CAE writing, the C1 Advanced Writing paper set by Cambridge University Press & Assessment, lasts 1 hour 30 minutes and has two parts: a compulsory essay in Part 1 and one task chosen from three in Part 2. Each response runs to 220 to 260 words, and both parts carry equal marks. Part 2 offers a letter or email, a proposal, a report or a review, each with a stated context, purpose and target reader. Examiners mark every response on four subscales: Content, Communicative Achievement, Organisation and Language.
How is the CAE writing paper structured?
The Writing paper lasts 1 hour 30 minutes and contains two parts, with a compulsory essay in Part 1 and one task chosen from three in Part 2. Each response runs to 220 to 260 words, and both questions carry equal marks, so the time for each one needs planning carefully. The paper is designed to allow brief plans and two responses, leaving no room for fair copies or for counting words.
Length forms part of task achievement. Significantly fewer words usually means the task has not been completed, whilst significantly more tends to bring irrelevance, repetition of ideas or weaker organisation. Dictionaries are not allowed in the exam, so practice pieces are best written without one and under the same timing as the paper.
What does the Part 1 essay require?
The Part 1 essay is compulsory and asks for 220 to 260 words on two of three bullet points, explaining which of the two is more important and giving reasons for that opinion. The task is framed as a follow-up to an academic activity, such as a panel discussion or a documentary, and the notes supply three bullet points plus three short opinions related to them. Discussing a third point leads to an essay that is underdeveloped for the level required.
The opinions may be used to help develop the essay, and they should appear in your own words as far as possible, since no credit is given for language obviously lifted from the question. Candidates are free to agree or disagree with them or to discuss both sides, in a formal or neutral register. An essay needs an introduction, clear development and an appropriate conclusion, and it is usually written for an academic tutor.
Model answer: Opinion essay on reducing city traffic
Task: Your class has attended a seminar on ways of reducing traffic in cities. You have made the notes below.
Ways of reducing traffic in cities
- cheaper public transport
- congestion charges for drivers
- more cycle lanes
Some opinions expressed in the seminar:
"Fares are the first thing most commuters consider."
"Charging drivers simply moves the queues elsewhere."
"Few people will cycle on busy roads, however many lanes there are."
Write an essay for your tutor discussing two of the ways in your notes. You should explain which way is more important, giving reasons to support your opinion. You may, if you wish, use the opinions expressed in the seminar, but you should use your own words as far as possible.
Write your answer in 220 to 260 words. The Writing paper lasts 1 hour 30 minutes for both parts.
"Traffic congestion affects air quality, travel times and the daily routines of millions of residents, so city authorities are under pressure to act. Of the three measures discussed at the seminar, congestion charges and cheaper public transport seem the most direct, and this essay compares them.
"Congestion charges have an obvious appeal because they make drivers pay for the road space they occupy, and the revenue can be reinvested in buses and trains. Critics argue that a charge merely displaces traffic onto neighbouring streets, and there is some truth in this where the charged zone is small. Nevertheless, a scheme covering a wide area discourages short, unnecessary car journeys, and that effect tends to last.
"Cheaper public transport, by contrast, gives people a reason to leave the car at home, and it benefits residents who never drove in the first place. Fares are often the first figure commuters weigh up, so a reduction can change habits quickly. It also helps people on low incomes, who may have no alternative to the bus and who would otherwise carry the cost of any new charge.
"On balance, cheaper public transport is the more important measure, because it works for every resident, whereas a charge depends on enforcement and public acceptance. Even so, lower fares would probably be most effective when introduced alongside a modest charge, since together they would make the bus clearly preferable to driving.
What this model answer does:
- Content: only two of the three points are developed, the answer states which is more important and gives reasons, and the final paragraph resolves the question the task sets.
- Communicative Achievement: a formal, neutral register suits an academic tutor, and the opinions from the notes are reworded and weighed instead of copied.
- Organisation: an introduction, one paragraph per point and a conclusion, with linking such as 'by contrast', 'nevertheless' and 'on balance' guiding the reader.
- Language: less common vocabulary such as 'enforcement' and 'reinvested', and a mix of simple and complex structures including relative clauses and concessions.
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Enquire about this tutorWhat are the Part 2 task types and their conventions?
Part 2 offers three tasks from which you choose one, drawn from letter or email, proposal, report and review, and each task specifies a context, a purpose and a target reader. Not every type appears on every paper, so practice needs to cover all four. The conventions differ as follows.
Whichever type you choose, the task will ask for two or more of these functions: describing, evaluating, hypothesising, persuading, expressing opinion, comparing, giving advice, justifying and judging priorities.
- Letter or email: a response to the situation in the task, addressed to someone such as a newspaper editor, a company director, a college principal or a peer, with an opening salutation, clear paragraphing and closing phrasing.
- Proposal: written for peers or a supervisor, clearly organised under headings, using polite recommendations and suggestions.
- Report: written for a superior or a peer group, with headings where appropriate and vocabulary suited to the topic area, such as transport or leisure.
- Review: covers a book, magazine, film, play, concert, product or service, and evaluates its suitability for a particular purpose or audience, with a positive or negative opinion and a recommendation.
Model answer: Proposal on attracting young adults to a library
Task: The manager of your town library, where you volunteer, has asked volunteers for proposals on attracting more adults aged 18 to 30 to the library. Write a proposal for the manager. Your proposal should explain why this age group visits rarely, suggest two changes and explain which change would be more effective.
Write your answer in 220 to 260 words. The Writing paper lasts 1 hour 30 minutes for both parts.
