CAMBRIDGE · WRITING SCORING

Cambridge Writing Scoring

Every Cambridge writing task is read by a trained examiner and given a mark from 0 to 5 on each of four subscales — three at A2 Key. The subscales are the same at every level; what a 5 means rises with the exam.

The Subscales

Subscale	What earns a high band	What pulls it down
Content	Every point in the task covered and developed; the reader is fully informed.	A missing or misunderstood content point; irrelevance.
Communicative Achievement	The conventions of the genre, a consistent register, and ideas that hold the reader’s attention.	An essay written like a chat, a report with no clear purpose, a letter in the wrong register. Not assessed at A2 Key.
Organisation	Clear paragraphing and a logical line, with varied linking and referencing.	One long block of text; the same three linkers repeated; ideas in no particular order.
Language	A range of vocabulary and grammar for the level, used with control; errors that do not get in the way.	A narrow range played safe, or ambitious language with errors that obscure meaning.

Each subscale is marked on its own, and bands 2 and 4 sit between the described bands 1, 3 and 5. Whole marks only.

Task mark = C + O + L \leq 15

A2 Key: Content, Organisation and Language, so each of the two tasks is out of 15 and the writing total is 30.

Task mark = C + CA + O + L \leq 20

B1 Preliminary to C2 Proficiency: four subscales, each task out of 20, the paper out of 40.

How the Bands Climb Through the Levels

Cambridge’s writing scales are one ladder linked to the CEFR. A band 5 at one exam describes roughly the same performance as a band 3 at the exam above. At B1 Preliminary, for example, band 5 Organisation asks for a text that is "generally well organised and coherent, using a variety of linking words and cohesive devices", while band 3 asks for "basic linking words and a limited number of cohesive devices" — the A2 Key band 5 description.

Exam	Band 3 describes	Band 5 describes
A2 Key	A1-A2 performance	Strong A2 performance
B1 Preliminary	B1 performance	B2 performance
B2 First	B2 performance	C1 performance
C1 Advanced	C1 performance	C2 performance
C2 Proficiency	C2 performance	The top of C2

That is why a band 3 is a solid pass on each exam, and why the band 5 model answers on our samples pages read noticeably above the level of the exam they answer.

A2 Key and B1 Preliminary Descriptors

Band	Content	Organisation	Language (A2 Key)
5	All content is relevant; the reader is fully informed.	Connected and coherent, using basic linking words and a limited number of cohesive devices.	Everyday vocabulary generally appropriate; simple grammar with a good degree of control; errors noticeable but meaning clear.
3	Minor irrelevances or omissions; the reader is on the whole informed.	Connected using basic, high-frequency linking words.	Basic vocabulary reasonably appropriate; simple grammar with some control; errors may impede meaning at times.
1	Irrelevance or misinterpretation; the reader is minimally informed.	Unlikely to be connected, though simple connectors may appear.	Isolated words and phrases; few simple forms, limited control.

B1 Preliminary adds Communicative Achievement: band 5 "uses the conventions of the communicative task to hold the target reader’s attention and communicate straightforward ideas"; band 3 uses them "in generally appropriate ways"; band 1 "communicates simple ideas in simple ways". Its Organisation and Language bands sit one step above A2 Key’s.

From Raw Marks to a Scale Score

Raw marks on each paper are converted to a score on the Cambridge English Scale. Cambridge publishes the raw marks that reach each CEFR boundary on its official practice tests. These are the only official figures; the conversion for a live exam is set for that exam version and is not published.

Exam	Raw marks available	Scale score: raw marks needed
A2 Key	30	140: 26 · 120: 18 · 100: 12 · 82: 8
B1 Preliminary	40	160: 34 · 140: 24 · 120: 16 · 102: 10
B2 First	40	180: 34 · 160: 24 · 140: 16 · 122: 10
C1 Advanced	40	200: 34 · 180: 24 · 160: 16 · 142: 10
C2 Proficiency	40	220: 34 · 200: 24 · 180: 16 · 162: 10

Estimate a Writing scale score from a practice test

Exam Raw marks

Uses Cambridge’s published anchor points and a straight line between them. Live exams are equated session by session, so treat anything within 3 points of a boundary as borderline.

Between two published points the estimate is a straight line, which is what this formula does. r is your raw mark, and r₁, S₁ and r₂, S₂ are the published points either side of it.

S \approx S_{1} + \frac{r - r_{1}}{r_{2} - r_{1}} \times (S_{2} - S_{1})

A linear estimate only. It is a guide to where a practice result sits, not a prediction of the live exam.

How It Counts Towards the Result

The Writing scale score is a quarter of the result at A2 Key and B1 Preliminary and a fifth from B2 First upwards. The overall score is the average of the skill scores, rounded to the nearest whole number:

Overall = \frac{R + W + L + S}{4}

A2 Key and B1 Preliminary: Reading, Writing, Listening, Speaking.

Overall = \frac{R + UoE + W + L + S}{5}

B2 First, C1 Advanced, C2 Proficiency: Use of English is the fifth score.

There is no minimum per skill. The grade is decided by the overall score:

Exam	Grade A	Grade B	Grade C	Level below	Reported range
A2 Key	140-150	133-139	120-132	100-119	82-150
B1 Preliminary	160-170	153-159	140-152	120-139	102-170
B2 First	180-190	173-179	160-172	140-159	122-190
C1 Advanced	200-210	193-199	180-192	160-179	142-210
C2 Proficiency	220-230	213-219	200-212	180-199	162-230

Each bar is the range an exam reports. The darkest band is Grade A, then Grade B and Grade C; the palest band is the certificate at the level below. Scores in the grey part are reported but carry no certificate.

Raising a Writing Score

Tick off every content point before you finish. Content is the easiest subscale to lose completely.
Learn the layout of two Part 2 genres so Communicative Achievement is never in doubt.
Use fewer linkers, better. Organisation rewards referencing (this approach, such changes) more than a "Moreover" at the start of every paragraph.
Take one controlled risk per paragraph in grammar or vocabulary. Range is marked, and so is control.

Model answers with subscale marks for every level are on the Cambridge Writing samples page.

Free materials

Guides and practice for every test we cover.

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Kirill O'Nayd, Cambridge English exams expert

Written by Kirill O'Nayd

English test expert and educator at TestSucceed. He has spent years preparing candidates for Cambridge English Qualifications from A2 Key to C2 Proficiency, and taking apart how each paper awards its marks. See all TestSucceed preparation materials.