5.2 Part 6 Guided Writing Task

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

5.2 Part 6 Guided Writing Task

Key Takeaways Explain This Topic AI

Part 6 asks you to write a short email or note that covers given content points—usually three prompts or questions in the input

You must address every content point; missing even one point damages the Content score (0–5)

Choose informal or semi-formal language to match the recipient (friend vs teacher/neighbour/colleague-type reader)

Write at least 25 words in full sentences; aim for roughly 35–60 words so each point is clearly answered

Use a fixed routine: read the situation → underline the three points → plan one idea each → write greeting + body + close → check

Last updated: July 2026

5.2 Part 6 Guided Writing Task

Quick Answer: In Writing Part 6 , you write a short email or note that answers a small set of given content points (usually three prompts or questions). You must cover all points, use a suitable informal or semi-formal tone for the reader, and write at least 25 words . Examiners score Content, Organisation, and Language (0–5 each) for a maximum of 15 marks .

Part 6 looks simple—and it is simple if you treat it as a checklist task, not as free creative writing. The input already tells you who you write to and what you must say. Your job is to turn those prompts into a complete, friendly, readable message in a few minutes.

What the Task Looks Like

A typical Part 6 page includes:

A short situation (who is writing, why, and to whom).

An instruction such as Write an email to your friend Sam or Write a note to your English teacher .

Content points —often shown as bullet points, questions, or notes you “must include.”

A reminder of the word minimum (at least 25 words ).

Example situation (original practice style)

You are going to a new sports club this Saturday. Write an email to your friend Alex.

In your email, you should:

say what sport you will do
say what time you will meet
ask Alex to bring something

Write 25 words or more .

That is the whole puzzle: three content obligations plus a real reader (Alex) and a real purpose (arranging Saturday).

Content Points: The Heart of the Mark

Content asks whether the message does the job for the reader. At A2 Key, that almost always means:

every listed point is answered
the answers are relevant to the situation
the reader could act on the message (know when, where, what, how, or why)
Usually three points

Most published-style tasks use three clear points. Treat “usually three” as your default exam expectation: if you see three bullets, you need three answers. If a rare task shows two or four, cover all of them—never invent a private rule that “three is enough” when four are printed.

What “addressing a point” means

Weak coverage Strong coverage
“Saturday OK.” (no sport, no time, no request) Full answers to each bullet
“Football.” (one word for one bullet) “I will play football at the club.”
Answering a different question you wish was there Staying inside the given prompts
Repeating the rubric only: “I say what sport” Real information: “I will do swimming.”

One clear clause or sentence per content point is the safe minimum. Two short sentences for a complex point (for example time + place) is fine.

Hidden detail inside a point

Some points contain two mini-jobs: say when and where you want to meet . If you give only the day and forget the place, Content may be only partly achieved for that bullet. Underline every information word in the prompt: when, where, why, who, how long, how much, what to bring .

Email vs Note

Both forms are short functional messages. Differences are mostly layout and formula phrases—not essay length.

Feature Email Note
Opening Hi Mia, / Hello Mr Khan, / Dear Mrs Lee, Hi Tom, / Mrs Patel, / sometimes just the name
Body 3–6 short sentences covering the points Same job; often slightly shorter lines
Closing See you soon, / Love, / Best wishes, / Thanks, Thanks! / See you tomorrow, / name only
Name Usually yes Usually yes

In the exam, follow the instruction word: if it says email , use email-style greeting and close; if it says note , a compact note format is fine. Do not write a formal business letter with addresses and “Yours faithfully” unless the situation truly demands high formality—and A2 Key Part 6 almost never does.

Register: Informal vs Semi-Formal

Informal (friends, classmates, family-age peers)
Greetings: Hi Sam, / Hello Alex,

Language: contractions ( I'm , can't ), simple exclamations ( Great! ), direct questions ( Do you want to come? )

Closings: See you soon! / Bye for now, / Love, (with family/close friends if natural)
Semi-formal (teacher, club leader, neighbour you do not know well, host family adult)
Greetings: Dear Mr Brown, / Dear Mrs Costa, / Hello Ms Ahmed,
Language: polite requests ( Could you…? / Please… ), fewer slangy phrases, still simple A2 grammar
Closings: Best wishes, / Kind regards, / Thank you, + full name if appropriate
Register mistakes that cost Organisation/Language impression

Situation Wrong Better

Email to a friend Dear Sir or Madam, I am writing to inform you… Hi Lena, Do you want to go to the cinema?

