ScoreFluentLanguageCert Academic Writing, task by task.
Two tasks in one 50-minute block: a 150–200-word response to a chart or text for a public audience, then a formal discursive piece of about 250 words. Each is marked on four 0–8 criteria — and the weighting is 40/60, not 50/50.
Two tasks, one 50-minute clock.
| Task | What you write | Length | Weight |
|---|---|---|---|
| Task 1 | A report, argument or article for a public audience, responding to a written, graphic or visual input — typically a chart or graph with a short text. The prompt spells out the points you must cover | 150–200 words | 40% of the Writing score |
| Task 2 | A formal discursive piece for a specified reader. The instructions elicit comparing and contrasting, persuasion, argument, hypothesis, evaluation, analysis or presenting solutions | About 250 words | 60% of the Writing score |
There is no per-task timer — the 50 minutes are yours to divide, and moving between the two tasks is free. The computer-based test shows a live word count as you type, so you always know where you stand against the 150–200 and 250-word targets.
Four criteria per task, scored 0–8.
| Criterion | What it measures |
|---|---|
| Task Achievement | How far the task was achieved — did you do what was asked, cover the required points and address the right audience |
| Accuracy & Range of Grammar | The range, appropriacy and accuracy of your grammar |
| Accuracy & Range of Vocabulary | The range, accuracy and appropriacy of your vocabulary — spelling is marked here, not separately |
| Organisation (Coherence) | How coherently ideas are linked — punctuation is marked here, not separately |
Four criteria at 0–8 gives 32 raw marks per task. The 0–8 scales are anchored to CEFR levels — 8 reflects C2, 6 is tied to C1, 4 to B2 — so a solid B2 essay scores 4 on a criterion, not 5. Writing is marked by trained examiners, and how raw marks convert to the 0–100 Global Scale is not published — the details are on the scoring guide.
Where marks are actually lost.
Each of these traces to a specific published criterion — they are the failure modes the marking scheme is built to catch, not generic essay advice.
Going off topic — the one mistake with no partial credit
The published rule is blunt: off-topic responses receive no credit. Task Achievement is not a style criterion — it checks that you answered the question set, covered the points the prompt lists, and wrote for the audience named. Re-read the prompt before and after writing; a beautiful essay on the wrong question scores zero.
Ignoring the word counts
Task 1 asks for 150–200 words and Task 2 for about 250. The bands exist because the tasks are calibrated to them: well under length and you cannot have developed the required points; far over and you are spending Task 2 time on Task 1. Practise until you can feel 200 words without counting.
Treating spelling and punctuation as separate problems
There is no spelling criterion and no punctuation criterion. Spelling is marked inside Accuracy & Range of Vocabulary, and punctuation inside Organisation — so an ambitious word spelled wrong undercuts the exact criterion that ambitious vocabulary was meant to lift, and comma-spliced sentences drag down your coherence score, not some separate mechanics mark.
Splitting your time evenly across the two tasks
Task 1 is worth 40 per cent of the Writing score and Task 2 is worth 60, but the 50 minutes come as one self-managed block with no per-task timer. Our suggestion — ours, not LanguageCert’s — is roughly 20 minutes on Task 1 and 30 on Task 2, mirroring the weighting, with a couple of minutes at the end to check spelling.
Writing both tasks in the same register
Task 1 addresses a public audience; Task 2 is a formal piece for a specified reader. The Task Achievement and Vocabulary criteria both reward matching register to reader, so a chatty Task 2 or a stiffly academic Task 1 loses marks twice. Check who you are writing for before the first sentence.
Describing the Task 1 input without responding to it
The input is a springboard, not the task. Task 1 asks you to express a stance, justify it and argue — typically describing what the data shows, suggesting reasons, and evaluating or predicting. Candidates who only paraphrase the chart leave the prompt’s required points uncovered, and Task Achievement is where that shows up.
Straight from the awarding body.
ScoreFluent is an independent practice platform and is not affiliated with, endorsed by or connected to LanguageCert or PeopleCert. The task and marking facts here come from their published documents:
- LanguageCert Academic Qualification Handbook (PDF) — the task definitions, word counts, marking criteria and weightings.
- Official practice papers — full Writing tasks with official sample answers to calibrate against.
- LanguageCert Academic Concordance Report (PDF) — the CEFR anchor points of the 0–8 scales.
Exam details change — the awarding bodies revise their documents during the year. If a decision hangs on a detail here, check it against the official pages above first; they outrank this page.
Keep going: the full format guide, Speaking, Listening and Reading.
Writing questions, answered.
How many writing tasks does LanguageCert Academic have?
Two, in one 50-minute block. Task 1 is a report, argument or article of 150–200 words for a public audience, responding to a written, graphic or visual input. Task 2 is a formal discursive piece of about 250 words for a specified reader. There is no per-task timer — you manage the split yourself.
How is LanguageCert Academic Writing marked?
Each task is marked on four criteria scored 0–8: Task Achievement, Accuracy and Range of Grammar, Accuracy and Range of Vocabulary, and Organisation. That gives 32 raw marks per task. Task 1 counts for 40 per cent of the Writing score and Task 2 for 60 per cent.
What happens if my answer is off topic?
It receives no credit — that is the published rule, not a rumour. Task Achievement checks that you answered the question actually set and covered the points the prompt lists, so re-reading the prompt is the highest-value 30 seconds in the whole paper.
Do spelling and punctuation count in LanguageCert Writing?
Yes, but inside other criteria rather than as separate scores: spelling is marked within Accuracy and Range of Vocabulary, and punctuation within Organisation. A response full of spelling errors caps its vocabulary score no matter how wide the range.
What do the 0–8 scores mean in CEFR terms?
The scales are anchored to CEFR levels: 8 reflects C2, 6 is tied to C1, 4 to B2 and 2 to B1, with odd numbers as in-between points. A solid B2 essay scores 4 on a criterion, not 5. The raw-to-scale conversion beyond that is not published, so treat any converted score — including ours — as an estimate.
Does ScoreFluent offer LanguageCert Writing practice?
Not yet — scored LanguageCert Academic practice is in development. Our PTE Academic writing practice is live today, and the LanguageCert waitlist gets one email on the day practice opens.
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Scored LanguageCert Academic practice is in build, not live. Leave your email and we will send one message when it opens — no date promised until we have one.
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