The only compulsory task on the Writing paper. You are given a question and three notes — two set points plus a blank for your own idea — and asked to give your opinion in 140–190 words of clear, neutral English.

• Use every note you are given, including your own third idea — missing one caps your Content mark.
• Give an opinion early and repeat it in the conclusion; the task asks for it twice.
• Plan four short paragraphs: introduction, two points, conclusion.
• Link ideas with Firstly, Secondly, However, To sum up — examiners look for exactly this kind of cohesion.

You pick one of four text types — article, email, review, or story — each written for a different reader in a different register, always 140–190 words.

• Choose the option you have the most ideas for, not the one that sounds easiest — you only get one attempt.
• Match the register: an email to a friend is informal, an article and a review are lively but still public-facing.
• Answer every part of the task; an email almost always hides two separate questions.
• Give the article or review a title and open/close the email properly — conventions are marked, not optional.

A quick paragraph plan — introduction, point one, point two, conclusion — stops you running out of ideas halfway through and keeps your organisation mark high for almost no extra time.

Both parts want 140–190 words. Padding a strong answer past 190 does not add marks, and it eats into time you need for checking.

A formal essay and an email to a friend should not sound the same. Reading the task's reader and purpose before you start decides your whole register.

Content, Communicative Achievement, Organisation, and Language are marked separately. An accurate answer that ignores half the task still loses marks on Content.

The two parts test different skills — the essay tests argument, Part 2 tests writing for a reader. Feedback on both tells you which one actually needs the work.