A writing assessment takes about 15 minutes across two sections. Candidates see a countdown timer and confirm before submitting.

The two sections

Section 1 — Casual writing (5 minutes)

A short everyday task, usually a brief email or a short response to a situation. This tests whether someone can write clearly and appropriately in a low-stakes register.

Section 2 — Professional writing (10 minutes)

A longer, more formal task requiring a structured response and a position held across several paragraphs.

This is where the difference between B1 and C1 usually becomes obvious — not in vocabulary, but in whether the writing is organized and the argument holds together.

What we look at

Each response is scored on five dimensions, weighted equally:

• Task response — did they actually address the whole prompt
• Organization — logical structure, paragraphing, flow
• Vocabulary — range and precision
• Grammar — accuracy and sentence variety
• Conventions — spelling, punctuation, formatting

<aside> 💡

The timer is a working constraint, not a race. Candidates who spend the first minute planning usually score better on organization than those who start typing immediately.

</aside>