What Part 1 of the Writing paper actually asks for
Part 1 is compulsory: every candidate writes an essay, no choice. The task gives you a statement or question (for example, “Some people say money spent on space travel is wasted. Do you agree?”), two notes — ideas you must discuss — and the instruction to add “your own idea” as a third point. The limits are 140–190 words, and the register is neutral to formal: no contractions-heavy chat, no slang, no “Hey!”.
Three things decide your mark before style even enters the picture: did you cover both given ideas, did you add a genuine third idea of your own, and did you make your overall opinion clear? Miss any of these and the Content scale — a quarter of your essay mark — drops immediately, however elegant the English. (How the four scales roll up into your final result is unpacked in how FCE scoring works.)
C
Content
Did you do everything the task asked?
CA
Communicative Achievement
The right register and effect for the reader
O
Organisation
Paragraphs, linking, a logical shape
L
Language
Range and accuracy of vocabulary and grammar
The four-paragraph structure that always works
Examiners read hundreds of essays; structural surprises do not impress them, clarity does. This layout fits the word count and ticks every Content box:
- Introduction (2–3 sentences). Rephrase the question in your own words — never copy it — and hint at your position. ~30 words.
- Paragraph 2: first given idea (3–4 sentences). A topic sentence, one argument, one example or consequence. ~50 words.
- Paragraph 3: second given idea + your own idea. Same pattern, then pivot to your third point with a linker (“A further point worth considering is…”). ~60 words.
- Conclusion (2 sentences). State your opinion plainly — the conclusion is where examiners look for it. ~30 words.
- under 140 · ideas left undeveloped — the Content scale drops first
- 140–190 · the band Cambridge sets for the task
- over 190 · time you needed for checking, spent on words that earn nothing extra
Planning in five minutes: a repeatable template
Eighty minutes for two tasks means about forty for the essay — and the best-spent five of those happen before the first sentence. The same four questions every time:
- What is my opinion? (One word: yes / no / partly.)
- What will I say about given idea 1? (Three-word note.)
- What about given idea 2? (Three-word note.)
- What is my third idea? (The one most candidates invent mid-sentence — decide it now.)
Panic writes page one and deletes it at minute twenty; a plan turns the remaining thirty-five minutes into steady assembly. This habit is trainable in a week — the essay practice tasks are built for exactly that repetition.
Try it nowPlan and write a B2 essay taskReal Part 1 prompts, a forty-minute clock, and Felix's marking on the four scales.WriteLinking words that raise your Language score
The Language scale rewards range: B2 essays that lean on “and”, “but” and “also” cap themselves. You do not need twenty linkers — you need six you can deploy accurately:
| Job | Instead of… | Use |
|---|---|---|
| Adding | also | furthermore · what is more |
| Contrasting | but | however · on the other hand · whereas |
| Giving examples | like | for instance · a clear example of this is |
| Cause & result | so | as a result · consequently |
| Introducing your view | I think | in my view · it seems to me that |
| Concluding | in the end | on balance · all things considered |
One warning: linkers decorate arguments, they do not replace them. A “furthermore” followed by nothing new is a Language point dressed up as an Organisation problem.
A worked example, with examiner-style commentary
Task: “Every town should provide free sports facilities. Do you agree? Notes: 1. cost, 2. health, 3. … (your own idea)” Here is a realistic answer at a comfortable pass level (178 words):
It is often argued that towns should offer sports facilities free of charge. Although this would not be cheap, I believe the benefits justify the expense.
The main objection is cost. Building and maintaining pools or courts requires money that councils could spend on schools or roads. However, residents already fund these services through local taxes, so the real question is priorities rather than affordability.
Regarding health, the argument is straightforward: people who exercise regularly place less pressure on hospitals. If price stops young people from playing sport, society pays later. A further point worth considering is community: shared facilities bring neighbours together in a way few other public spaces can.
On balance, I am convinced that free facilities are a sensible investment. The costs are real, but the savings in health and the gains for the community outweigh them considerably.
How an examiner reads it, scale by scale:
- Content: both notes covered, a genuine third idea (community), opinion stated twice — full marks territory.
- Communicative Achievement: consistent formal register, reads like an essay, holds the reader’s attention — strong.
- Organisation: four clear paragraphs, each idea signposted (“The main objection”, “Regarding health”, “On balance”) — exactly what the scale rewards.
- Language: range without showing off — passives, conditionals (“If price stops…”), precise linkers. A few more ambitious structures would push it toward the top band.
The pitfalls that cost essay marks
- Informal tone. One “a lot of stuff” or “really great” will not fail you; a whole essay in chat register caps Communicative Achievement.
- The missing third idea. The single most common Content deduction. Decide it in the plan, before you write.
- Copying the question. Lifted wording earns no Language credit — paraphrase from the first sentence.
- Word count drift. Under 140 words usually means underdeveloped ideas; far over 190 means errors you did not have time to check. Train your sense of 170 words in practice, not on exam day.
- No visible opinion. “Do you agree?” wants an answer. Hedge in the body if you like — but conclude with a position.
Write one — and get it marked in two minutes
Reading about essays raises your ceiling; writing them raises your score. Pick a B2 essay task, write your answer, and Felix, the AI examiner, marks it on the same four scales you have just read about — quoting your own sentences, flagging the register slips, and telling you whether it would pass. The writing tasks and Felix’s marking come with the Exam Prep pass — €12 for three months, nothing renews.
The essay is only half of the Writing paper — for Part 2, see the guides to the report and the article, two tasks whose registers could not be more different, and the ten mistakes that cost marks across all of them. New to the exam as a whole? The complete guide to B2 First preparation covers all four papers, the scoring system and how long to prepare.