cpe essay word count

• Guide to the Cambridge C2 Proficiency Writing Exam – Part 1: Essay

• Posted on 19/04/2023
• Categories: Blog

Are you preparing for the Cambridge C2 Proficiency (CPE) writing exam? If so, you may be feeling a little nervous and concerned about what lies ahead . Let us help put that fear and anxiety to bed and get started on how your academic writing can leave a positive impression on the examiner.

By the end of this blog post, you’ll know exactly what you need to do, how to prepare and how you can use your knowledge of other parts of the exam to help you.

Although you’ll find the advanced writing skills you’ve mastered at C1 will stand you in good stead for C2 writing, there are clear differences in the exam format in CPE. As in Cambridge C1, there are two parts in the writing exam, and understanding what you need to do before you’ve even put a pen to paper is incredibly important. So, let’s go!

What’s in Part 1?

First, let’s look at the format of Part 1:

• Task: essay.
• Word count: 240–280 words.
• Register: formal.
• Overview: a summary of two texts and an evaluation of the ideas.
• Suggested structure: introduction, paragraph 1, paragraph 2, conclusion.
• Time: 1 hour 30 minutes for Part 1 and 2.

Before we look at an example task, let’s look at how your paper will be assessed. The examiner will mark your paper using four separate assessment scales:

• Content – this demonstrates your ability to complete the task, including only relevant information.
• Communicative achievement – this shows how well you’ve completed the task, having followed the conventions of the task, used the correct register and maintained the reader’s attention throughout.
• Organisation – the overall structure of your essay, the paragraphs and the sentences.
• Language – your ability to use a wide range of C2 grammar and vocabulary in a fluent and accurate way.

How can I write a fantastic essay?

Let’s look at an example task:

The key things you’re being asked to do here are summarise, evaluate and include your own ideas, using your own words as far as possible. So, in short, you have to paraphrase. As a Cambridge exams expert, you’ll know that this is a skill you already use throughout the exam.

In Reading and Use of English Part 4, the techniques you are using to make the keyword transformations (active to passive, comparative structures, negative inversions, common word patterns, etc) will show you that you already know how you can say the same thing in other words.

Your ability to do word formation in Reading and Use of English Part 3 is useful here, as you look for verbs that you can change into nouns, and vice versa. This enables you to say reword sentences without losing the original meaning.

You are already adept at identifying the correct options in Reading and Use of English Part 5 and Listening Parts 1 and 3, although the words given are different to the information in the text or audio.

So, be aware of the skills you have already practised, and use them to your advantage!

How should I plan and structure my essay?

Before you even consider writing, read both texts thoroughly . Highlight the key points in each text and make notes about how you can express this in your own words. Look for contrasting opinions and think about how you can connect the ideas together. These contrasting ideas will usually form the basis of paragraphs 2 and 3.

Although there are multiple ways you can organise your essay, here is a tried and tested structure:

Paragraph 1: Introduction

Paragraph 2: Idea 1 with support

Paragraph 3: Idea 2 with support

Paragraph 4: Conclusion

Introduction

Use your introduction as a way to present the general theme. Don’t give anything away in terms of your own opinion, but instead give an overview of what you will discuss. Imagine this as a global comment, talking about how society as a whole may feel about the topic.

Start with a strong sentence. Make your intentions clear, then back up your idea with a supporting sentence and elaborate on it. Use linkers to show how this idea has different stances, paraphrased from the key points you highlighted in the texts.

Follow the same structure as Idea 1, but focus on a different element from the two texts. Introduce it clearly, then provide more support to the idea. Keep emotional distance from the topic – save your opinion for the conclusion!

Here is the opportunity for you to introduce your personal opinion. There shouldn’t be anything new included here other than how you personally feel about the topics discussed. Use your conclusion to refer back to the main point and round up how your opinion differs or is similar.

This is just one example of how you can structure your essay. However, we recommend trying different formats. The more you practise, the more feedback you’ll get from your teacher. Once you’ve settled on the structure that suits you, your planning will be a lot quicker and easier.

