B1 Preliminary - Writing Practice Tests
Cambridge English: Preliminary (PET)
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On this page, you will find example writing tests to help you prepare your students for the B1 Preliminary Writing paper (Paper 2).
There are two parts to the Writing paper.
In Part 1, students must write an email of about 100 words. They will be given an email from someone and notes about how to reply. This task has a maximum of 20 marks.
In Part 2, students can choose between writing an article or a story of about 100 words. For the article, they will be given a topic to write about with specific questions to answer. This task also has a maximum of 20 marks.
Each writing task should be between 100-120 words long. Students will have 45 minutes to complete both tasks.
Cambridge B1 Preliminary (PET) Writing - Test One
Part One: Email to friend planning to visit your country (about local food and weather).
Part Two: Article about favourite season OR Story about something found in the attic.
1. Ensure students include all points from the notes when writing their email reply in Part 1. Emphasise the importance of comprehensive task completion.
2. Students should aim for 100-120 words in their email, practising concise yet detailed writing.
3. Help students develop appropriate email tone by practising formal and informal language. Demonstrate suitable openings like "Hi" or "Dear" and closings such as "Best wishes" or "Looking forward to hearing from you".
4. Train students to write responses that directly address the content of the original email, ensuring relevance and coherence.
Cambridge B1 Preliminary (PET) Writing - Test Two
Part One: Email to friend who's just moved house (about furniture shopping).
Part Two: Article about local markets OR Story about phone calls.
1. Get students to select the writing task (article or story) that aligns best with their strengths and confidence level.
2. For article writing, students need to carefully address all questions in the task, ensuring comprehensive coverage.
3. When writing stories, guide students to develop a narrative that naturally progresses from the given opening sentence.
4. Practise writing tasks that maintain a consistent word count between 100-120 words.
Cambridge B1 Preliminary (PET) Writing - Test Three
Part One: Email to friend learning to cook (about beginner recipes and advice).
Part Two: Article about favourite café OR Story about travel company email.
Cambridge B1 Preliminary (PET) Writing - Test Four
Part One: Email to friend taking photography course (about practice tips).
Part Two: Article about local transport OR Story about important letter.
1. Develop students' time management skills by simulating the 45-minute writing exam conditions. Teach strategies for allocating time effectively across both tasks.
2. Help students in paragraph structuring to improve readability and organisation of their writing.
3. Students should incorporate linking words like however, although, therefore, so to enhance the coherence of their writing.
4. Emphasise the importance of final proofreading, focusing on grammar, spelling, and punctuation checks.
Cambridge B1 Preliminary (PET) Writing - Test Five
Part One: Email to friend who joined a gym (about exercise timing and advice).
Part Two: Article about shopping habits OR Story about lottery ticket.
Cambridge B1 Preliminary (PET) Writing - Test Six
Part One: Email to friend learning to drive (about driving lessons and preparation).
Part Two: Article about neighbourhood OR Story about restaurant experience.
1. Encourage students to demonstrate versatility by using varied vocabulary and grammatical structures appropriately.
2. Guide students to maintain focus on the given topic, avoiding irrelevant information that might dilute their writing.
3. Help students develop a clear narrative structure with a distinct beginning, middle, and end in their writing.
4. Students should carefully analyse writing tasks, ensuring they fully understand what text type is required.
Cambridge B1 Preliminary (PET) Writing - Test Seven
Part One: Email to friend starting work from home (about workspace and concentration).
Part Two: Article about local restaurants OR Story about midnight phone call.
Cambridge B1 Preliminary (PET) Writing - Test Eight
Part One: Email to friend growing vegetables (about gardening advice).
Part Two: Article about free time activities OR Story about old photograph.
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