B2 First (FCE) Writing: How to Structure the Essay

The B2 First (FCE) Writing paper lasts 1 hour 20 minutes, and you write two pieces of 140 to 190 words each. Part 1 is an essay that everyone writes; in Part 2 you choose one task from three. Writing makes up 20% of the total marks (official format page).

The exam as a whole and how to study for it are covered in How to Prepare for B2 First (FCE). This post is for anyone who finds the Writing paper hard, and it focuses on how to build the Part 1 essay. Everything about the format and marking here was checked against the 2026 handbook for teachers.

The two parts

Part	Task	Length
Part 1	Essay (compulsory)	140 to 190 words
Part 2	One of three tasks, which may be an article, a letter or email, a review or a report	140 to 190 words

Both tasks carry equal marks. According to the handbook, each Part 2 task gives a context, a purpose for writing and a target reader in no more than 70 words. Which task types appear changes from exam to exam.

What the Part 1 essay asks for

The handbook describes the Part 1 task like this:

• A short rubric sets the scene and topic, followed by the essay question, which may be a direct question or a statement to give your opinion on.
• Under the question are two given prompts, often called notes.
• You must add a third idea of your own.
• The input is up to 120 words in total.

The key point is to deal with both prompts and add one idea of your own. The handbook says the third idea must be distinct from the two given prompts, and that it is in addition to any overall conclusion. If any of the three is missing, the target reader is not fully informed and you lose marks.

The essay is always written for the teacher, in a neutral or formal register. It should be well organised, with an introduction and an appropriate conclusion.

A paragraph plan

One plan that leaves little room for hesitation is five paragraphs.

1. Introduction (20 to 30 words): restate the topic in your own words and say what the essay will consider. You can state your position here if you like.
2. Prompt 1 (about 40 words): an opinion on the first given prompt, with a reason and one example.
3. Prompt 2 (about 40 words): the same for the second prompt.
4. Your own idea (about 40 words): the same for your third idea.
5. Conclusion (20 to 30 words): a clear answer to the question, taking the three points into account.

That comes to roughly 160 to 180 words, comfortably within the limit. One paragraph per point makes it obvious, to the reader and to you, that all three points are covered. When you check your work, counting paragraphs is enough to confirm nothing is missing.

Start each paragraph with a sentence that states its point, then add the reason and example. One idea per paragraph keeps the essay from wandering.

Thinking up a third idea in the exam room takes time. The handbook also recommends brainstorming ideas for different topics as practice. One way to prepare is to have one extra angle ready for common topics such as the environment, health, education, technology, work and free time. Angles like cost, time, safety or differences between age groups fit a lot of topics.

Timing

The handbook says 1 hour 20 minutes is designed to be enough for brief plans and two answers.

One split is about 40 minutes per task: 5 to 10 minutes planning, around 25 minutes writing, and 5 minutes checking. A plan can be one line per paragraph. Note a reason and an example in a word or two for each of the three points, decide your conclusion, then start writing. If you think as you write, your opinion can drift, and the conclusion ends up contradicting the introduction.

The four assessment subscales

According to the handbook, each piece is marked from 0 to 5 on four subscales:

• Content: how well you have done what the task asked. If all content is relevant and the target reader is fully informed, that is a 5.
• Communicative Achievement: whether the writing suits the task, including the register.
• Organisation: whether the piece is put together logically and in order.
• Language: the range and accuracy of vocabulary and grammar.

At B2, the Organisation descriptor is a text that is “generally well organised and coherent, using a variety of linking words and cohesive devices”. For Language, it is using “a range of everyday vocabulary appropriately” and “a range of simple and some complex grammatical forms with a good degree of control”, with errors that “do not impede communication”.

The handbook also makes several points worth knowing:

• Spelling, grammar or punctuation errors that don’t affect communication will not necessarily be penalised. Errors that interfere with communication are treated more severely.
• You get credit for attempting complex language, even with minor mistakes, as long as communication isn’t impeded.
• Writing significantly fewer words is likely to mean the task hasn’t been completed; overlong answers tend to include irrelevance and repetition.
• British or American English are both fine, but be consistent within one answer.
• Dictionaries are not allowed.

Checking your own work

In the last five minutes, these are five things to check.

Are all three points there? Count the paragraphs. Look for one each for prompt 1, prompt 2 and your own idea.

Does the conclusion answer the question? Read the question again and check that your final sentence answers it, and that it doesn’t contradict the position in your introduction.

Are the linking words varied? Besides linking words like “however” and “on the other hand”, the handbook lists referring back with pronouns and using paragraphs to guide the reader as part of organisation. If every paragraph begins “Firstly”, “Secondly”, “Finally”, change at least one of them.

Is the register too casual? Look for contractions such as “don’t” and “it’s”, and for spoken expressions. One examiner comment in the handbook’s sample answers notes that a colloquial “yeah” doesn’t fit the rest of the essay.

Judge length by lines. The handbook says counting words in the exam wastes time and leads to clumsy changes. If you learn in practice how many lines of your handwriting, or of text on screen, make 140 and 190 words, you only need to glance at the length on the day.

In practice, rereading what you wrote a day later shows gaps and repetition you couldn’t see while writing. Write answers to the official sample tasks, then read the sample answers and examiner comments in the handbook. They show clearly what each of the four subscales looks for.

Building the parts of an essay with AlphaGeorge

AlphaGeorge, an app I make for iPhone and iPad, is for preparing for the Cambridge exams. The course has 66 units across six levels from A1 to C2, and the 10 units of B2 Upper-intermediate match B2 First (FCE).

Every unit has a writing lesson. You read a model text and answer a question about it, then practise linking expressions, ways of giving an opinion, conclusion sentences and more through word-order and gap-fill questions. The B2 units cover essays that weigh both sides of a question, as well as Part 2 types such as articles, reports and complaint emails. One combination is to learn the phrases and paragraph patterns in the app, and write complete 140 to 190 word answers to the official sample tasks. The app’s interface and explanations are in English and Japanese.

A diagnostic test of about five minutes decides which level you start at. AlphaGeorge is free to start, with ads and a limit of hearts. AlphaGeorge Premium, a monthly or yearly subscription, removes ads, makes hearts unlimited and lets you replay finished lessons. Speaking preparation is in The Cambridge English Speaking Test, keeping up daily practice in AlphaGeorge Tips, and Getting Started with AlphaGeorge walks through the first session.