What can I do to prepare?

According to the Cambridge English website, ‘A C2 Proficiency qualification shows the world that you have mastered English to an exceptional level. It proves you can communicate with the fluency and sophistication of a highly competent English speaker.’

This means that being a proficient writer in your own language is not enough. So, what can you do to really convince the examiner that you truly are smarter than the average Joe ?

Prepare! Prepare! Prepare!

✔ Read academic texts regularly.

✔ Pay attention to model essay answers and highlight things that stand out.

✔ Always try to upgrade your vocabulary. Challenge yourself to think of synonyms.

✔ Write frequently and study the feedback your teacher gives you.

✔ Study C2 grammar and include it in your writing.

What do I need to avoid?

Don’t overuse the same linkers. Practise using different ones and not only in essays. You can write something much shorter and ask your teacher to check for correct usage.

• Don’t constantly repeat the same sentence length and punctuation. Long sentences may seem the most sophisticated, but you should consider adding shorter ones from time to time. This adds variety and a dramatic effect. Try it!
• Don’t be discouraged by your mistakes – learn from them! If you struggle with a grammar point, master it. If you spell something incorrectly, write it again and again.
• Don’t limit your English studying time. Do as much as possible in English – watch TV, read, listen to podcasts, or meet with English speaking friends. English time should not only be reserved for the classroom.

What websites can help me?

The Official Cambridge English page, where you can find a link to sample papers.

BBC Learning English has a range of activities geared towards advanced level learners.

Flo-joe has very useful writing practice exercises that allow you to see other students’ writing.

Writing apps and tools like Grammarly can improve your writing style with their feedback and suggestions.

Don’t forget about our fantastic C2 blogs too!

Passing Cambridge C2 Proficiency: Part 3 Reading and Use of English

Passing C2 Proficiency: A Guide to Reading Part 5

Passing C2 Proficiency: A Guide to Reading Part 6

Guide to the Cambridge C2 Proficiency Listening Test

Guide to the Cambridge C2 Proficiency Speaking Test

Looking for further support?

If you’re interested in preparing for the C2 Proficiency exam but don’t know where to start, get in touch with us here at Oxford House today! We offer specific courses that are designed especially to help you get ready for the exam. Let our fully qualified teachers use their exam experience to guide you through your learning journey. Sign up now and receive your free mock test!

Glossary for Language Learners

Find the following words in the article and then write down any new ones you didn’t know.

lie ahead (pv): be in the future.

stand you in good stead (id): be of great use to you.

adept at (adj): have a good ability to do something.

thoroughly (adv): completely.

tried and tested (adj): used many times before and proved to be successful.

back up (pv): give support to.

round up (pv): summarise.

settle on (pv): choose after careful consideration

average Joe (n): normal person.

discouraged (adj): having lost your enthusiasm or confidence.

pv = phrasal verb

adj = adjective

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Improve your English pronunciation by mastering these 10 tricky words

• Posted on 05/04/2023

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Cambridge English: Proficiency

An introduction to the Cambridge CPE exam

• Paper 2: Writing

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ADVANCED ENGLISH

A series of posts that outline the writing criteria for CPE.

Originally posted here

Interested in taking a CPE preparation course?  Click here !

Common misconceptions about writing for proficiency (and advanced)⁣

What do they mean by “communicative achievement” in writing?⁣

For some, the Cambridge criteria are as mysterious as the DaVinci code… ⁣ It is critical to have an idea of how these work if you are planning to take CAE or CPE. Luckily, it’s not so difficult if you know the key terms. What they are looking for lies within the following: ⁣ ⁣ ▪️ Conventions of the communicative task: Conventions are the way things are typically done in a community or society. Applied to writing, this means, broadly speaking, style. Beyond just formality, this includes tone of writing and format—does it look and sound like a (letter) usually would? ⁣ ⁣ ▪️ Holding the target reader’s attention: How would you feel if you read it? Would you get bored and swipe up? Or would you be sitting on the edge of your seat? Are there any parts of the text that would leave you scratching your head? Or do your eyes glide naturally from one line to the next?⁣ ⁣ ▪️ Communicative purpose: Why are you writing, and what would you like to accomplish with your text, i.e. how convincing are you? Convincing in the sense that if your reader didn’t agree with your opinion at the outset, would they be swayed by the end? Your argument should be balanced and yet convey a sense of authority and knowledge.⁣ ⁣ ▪️ Straightforward and complex ideas: Straightforward means, well, straightforward. Simple and directly related to the topic, it’s something you would expect to see in an intermediate student’s essay. Complex ideas go beyond the topic, looking at, for example, the attitudes of society towards the cinema and how this has changed over time… critical thinking 