"Introduction
This proposal outlines why adults aged 18 to 30 visit the town library infrequently and recommends two changes that could bring them in. It draws on conversations with volunteers and on comments from regular visitors at the desk.
"Why Young Adults Stay Away
Two obstacles come up repeatedly. The building closes at five o'clock on weekdays, which is before most people in this group finish work or study, and the quiet atmosphere offers little reason to stay, since there is nowhere to talk or work in a group. As a result, many assume the library has nothing to offer them.
"Proposed Changes
First, opening until nine o'clock on two evenings each week would match the library to working patterns. Volunteers could cover part of these hours, which would limit the cost to the budget. Second, converting the former reference room into a shared workspace with wireless access, group tables and a small refreshment counter would give people a practical reason to visit and a social one to return.
"Which Change Would Be More Effective
Both changes would help, but longer opening hours are likely to make the larger difference because they remove the most basic barrier immediately and require no building work. The workspace would take longer to complete, although it would probably keep visitors coming once they had arrived.
"Recommendation
Introducing evening opening first and developing the workspace afterwards would allow the library to measure the response before committing to larger spending. These suggestions could be discussed at the next volunteers' meeting.
What this model answer does:
- Content: every element of the task is covered, namely the reasons for low attendance, two suggested changes and a judgement on which is more effective, so the manager is fully informed.
- Communicative Achievement: clear headings, polite conditional recommendations ('would', 'could') and evaluation of costs follow proposal conventions for a supervisor.
- Organisation: each heading matches one task requirement, and the final recommendation sequences the two changes logically.
- Language: purpose clauses, concession ('although') and precise vocabulary such as 'barrier' and 'refreshment counter' show controlled range.
How is CAE writing marked?
Each response is marked on four subscales, Content, Communicative Achievement, Organisation and Language, with a score from 0 to 5 on each. Content looks at whether the task has been done as asked and whether the target reader is informed. Communicative Achievement looks at how appropriate the writing is for the task and whether the register suits it. Organisation looks at whether the text is logical and ordered, and Language looks at vocabulary and grammar, including range and accuracy.
At C1, the descriptors refer to using the conventions of the task effectively to hold the target reader's attention while communicating straightforward and complex ideas. Organisation expects a well organised, coherent text using a variety of cohesive devices and organisational patterns to generally good effect. Language expects a range of vocabulary, including less common lexis used appropriately, and a range of simple and complex grammatical forms with control and flexibility. Occasional errors may be present but do not impede communication.
Examiners also take length and variety of English into account. Candidates are expected to use one variety consistently, so a British spelling should not switch to an American spelling within the same answer. Spelling and punctuation errors are not specifically penalised, although they can impede communication or affect the reader.
Which register should you use in C1 Advanced writing?
The register follows the target reader named in the task, and candidates are asked to decide whether that reader is a known person, a stranger or someone in authority. Essays call for a formal or neutral register when agreeing or disagreeing, and proposals call for polite recommendations with persuasive language. A letter or email to an editor, a company director, a college principal or a peer must stay consistently appropriate for that specific reader.
The Communicative Achievement scale rewards a balance between the functions the task requires and the relationship with the reader. A reader who needs reassurance calls for different phrasing from a reader who must be persuaded to approve a plan, and headings, a salutation or a closing phrase signal command of the conventions for each text type.
How should you plan and check a CAE writing answer?
Planning starts with reading the whole task, underlining the most important parts and noting every point that must be addressed, then drafting a brief plan that gives each point balanced coverage. This protects the Content subscale and fixes a paragraph order for Organisation before writing begins.
Preparation tends to work best in the following order, with each stage checked against the four subscales.
- Practise Part 1 essays on two chosen points, paraphrasing the opinions in your own words, and check Content and Language.
- Write each Part 2 type in turn and check Communicative Achievement against the named reader and purpose.
- Time two responses within 1 hour 30 minutes, with brief plans and no fair copy.
- Learn what 220 to 260 words looks like in your own handwriting or typing, so that counting words is unnecessary on the day.
- Reread for every task point covered, paragraph logic, consistent spelling, punctuation and a range of complex language, then cross out any alterations.
Related guides
- Cambridge English exams, A2 Key to C2 Proficiency
- B2 First (FCE)
- B2 First Writing with model answers
- C1 Advanced (CAE)
- C2 Proficiency (CPE)
- Linguaskill
- A2 Key (KET)
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Frequently asked questions
- How should a candidate choose between the three Part 2 tasks?
- Look at the text type and topic of each task and consider which register, functions, grammatical structures and vocabulary it requires, then pick the one you can complete most successfully. Selecting a task is itself worth practising, because not every text type appears on every paper and the three choices change from one paper to the next.
- Is it worth memorising a model answer for the exam?
- A pre-learned answer is very unlikely to meet the exact requirements of the task in front of you. Each task names its own context, purpose and target reader, and the Content subscale rewards doing what that task asks. Model answers are most useful for studying structure, paragraphing and phrasing, which you then adapt to a new question.
- Does handwriting or typing affect the mark?
- Handwriting quality is not assessed, though answers must be legible, and it does not matter whether writing is joined up or in upper or lower case. Paper-based candidates write on the lined answer sheets and may cross out words, which are then ignored. Digital candidates see an on-screen timer and word count, and benefit from timed typing and editing practice.
- What separates a proposal from a report?
- A proposal makes one or more suggestions, supported by factual information and evaluation, to persuade the reader of a course of action. A report is partly factual and draws on the prompt material, with scope for your own ideas, and may ask you to judge how far an aim has been achieved or to suggest an alternative. Both are often organised under headings.
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