Exam guide

Paper structure

The syllabus changed for first exams in 2024. You will sit the new format, but the older papers are still good practice because most of the tasks carried over.

Current format (2024 onwards)

There is no Core/Extended split any more: everyone takes the same Paper 1 and Paper 2.

Paper 1 exercise by exercise (current)

Paper 2 exercise by exercise (current)

Old format (2022–2023)

• Paper 1 Reading and Writing (Core), 60 marks, 1 h 30 min; Paper 2 Reading and Writing (Extended), 80 marks, 2 h. Both had the same six exercises: reading for detail, multiple matching, note-making, summary, email and article/report/review. Core writing tasks were 100–150 words (12 marks each); Extended were 150–200 words (16 marks each).
• Paper 3 Listening (Core), 30 marks, about 40 min; Paper 4 Listening (Extended), 40 marks, about 50 min. These used written short answers and gap-fill notes as well as multiple choice. Paper 4 had an extra fifth exercise: gap-fill notes on a talk and on a discussion.

What changed in 2024: the summary was removed and replaced by a multiple-choice reading exercise. Writing tasks now carry 15 marks each, and language counts for more (9 marks) than content (6 marks). Listening became fully multiple choice and matching, with a new exercise of short dialogues. The Core/Extended tiers were merged into one paper per skill.

Topic weights

Shares are of all marks in the sample (22 papers, 1,130 marks). Because the old and new formats differ, the right-hand column shows the marks each task gets in one current exam (Paper 1 + Paper 2 = 100 marks).

The two writing tasks together are worth 30 of every 100 marks in the current exam. That makes them the biggest single area.

Bankers

These appear in every session, in the same place, every time:

• Email to a friend (Exercise 5). It is always informal and always has three bullet points. Most often you are asked to recount a recent experience, such as a course, a challenge, a quiz, a difficult situation or a family visit. Sometimes you plan a future visit or course instead, or describe a problem and what it caused.
• The formal piece (Exercise 6). Reviews came up most often in the sample (2023 Oct/Nov, 2025 May/June, 2025 Oct/Nov), followed by articles (2022, 2024 May/June) and reports (2023 May/June, 2024 Oct/Nov). An essay appeared for the first time in May/June 2026. You get four short comments to use as prompts, and you must add ideas of your own.
• Reading for detail (Exercise 1): single-fact questions, then a final question asking for several details from anywhere in the text.
• Multiple matching (Exercise 2): nine (formerly 8–10) statements matched to sections or people A–D.
• Note-making (Exercise 3): two headings, with bullet points showing how many notes are needed.
• Listening: the short extracts, the talk, the speaker matching (six speakers) and the long interview have all been on every paper.

Rarely tested

• Essay as the Exercise 6 genre: only once (2026), but it is now in the mix, so prepare it.
• Email describing a problem (2025 May/June) and email planning a visit or future event (2023 May/June, 2025 Oct/Nov) are less common than recounting a past experience.
• Summary writing and the old Extended talk-and-discussion notes no longer appear. Only practise them if you are using old papers for reading or listening skills.

Trends

• Writing matters more. Since 2024 the two writing tasks are worth 30 of the 60 Paper 1 marks, and language (9 marks per task) outweighs content (6). Range of vocabulary and complex sentences now pays off more than before.
• Exercise 6 rotates through genres. The order in the sample was article, report, review, article, report, review, review, essay. You cannot predict the genre, so be ready for all four.
• Inference is growing. Examiners keep reporting that multiple-matching items test implied meaning and attitude, not just facts. The new Exercise 4 multiple-choice task also rewards careful reading of the exact focus of each question.
• Listening is all objective now. There is no spelling risk any more, but there are lots of distractors: every option is usually mentioned somewhere in the recording.
• Grade boundaries are high. On the current Paper 1 (variant 2) an A has needed 54–55 out of 60, and a C 43–48. Small slips cost grades.

Question styles

• Reading Exercise 1: "What…?", "Why…?", "How…?", "Give two/three details". Answers are short phrases taken from the text. You do not need full sentences or paraphrase.
• Exercise 2: "Which section/person…" followed by a paraphrased idea, e.g. a reason, a feeling, a suggestion or a contrast. You write a single letter.
• Exercise 3: note headings such as "Reasons for…" or "Advantages of…". You write one short note per bullet point.
• Exercise 4 (current): sentence stems or questions with options A–C, all of which are mentioned in the text. Only one matches the question exactly.
• Exercise 5: "Write an email to a friend about…", with three bullets (explain, describe, say why or how).
• Exercise 6: "Write an article/report/review/essay for [school magazine / head teacher / website / teacher], giving your views", with four comments as prompts.
• Listening: choose A–D (Exercise 1) or A–C (Exercises 2, 3, 5); match six speakers to ideas A–H (Exercise 4). Each recording is played twice.

Common mistakes

From the examiner reports (2022, 2023 and 2025):

• Too much detail in Exercise 1. If you copy a long chunk and it includes a wrong detail, a correct answer can lose its mark. Key words like "first", "most" or "more" matter, and leaving out a comparative can cost the mark.
• Exercise 2 answers that are unclear or overwritten. Cross out and rewrite instead. Students also matched on a shared word instead of the actual idea, e.g. picking an example when the statement asked for a reason.
• Notes in the wrong section or too long in Exercise 3. Notes must sit under the right heading, one per bullet line, and include a needed verb or key detail. Two notes that say the same thing only earn one mark.
• Choosing a Multiple-choice reading option (Exercise 4) just because the text mentions it. All options appear in the text, and only one fully fits.
• Missing a bullet point in the email. That caps your content mark. Other problems were writing too short (not enough development), or switching into formal phrases like "I would like to inform you". Several reports note a narrative style without the chatty tone of writing to a friend.
• Using the wrong register in Exercise 6, or relying only on the prompts. Copying the comments word for word earns nothing. Higher marks go to your own ideas, clear paragraphs and accurate punctuation.
• Old summaries: writing past the word limit (points after the limit were not credited), long irrelevant introductions, and copying whole sentences.
• Listening: shading two lozenges or transferring answers carelessly, falling for distractors, and in speaker matching picking a statement when the speaker expressed only part of it.

Grade thresholds

Raw marks needed on the variant-2 papers (the sample analysed). From 2024, A* is set only for the whole qualification.

Current format (2024 onwards)

Old format (2022–2023)

Revision priorities for Oct/Nov 2026 and 2027

1. Writing first (30 of every 100 marks). Write at least one email and one formal piece every week. Rotate the Exercise 6 genres: review, report, article, and now essay. Practise headings for reports, a clear verdict for reviews, and a balanced argument with a conclusion for essays.
2. Cover every bullet in the email and develop each one with two or three related ideas. Keep the tone friendly and conversational, with an opening and a sign-off.
3. Push your language level. Language is 9 of 15 marks per task. Use less common vocabulary, varied sentence openings, and some complex structures (conditionals, relative clauses, passives) that you can write accurately.
4. Precision reading for Exercises 1–4. Underline the question focus (first, most, why, how), give brief answers in the text's words, and check that a matching or multiple-choice option fits all of the statement.
5. Listening (40% of the reading/listening marks). Do a full Paper 2 under timed conditions, including the 6-minute transfer. Pay special attention to the short-conversation exercise, which is the biggest listening block at 10 marks, and to distractors in speaker matching.
6. Use old papers wisely. The 2022–2023 Exercises 1–3, 5 and 6 are still useful practice. Skip the summary unless you want extra paraphrasing practice.