5.1 Writing Overview (Parts 6–7)

Cambridge A2 Key KET

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1 Introduction & Exam Overview

1.1 What Is Cambridge A2 Key (KET)? 1.2 Exam Format: Three Papers 1.3 Who Takes A2 Key and How It Is Delivered 1.4 Study Hours and Preparation Path

2 Scoring, Grades & Results

2.1 The Cambridge English Scale 2.2 Grades A, B, C and Certificates 2.3 How Your Overall Score Is Calculated

3 Reading Parts 1–3: Understanding Texts

3.1 Reading Overview (Parts 1–5) 3.2 Reading Part 1: Short Texts and Main Message 3.3 Reading Part 2: Multiple Matching 3.4 Reading Part 3: Longer Text Detail and Gist

4 Reading Parts 4–5: Vocabulary and Grammar Cloze

4.1 Reading Part 4: Multiple-Choice Cloze 4.2 Collocations and Phrasal Verbs for Part 4 4.3 Reading Part 5: Open Cloze 4.4 Grammar Words for Open Cloze

5 Writing Part 6: Guided Message

5.1 Writing Overview (Parts 6–7) 5.2 Part 6 Guided Writing Task 5.3 Model Emails and Content-Point Checklists

6 Writing Part 7 & Assessment Criteria

6.1 Part 7 Picture Story 6.2 Narrative Language and Connectors 6.3 Writing Assessment: Content, Organisation, Language

7 Listening Parts 1–3

7.1 Listening Paper Overview 7.2 Listening Part 1: Short Dialogues and Pictures 7.3 Listening Part 2: Gap Fill Notes 7.4 Listening Part 3: Conversation Multiple Choice

8 Listening Parts 4–5 & Detail Skills

8.1 Listening Part 4: Gist and Main Message 8.2 Listening Part 5: Matching 8.3 Numbers, Times, Prices and Spelling

9 Speaking Test

9.1 Speaking Test Format 9.2 Speaking Part 1: Interview 9.3 Speaking Part 2: Discussion 9.4 Speaking Assessment Criteria

10 A2 Grammar Essentials

10.1 Present and Past Tenses 10.2 Future Forms, Modals and Obligation 10.3 Comparatives, Superlatives, Adverbs and Word Order 10.4 Questions, Negatives and There Is/Are

11 A2 Vocabulary Topics

11.1 People, Home and Daily Routines 11.2 Free Time, Hobbies, Travel and Transport 11.3 Food, Shopping, Money and Health 11.4 Places in Town, Services and Simple Technology

12 Functional Language for Exam Tasks

12.1 Requests, Offers, Invitations and Suggestions 12.2 Opinions, Agreeing, Disagreeing and Preferences 12.3 Describing People, Places and Events; Simple Narration

13 Exam Day and Test Strategy

13.1 Digital vs Paper-Based and the 2026 Change 13.2 What Happens on Exam Day 13.3 Full Practice Tests and Timing Plans

14 Results and Next Steps

14.1 Interpreting Your Statement of Results 14.2 From A2 Key to B1 Preliminary

5.1 Writing Overview (Parts 6–7)

Key Takeaways Explain This Topic AI

On A2 Key, Writing is Parts 6 and 7 of the shared Reading and Writing paper and carries 30 marks in total (15 per part)

Each writing part is marked on three criteria—Content, Organisation, and Language—scored 0–5 each (maximum 15 per task)

Part 6 needs at least 25 words; Part 7 needs at least 35 words; answers that miss content points or stay far under the word count lose Content marks

You have 60 minutes for the whole Reading and Writing paper; plan about 40 minutes for Reading Parts 1–5 and about 20 minutes for both writing tasks

Writing is scored as its own skill on the Cambridge English Scale, separate from Reading, even though both skills share one timed paper

Last updated: July 2026

5.1 Writing Overview (Parts 6–7)

Quick Answer: On Cambridge A2 Key, Writing is Parts 6 and 7 of the Reading and Writing paper. The two tasks are worth 15 marks each (30 marks total) . Examiners score each task on Content, Organisation, and Language (0–5 each) . Write at least 25 words in Part 6 and at least 35 words in Part 7, and leave about 20 minutes of the 60-minute paper for both writing tasks.