How to make your writing stick together

• One type is adverbial linkers and phrases (although, despite the fact that, nevertheless), which should replace linking words wherever possible. ⁣⁣
• Another is pronoun reference and substitution (Becoming famous is an ambition that is shared by a significant number of the youth. Whether it is one that is a cause for concern is worth discussing).⁣⁣
• Ellipsis is a type of cohesive device that involves omitting information that does not need to be repeated because it is obvious from the context ( One issue is the lack of time, the second is the lack of money).⁣⁣
• Repetition is a very valuable cohesive device that helps to keep your overall text organization (There are several options worth considering . . . The first option is . . . the second option is…). This helps the reader to see how your point is being developed. ⁣⁣ ⁣⁣

It is necessary to write only with C1 / C2 level words and structures?⁣

⁣This is one of the most common misconceptions about Advanced / Proficiency exams. Many students get paralyzed because they think that they must use only high level words—nothing else!⁣ ⁣ Well I’ll give you news—even native speakers have difficulties doing this. Consistently producing less common lexis can actually have negative effects on your communicative achievement because meaning easily becomes compromised… instead of prioritizing clarity and brevity, a spew of complex phrases will only leave the reader bewildered. ⁣ ⁣ So what should you do? 

• Study language of course, equip yourself with an arsenal of collocations, but make sure you understand the appropriacy before throwing around these phrases. To set your heart on, have an ambition to, or feel inclined to? Depends on your context.⁣
• Maintain control over your language: ensure that every sentence makes sense and is not overly complicated. So before taking a shot at writing the next Iliad, learn how to write sensibly first. ⁣ ⁣
• Use a range of different words, collocations, phrases, and structures, and try not to repeat the same word (but repetition of key ideas is good for cohesion—see my previous post).⁣

However, there are certain formulaic expressions that are multipurpose and can be applied in most situations. I’ll give you a few examples:⁣ ▪️A more viable solution would be (to impose taxes on disposable products)⁣ ▪️(A throwaway society) is becoming increasingly prevalent with (technological evolution)⁣ ▪️The implications of (not implementing a recycling program) are too severe to ignore

Writing what they want: Content in CAE & CPE⁣⁣

The final post in a series about the Cambridge criteria for Advanced & Proficiency exams.⁣⁣ ⁣⁣ Content is actually the easiest to obtain 5 marks in, if you’re careful. It is slightly different for each exam so let me break it down for you. ⁣⁣ ⁣⁣ CAE It’s pretty simple here. You are given a topic (a discussion that took place in class about a contemporary issue or situation) and three potential solutions. You must choose two to write about, and select the best one, giving reasons and examples for both. ⁣⁣ ⁣⁣ It is very important that you select one of the issues and provide reasons for doing so. If not, you cannot score above 3. ⁣⁣ ⁣⁣ CPE This one’s a bit more difficult. You are given two texts, each on the same topic, but looking at it from different angles. While there is some overlap, you will find that these writers often have different purposes.⁣⁣ ⁣⁣ The trick in this task is to identify two key points from each text. You will see that each point stands independently from the other and can be broken down into examples. Beware of non-defining clauses, asides, or any small parts of the text that give extra information—these cannot be considered as key points. ⁣⁣ ⁣⁣ In order to get full marks, you have to successfully identify all four points and express your opinion. Remember that you must evaluate these ideas—not just reformulate them. This evaluation should be integrated with the key points and the reader should be able to follow your argument throughout the essay. ⁣⁣ ⁣⁣ Remember: essays are written for teachers. Teachers want to know your opinion on the matter. It is not simply a matter of regurgitating information. Your voice must be clear!⁣⁣