Note to a teacher Hey!!!! gimme more time lol Dear Mr Evans, Can I hand in my homework tomorrow, please?

Mixed reader Starts Hi and ends Yours faithfully Keep opening and closing in the same style

You can still be polite and simple with friends; you do not need slang. You should be warm and clear with teachers; you do not need advanced formal vocabulary.

A Reliable 8–10 Minute Method
Step 1 — Read the whole input (about 1 minute)

Identify:

Who you are in the situation
Who the reader is
Why you are writing
The exact content points

Circle the reader’s name. Wrong name in the greeting is a careless error that hurts the professional impression of the message.

Step 2 — Turn points into a micro-plan (about 1 minute)

On scrap paper or in your head, list three short answers:

Sport → swimming
Time → 10:30
Bring → a towel

If the prompt is a question ( What time…? ), your plan is still the answer, not a copy of the question.

Step 3 — Write the message (about 5–6 minutes)
Structure template (email to a friend): Hi [Name],

[Opening line linked to the situation.]
[Sentence for content point 1.]
[Sentence for content point 2.]
[Sentence for content point 3 / question to them.]

[Short close],
[Your name]
Worked example (sports club task): Hi Alex,

I'm going to the new sports club on Saturday. I will do swimming there.

Let's meet at 10.30 at the entrance. Can you bring a towel for me, please?

See you soon,
Mila

Word count: clearly above 25. All three points covered. Informal register matches a friend. Simple Organisation: greeting → points in order → close.

Step 4 — Check with a content tick list (about 1–2 minutes)

Ask:

Did I answer point 1?

Point 2?

Point 3?

Is the tone right for the reader?

Do I have a greeting and a close?

Are times, days, and names correct?

Does it feel longer than 25 words?

Any easy grammar fixes ( he go → he goes )?

If you discover a missing point, add one sentence immediately. That single sentence often saves more Content marks than rewriting a nicer adjective.

Language Toolkit for Part 6

You do not need a huge vocabulary. You need flexible function phrases .

Giving information
I'm going to… / I will… / I want to…

It's on Saturday at 4 p.m.

The class is in Room 12.

My favourite is…
Explaining why
because…
so…
That's why…
Inviting / suggesting

Would you like to…?

Do you want to…?

Let's…

How about…?

Requesting

Can you…, please?

Could you…?

Please bring / send / tell me…
Apologising / thanking
I'm sorry I can't…
Thank you for…

Thanks a lot!

Asking a content-point question back

Many tasks include ask X about… as one bullet. That bullet is not optional . Write a real question:

What time does the film start?

Do you want pizza or pasta?

Can you come with me?

A statement that never asks fails that content point.

Grammar Priorities (High Value at A2)

Focus control on forms that appear constantly in messages:

Area Example control

Present simple She lives near the school.

Present continuous I'm staying at home today.

Past simple I visited my grandma yesterday.

Future I will call you / I'm going to travel by bus
Modals can, can't, must, should, would like

Questions What time…? Can you…? Do you…?

Articles / plurals a ticket, the park, two tickets

One well-formed sentence per idea beats a long broken sentence with three clauses you cannot control.

Timing Inside the Writing Block

If you reserved about 20 minutes for both writing parts, give Part 6 roughly 8–10 minutes :

Minute Action
0–1 Read input; mark the three points
1–2 Micro-plan answers
2–8 Write full message
8–10 Tick content points; fix obvious errors

If Part 6 is finished early, move to Part 7 . Do not decorate Part 6 with extra off-topic stories; extra length without new required content rarely helps and can introduce errors.

Partial Credit Thinking When Time Is Almost Gone

If you have only three minutes left for Part 6:

Write the greeting.

Write three short sentences, one per point—even if ugly.

Add Thanks, + name.

Three complete content sentences almost always beat one beautiful paragraph that answers a single point.

What Part 6 Is Not
Not a long essay with introduction–body–conclusion academic style
Not a place to show every idiom you know
Not optional “if I finish Reading”
Not only spelling practice—meaning for the reader comes first
Bridge to Models

Knowing the method is half the skill. The next section gives original model emails and notes , weak contrasts, openings/closings banks, and content-point checklists you can reuse on every practice task until coverage becomes automatic.