Writing is not a separate timed paper. You manage one clock with Reading Parts 1–5. Candidates who treat Writing as “whatever is left at the end” often lose more scale score than candidates who slightly under-polish a reading item and still produce two complete, clear messages. This overview explains where Writing sits, how the 30 marks work, what each part looks like, and how to budget time before you practise Part 6 in depth in 5.2–5.3 (and Part 7 in the next chapter).

Where Writing Sits in the Exam

Paper piece What you do Marks / weight
Reading Parts 1–5 Objective reading items 30 marks (1 per question)
Writing Part 6 Guided email or note 15 marks (Content + Organisation + Language)
Writing Part 7 Picture story (three pictures) 15 marks (Content + Organisation + Language)
Whole Reading and Writing paper One sitting 60 minutes ; paper is 50% of the exam

Cambridge still produces two separate skill scores from this paper: Reading and Writing . A strong reading performance does not automatically raise your Writing scale score. If your goal is a secure overall pass (and a balanced Statement of Results), you need visible, assessable writing on both Part 6 and Part 7.

Why Writing matters more than “two short tasks” suggests

Equal paper weight with Reading overall: The Reading and Writing paper is half the exam. Inside that paper, Writing’s 30 marks match Reading’s 30 marks at raw-mark level for the two skill streams.

Four-skill average: Your overall Cambridge English Scale score reflects Reading, Writing, Listening, and Speaking. A weak Writing skill can pull the average down even if Listening is strong.

Clear, learnable scoring: Unlike multi-skill conversation, Part 6 and Part 7 are written products you can practise, check against a content-point list, and improve week by week.

The 30 Writing Marks and the Three Criteria

Each writing part is marked out of 15 . Examiners use three equally important bands:

Criterion Score range What it rewards
Content 0–5 You cover the required message points; the task is completed for the reader
Organisation 0–5 Ideas are ordered; simple linking and paragraphing/layout help the reader
Language 0–5 Vocabulary and grammar are mostly accurate and appropriate at A2

Maximum per part = 5 + 5 + 5 = 15.

Maximum for Writing overall in the paper = 15 + 15 = 30.

Content is the first filter

If you write beautiful sentences but ignore a required content point, Content falls. If you address every point but only in two or three words each, Language and Organisation may still be limited—but missing a whole point is often more expensive than a few grammar slips. At A2 Key, task completion beats decoration .

Organisation at elementary level

Organisation does not mean advanced essay structure. It means:

a clear opening (Hi Sam, / Dear Mrs Brown,)
one idea after another in a sensible order (often matching the order of the prompts)
simple connectors: and, but, because, so, then, also, after that
a closing where the task needs one (See you soon! / Best wishes,)

A note that jumps randomly between “time,” “place,” and “food” without any linking can score lower on Organisation even if all facts appear somewhere.

Language at A2

Language rewards control of A2 grammar and everyday vocabulary: present simple/continuous, past simple, going to / will , can / must / should , common adjectives, and simple compound sentences. You do not need rare words. Repeated basic errors that block understanding hurt more than one ambitious mistake in an otherwise clear email.

How the three criteria interact (study picture)

Imagine two Part 6 answers of similar length:

Answer A covers all three prompts, uses Hi / See you soon , links with because and and , and has a few spelling mistakes.

Answer B has near-perfect grammar but only answers two of three prompts and has no greeting or close.

Answer A usually outperforms Answer B overall because Content and Organisation still count for two-thirds of the 15 marks. Perfect language cannot fully rescue an incomplete message.

Part 6 vs Part 7 at a Glance

Feature Part 6 Guided message Part 7 Picture story
Task type Short email or note Short story based on three pictures
Input Situation + content points (usually three prompts or questions) Three pictures in sequence
Minimum words 25 words 35 words
Reader A person (friend, classmate, neighbour, teacher, etc.) Imagined story reader (not a real “reply to”)
Register Informal or semi-formal, matching the recipient Neutral narrative style

Main risk Missing a content point; wrong tone; too short Missing a picture; wrong tense; too short; no sequence

Marks 15 (C/O/L 0–5 each) 15 (C/O/L 0–5 each)

Part 6 is functional writing : you must communicate specific information to a real-world reader. Part 7 is narrative writing : you must show what happens across three scenes. Both need enough words to show clear language; both need full coverage of the visual or written prompts.

