and then write down any new ones you didn’t
know.
Daunting (adj): something that worries you because it might seem difficult to do.
Prompts (n): something serving to suggest or remind.
To come up with (pv): to think of something such as an idea or a plan.
To get into the habit (exp): to begin to do something regularly or often.
Headed (adj): destined for.
You’re good to go! (exp): you’re ready!
To go off on a tangent (exp): to start doing, discussing, or thinking about something
completely different.
To flow (v): to proceed smoothly and continuously.