An Overview of Skills for Life Writing Levels 1 and 2
Paper format
At both levels, papers contain three tasks.
Task types
At both levels, candidates are required to complete three tasks. Tasks 1 and 2 are compulsory. In Task 3, there is a choice of two questions.
Answer format
Candidates write their answers in the question booklet in pen.
Timing
Writing Level 1 lasts 75 minutes.
Writing Level 2 lasts 90 minutes.
On each paper, candidates are advised on how long to spend on each task, how many words to write for each task and how many marks are available for each task. For example, in the March 2005 Sample Paper, the breakdown was:
| Level 1 | Level 2 | |
| Task 1 |
About 10 minutes |
About 15 minutes |
| Task 2 |
About 25 minutes |
About 30 minutes |
| Task 3a or 3b | About 40 minutes | About 45 minutes |
Marks
The allocation of marks is based on a combination of factors, including:
- The length of the output
- The balance of marks available for each of the three assessment strands (text focus, sentence focus, word focus)
- The complexity of the tasks and target language needed
A typical allocation of marks could be as follows:
| Level 1 | Level 2 | |||
| Task 1 |
80 words |
9 marks | 100 words | 9 marks |
| Task 2 |
130 words | 12 marks | 180 words | 12 marks |
| Task 3a /3b | 200 words | 15 marks | 250 words | 15 marks |
Broken down as follows:
| Text focus |
Sentence focus |
Word focus |
Total | |
| Task 1 |
0 |
6 |
3 |
9 |
| Task 2 |
6 |
3 |
3 |
12 |
| Task 3a | 6 |
6 |
3 |
15 |
| Task 3b | 6 | 6 | 3 | 15 |
Cambridge ESOL does not assess candidates’ planning directly, as good planning is apparent in the organisation and content of the final text. However, rough paper is provided for candidates to work on if they want it and teachers should always encourage their students to plan texts before writing.
Candidates are expected to :
Level 1 |
communicate information, ideas and opinions, clearly using length, format and style appropriate to purpose and audience in a wide range of documents | |
Level 2 |
communicate information, ideas and opinions, clearly and effectively using length, format and style appropriate to purpose, context and audience in a wide range of documents
(phrases in bold are progressive changes from the previous level)(Adult ESOL Core Curriculum) |
Text types are drawn from the Adult ESOL Core Curriculum and can include, for example, forms, questionnaires, descriptions, accounts, emails, letters, narratives, instructions, reports, explanations, proposals, articles, leaflets and information sheets
Task 1 tends to be transactional in that the candidate has to respond to a given situation. This is usually the shortest task.
Task 2 involves the candidate processing and responding to input (e.g. a memo or article).
In Task 3, the candidate is asked to answer either a question on a general topic, or a question which is designed for those candidates following a Skills for Life course in order to pursue an interest in work, information technology or academic study. This is usually the longest task
There is no theme or scenario in the Levels 1 and 2 papers (as there may be in the Entry levels). This is because it is felt that candidates at Levels 1 and 2 do not need as much support as those at lower levels in terms of activating schemata, i.e. world knowledge, lexical sets, etc. related to a topic.