2 3

Part 1 Part 2

You must answer this question. Write your answer in 140 – 190 words in an appropriate style on the
separate answer sheet.
______________________________________________________________________________
1 In your English class you have been talking about the environment. Now, your English
teacher has asked you to write an essay.
Write an essay using all the notes and giving reasons for your point of view.
Write an answer to one of the questions 2 – 4 in this part. Write your answer in 140 – 190 words in
an appropriate style on the separate answer sheet. Put the question number in the box at the top of
the answer sheet.
______________________________________________________________________________
2 You see this announcement in your college English-language magazine.
Book reviews wanted

Have you read a book in which the main character behaved in a surprising way?

Write us a review of the book, explaining what the main character did and why it was surprising.
Tell us whether or not you would recommend this book to other people.

The best reviews will be published in the magazine.

Write your review.

Every country in the world has problems with pollution and damage to the environment.
Do you think these problems can be solved?
3 You see this announcement on an English-language website.

Articles wanted
Notes
The most useful thing I have ever learned.
WRITING

Write about:
What is the most useful thing you have learned?
Who did you learn it from? Why is it useful?

Write us an article answering these questions.

EXAM | |LEVEL

1. transport
We will publish the best articles on our website.
SAMPLE

2. rivers and seas

3. ………………………… (your own idea) Write your article.
| PAPER
PAPER 1

4 You have received this email from your English-speaking friend David.

From: David
Subject: touring holiday

Some college friends of mine are visiting your area soon for a week’s touring holiday. They would
like to travel around and learn about your local area and its history.

Can you tell me about some of the places they could visit? What’s the best way to travel around –
car, bike or coach?

Thanks,

David

Write your email.

CAMBRIDGE ENGLISH: FIRST HANDBOOK FOR TEACHERS

SAMPLE PAPER

31
WRITING | SAMPLE PAPER 1
WRITING | ASSESSMENT

Assessment of Writing
Examiners and marking
Writing Examiners (WEs) undergo a rigorous process of training and
certification before they are invited to mark. Once accepted, they are
supervised by Team Leaders (TLs) who are in turn led by a Principal
Examiner (PE), who guides and monitors the marking process.

WEs mark candidate responses in a secure online marking

environment. The software randomly allocates candidate responses
to ensure that individual examiners do not receive a concentration of
good or weak responses, or of any one language group. The software
also allows for examiners’ marking to be monitored for quality and
consistency. During the marking period, the PE and TLs are able
to view their team’s progress and to offer support and advice, as
required.

Assessment scales
Examiners mark tasks using assessment scales that were developed
with explicit reference to the Common European Framework of
Reference for Languages (CEFR). The scales, which are used across
the spectrum of the Cambridge English General and Business English
Writing tests, consist of four subscales: Content, Communicative
Achievement, Organisation, and Language:

• Content focuses on how well the candidate has fulfilled the task,
in other words if they have done what they were asked to do.
• Communicative Achievement focuses on how appropriate the
writing is for the task and whether the candidate has used the
appropriate register.
• Organisation focuses on the way the candidate puts together the
piece of writing, in other words if it is logical and ordered.
• Language focuses on vocabulary and grammar. This includes the
range of language as well as how accurate it is.
Responses are marked on each subscale from 0 to 5.

When marking the tasks, examiners take into account length of

responses and varieties of English:

• Guidelines on length are provided for each task; responses

which are too short may not have an adequate range of language
and may not provide all the information that is required, while
responses which are too long may contain irrelevant content and
have a negative effect on the reader. These may affect candidates’
marks on the relevant subscales.

• Candidates are expected to use a particular variety of English

with some degree of consistency in areas such as spelling, and
not, for example, switch from using a British spelling of a word to
an American spelling of the same word.

32 CAMBRIDGE ENGLISH: FIRST HANDBOOK FOR TEACHERS