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Cambridge C2 Proficiency (CPE): How to Write a Letter

Introduction

A letter is written in response to the situation outlined in the question. Letters in the C2 Proficiency Writing paper will require a response which is consistently appropriate for the specified target reader, and candidates can expect to be asked to write letters to, for example, the editor of a newspaper or magazine, to the director of an international company, or to a school or college principal. A letter to a newspaper or magazine may well include a narrative element which details personal experience; other letters may be more concerned with giving factual information. Source: Cambridge English Assessment: C2 Proficiency Handbook for teachers

Letter writing is very straightforward

What a typical letter task looks like.

Task for a letter in C2 Proficiency always look fairly similar and are based around the idea that you want to respond to something that you have read about without giving you the source material itself. That means that you have to build you letter based on your opinion on the topic in the task. It is almost like an essay with more stylistic freedom, but before I get ahead of myself let’s have a look at an example task.

How to organise your letter

Always plan your letter before you start writing.

Those of you who have read any of my other articles on writing, be it for A2 , B1 , B2 , C1 or Proficiency , know that I’m a big fan of making a plan in order to set yourself up for a smooth ride. Not only does a good plan serve a storing space for your ideas so you won’t forget them once you start writing, but it also saves you tons of time as you will never have to rearrange paragraphs or rethink what you want to say. It’s all there and guides you through the process.

The different parts of a letter

Greeting & opening paragraph.

Dear Sir/Madam, I am writing in response to the article on alternative medicine published on August 1st and would like to share my opinion with you and the other readers. I would definitely agree that alternative medicine, for the most part, is a waste of money and time and that it would be wiser to use the full range of scientifically tested and proven methods to combat one’s health issues.

You can see that I didn’t have to do anything out of the ordinary to get started . I state the purpose of the letter (“I am writing in response to …”) and give my opinion (“I would definitely agree …”) without simply copying the wording from the task but rather paraphrasing and using my own words. That’s all you need to do and just like that we can move on to the next part.

Main paragraphs

Having said that, I do understand that for some, alternative approaches to minor ailments are preferable as they usually come with no side effects and have been used for generations. What worked for our grandparents has to work for us nowadays as well, doesn’t it? People like the idea of believing in something and being in control of their healing process and alternative medicine gives them exactly that. If it is the herb itself or just the placebo effect that’s at work, is secondary as long as it eases the suffering.

In the paragraph above I describe why some people prefer alternative medicine to established Western medicine. I introduce the paragraph with a contrasting expression (“Having said that, …”) to highlight that what comes next doesn’t reflect my opinion as stated in the opening paragraph. Cohesion and coherence are the name of the game in C2 Proficiency writing so make sure that all your ideas are well connected and logically organised.

However, the placebo effect doesn’t justify the often hefty price tag attached to these kinds of treatments and there are plenty of charlatans, like faith healers and snake oil salesman, who try to prey on the vulnerable with their promises of fast and lasting improvements through overpriced treatment sessions or products. Many put their last hope and money into these quacks, herbs and potions only to have them shattered leaving them with an empty bank account on top of their broken bodies and minds. None of this helps people and should rather be considered criminal behaviour.

Closing paragraph & salutation

To cut a long story short, I think that everyone can do with their money as they please, but the ones that are to blame are those defrauding people who just want to live a life free of pain and worries. Governments should introduce more oversight to ensure that money isn’t flushed down the toilet anymore but instead used to truly help people. I look forward to following subsequent articles on related issues. Yours faithfully, Teacher Phill

That is all you have to do to write a great letter in C2 Proficiency. With a little bit of planning the paragraph structure you want to use and the content of each of those sections you can set yourself up for a successful writing session where you can focus on using the best language possible, engaging the reader and writing in a cohesive and coherent way.

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