C1 Advanced Writing: essay, report, proposal, review and letter, with plans

A candidate filling in an answer sheet in an exam hall
Photo: Alison wood, CC BY 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons

The C1 Advanced Writing paper gives you 1 hour 30 minutes for two answers of 220 to 260 words each. Part 1 is always an essay. In Part 2 you choose one of three tasks: a letter or email, a proposal, a report or a review. Both parts carry the same marks, and the same four criteria decide them. This guide explains the criteria and gives a paragraph plan for every task type, so that on the day you spend your time on ideas, not on layout.

How Writing is marked

Each answer is marked from 0 to 5 on four criteria, 20 marks a task and 40 for the paper:

Criterion The examiner asks
Content Is everything the task asks for there, and is it all relevant?
Communicative Achievement Does it suit the reader and the purpose: the right format, register and tone?
Organisation Is it in clear paragraphs, with ideas linked so that it reads as one piece?
Language Is the grammar and vocabulary wide in range and accurate?

On Cambridge's practice tests, 24 of the 40 marks gives 180, the start of the C1 range (how the score is worked out). That is an average of 3 out of 5 on each criterion. Leaving out one point the task asks for costs marks on Content, however good the English.

Timing

Minutes Part 1 essay Part 2 task
5 Read the task; underline every point you must cover Choose the task you have the most to say about
5 Plan the paragraphs Plan the paragraphs and headings
30 Write Write
5 Check grammar, spelling and the word count Check

Count the words of a typical line of your handwriting once, before the exam, so you can estimate your length in seconds.

Part 1: the essay

You read a short text (often notes from a lecture or a discussion) that names three ideas. You write about two of them, say which is more important or effective, and give reasons. Opinions in the text may be used but must be in your own words.

A plan that always works

  1. Introduction (2 to 3 sentences). The subject and why it matters; say which two points you will discuss.
  2. First point. What it is, an example, its limit.
  3. Second point. The same pattern.
  4. Conclusion. Which of the two is more important, and the decisive reason. Do not repeat; weigh.

Example task, written for this guide: Your class has discussed ways cities could reduce traffic: cheaper public transport, cycling lanes, or charges for driving into the centre. A strong essay picks two, for instance cheaper public transport and congestion charges, and argues that cheaper transport matters more because a charge works only when people have a real alternative.

Phrases that suit an essay: It is often argued that…; While this has clear advantages, …; A more compelling case can be made for…; On balance, …; This is not to say that…

Part 2: the four task types

Report

Written for a superior or a committee, about something that has happened or exists: a course, a facility, an event. Formal, factual, with headings.

  1. Introduction: the purpose of the report.
  2. Two or three headed sections: one per point in the task.
  3. Recommendations / Conclusion: what should happen now.

Phrases: The aim of this report is to…; The majority of those asked…; It is recommended that…

Proposal

Like a report, but about the future: you suggest a plan and persuade the reader to adopt it. Formal or neutral, with headings.

  1. Introduction: what is proposed and why.
  2. Headed sections: the current problem, your suggestions, how they would work.
  3. Conclusion: the benefits, and why the plan should be accepted.

Phrases: I would like to propose that…; This would allow…; Should this be adopted, …

Review

For readers of a magazine or website: a film, book, restaurant, exhibition, app. Lively, personal, and it must end with a recommendation.

  1. Opening that catches attention and names what you are reviewing.
  2. Description: enough for the reader to picture it.
  3. Evaluation: strengths and weaknesses, with examples.
  4. Recommendation: who it is for, and who should avoid it.

Phrases: What sets it apart is…; Where it falls short is…; I would wholeheartedly recommend it to anyone who…

Letter or email

To a named person or organisation: a letter of application, a complaint, a reply to a request. Match the register to the reader: formal to an editor or a manager, less formal to a colleague you know.

  1. Greeting and reason for writing.
  2. One paragraph for each point in the task.
  3. What you want to happen next, and a suitable closing.

Phrases (formal): I am writing with regard to…; I would be grateful if you could…; I look forward to hearing from you.

Five mistakes that cost the most marks

  1. Covering only some of the points in the task. List them and tick each as you write.
  2. The wrong register. A report full of I reckon or a review written like a report both lose Communicative Achievement marks.
  3. No headings in a report or proposal. The reader expects them.
  4. Too short. Under 220 words rarely covers the task fully. Far over 260 wastes time and adds mistakes.
  5. Vocabulary for show. A rare word used wrongly costs more than a plain word used well.

Practise with feedback

Our free C1 Advanced mock tests include both writing parts, timed, with the four criteria to check your answer against. Write one essay and one Part 2 task each week, and change the Part 2 type each time until you have written all four.

Frequently asked questions

How many words is C1 Advanced Writing?

Each of the two answers should be 220 to 260 words.

Is the essay compulsory in C1 Advanced?

Yes. Part 1 is always an essay. In Part 2 you choose one of three tasks.

What is the difference between a report and a proposal?

A report describes and evaluates something that exists or has happened, and ends with recommendations. A proposal suggests a plan for the future and tries to persuade the reader to adopt it.

Do I need headings in C1 Advanced Writing?

In a report and a proposal, yes; readers expect them. An essay, review or letter does not use headings.