Word counts: floors, not ceilings

Part 6: write at least 25 words. Most strong answers sit around 35–60 words —long enough to answer each point with a full sentence, short enough to finish on time.

Part 7: write at least 35 words. Strong answers often sit around 45–70 words , with a simple beginning–middle–end.

Going far under the minimum is dangerous for Content and Language evidence. Going far over (for example 120+ words) is not automatically better: you waste time, increase error risk, and may wander off the task. Aim for “complete and clear,” not “as long as possible.”

Count words the simple way examiners expect: I'm is one word; twenty-five is one word if written that way; numbers as digits still count as words in the message flow. In practice, write in full sentences and you will clear 25/35 without counting mid-sentence—then do a quick end check if you are unsure.

The 60-Minute Clock: Protect About 20 Minutes for Writing

The Reading and Writing paper lasts 60 minutes . A practical split used by many successful candidates is:

Phase Approx. time Focus
Reading Parts 1–5 ~40 minutes Steady pace; do not obsess over one hard item
Writing Part 6 ~8–10 minutes Read prompts → plan three ticks → write → check
Writing Part 7 ~8–10 minutes Study three pictures → sequence story → write → check
Final check buffer ~1–2 minutes Word count feel, missing points, names, times
Why “leave writing to the last five minutes” fails

In five minutes you might produce one incomplete email. That leaves Part 7 empty or as a two-line caption under one picture. Empty or near-empty tasks score very low on Content. Because each part is worth 15 marks, abandoning Part 7 can cost as much as several reading questions—often more, because Writing feeds a whole skill score.

Reading efficiency is a Writing strategy

If Reading Parts 1–5 routinely take you 55 minutes in practice, fix reading speed and decision rules first (see the Reading chapters). Writing strategy cannot create time that reading has already spent. Practise full 60-minute papers so the 40/20 habit becomes automatic.

Digital vs paper practical notes

On paper-based sittings (where still offered for your version of the exam), write clearly; messy letters cost you if the examiner cannot read a key content word. On digital sittings, use the on-screen tools as trained at your centre; still leave time to reread both answers. Format differences do not change the criteria, word minima, or mark totals .

What “Good Enough A2 Writing” Looks Like

You do not need B2 elegance. You need:

All required information present (Content).

Readable order and simple links (Organisation).

Mostly correct everyday English (Language).

Functional targets for Part 6

Greet the person correctly for the relationship.

Answer every bullet/question with at least one clear sentence.

Add a short closing and your name if the task is an email/note to a person.

Check numbers, days, times, and places—wrong details can make a “covered” point factually fail the reader’s needs.

Narrative targets for Part 7 (preview)

Mention what happens in each of the three pictures.

Use past tenses (or a consistent present narrative if that fits your training—past simple is the usual classroom default for finished story sequences).

Connect scenes with First / Then / After that / Finally or clear time phrases.

Common Whole-Paper Writing Traps

Trap Why it costs marks Better habit
Spending 50+ minutes on Reading Leaves no real writing Hard time box; move on
Answering only Part 6 Part 7 still worth 15 Always start Part 7 with a skeleton if short on time
Writing under 25 / 35 words Weak Content + little Language evidence One full sentence per required idea
Ignoring a bullet because “I don’t know the word” Missing Content Use a simpler word you know

Copying the rubric without adding your own message Not enough real communication Transform prompts into full answers

Over-formal language to a friend ( I remain yours faithfully ) Wrong register Match Hi/Hello + friendly close
Fancy vocabulary you cannot spell Language errors, unclear meaning Prefer common accurate words
Practice Plan for This Chapter Cluster

Learn the mark scheme language (Content / Organisation / Language) so you can self-check every practice answer.

Drill Part 6 content-point coverage until missing a bullet feels impossible (Section 5.2).

Study strong and weak models and use checklists before free writing (Section 5.3).

Later chapter: Part 7 story language, connectors, and the same three criteria applied to narratives.

Once a week: full Reading and Writing timed paper with a strict ~20-minute writing block.

Official Mindset for Exam Day

Treat Parts 6 and 7 as two short professional tasks , not as creative essays. The examiner is asking: Did this candidate communicate the required A2-level message clearly? If the answer is yes on both tasks, you have protected a large share of the Writing skill score that feeds your overall result.

The next section zooms into Part 6 only : the guided email/note format, how content points work, register choices, and a step-by-step method you can run in under ten minutes.