Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
How many questions do candidates have to answer?
How much do candidates have to write?
How much time do candidates have?
How many marks are there for each part?
What kind of texts do candidates have to write?
What sort of topics are included in this paper?
Where can I find model answers?
How many questions do candidates have to answer?
They need to answer two compulsory questions.How much do candidates have to write?
For the Part 1 task they need to write 120 - 180 words. For the Part 2 task they need to write 200 - 250 words.How much time do candidates have?
Candidates have 1 hour 15 minutes in which to do the paper.How is this paper marked?
The paper is marked by teams of trained examiners. An impression mark is awarded to each piece of writing. The examiners refer to two mark schemes. The General Impression Mark Scheme is based on the examiner’s overall impression. The Task-specific Mark Scheme is based on the requirements of the particular task.
How many marks are there for each part?
Part 1 carries 40% of the total marks available. Part 2 carries 60% of the total marks available. Overall the Writing paper is 25% of the total marks available in the ICFE examination.What kind of texts do candidates have to write?
Part 1 is always a letter. Part 2 is always a report.What sort of topics are included in this paper?
The finance-related topics in the Writing paper reflect those that practitioners would expect to meet in their daily working lives. The topics are set in the context of international finance. A list of the areas of finance featured in ICFE can be found in the ICFE Handbook.Where can I find model answers?
Examples of both good and poor answers can be found in the activities on this website and in the ICFE Handbook.If you have any other questions about ICFE Writing, contact us and we’ll answer the most frequently asked questions here.