Aptis General Writing: 50 minutes, four parts. Length and time for each part, the level each task aims at, and how Writing is marked.
The Aptis General Writing lasts 50 minutes. It has four parts, from single words to a formal email. Each part aims at a different level and has its own scoring scale, so you do not prepare everything in the same way. This is what each part asks according to the official documentation. For the rest of the site, go to the home page.
| Part | What you do | Length | Recommended time |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Answer five messages with single words | 1–5 words per answer | less than 3 min |
| 2 | Write personal information | 20–30 words | less than 7 min |
| 3 | Three answers on a social-network-style web page | 30–40 words each | less than 10 min |
| 4 | Two emails: first the informal one, then the formal one | 40–50 informal, 120–150 formal | the rest |
| Part | Aims at | Scale |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | A1 | 0–3 |
| 2 | A2 | 0–5 |
| 3 | B1 | 0–5 |
| 4 | B2 | 0–6 |
The practical result is close to Speaking: the highest levels are decided mainly in Part 4, the only part with a scale up to 6. The other parts help you not to lose points.
The official guide says it like this: there is no extended writing in this part, only individual words. Writing complete sentences is not what this task asks for.
The most common mistake is going over 30 words and filling the text with errors. Write what is asked, with the number of words indicated.
The markers consider these most important: relevance of the content, completing the task, and grammar and vocabulary accuracy. A real risk is not answering the question that is asked. If the question is "Should we ask for X?", answer yes or no. Showing doubt or adding nuance is not penalised.
This is the long part and the one that aims at B2. There are two tasks, one after the other:
The change of register should be clear: greeting, closing, structures and vocabulary.
Marking is holistic. The answer is scored as a whole for its language features, and the marker decides whether the level is kept throughout the text. There is no official breakdown by sections. The breakdowns you see on other websites, including ours, are teaching tools.
How long is the Aptis General Writing? 50 minutes, with four parts.
How many words do you write in Part 4? Between 40 and 50 in the informal email and between 120 and 150 in the formal one.
Can you get C1 in Writing? Yes. General reports the highest level as C, which is awarded as C1. Parts 1 to 3 aim at A1, A2 and B1. The high level comes mainly from Part 4.
Is the Advanced Writing the same? No. It lasts 45 minutes and has three parts: three short answers, a formal email and an article.
Do the Writing in the simulator and practise the four parts with a timer: take a practice test in your browser.
Aptis® is a trademark of the British Council. AptisBot is an independent project. Our estimate is not the official result.
Test format overview 2023 (General); Aptis rating scales report (Fairbairn & Dunlea, TR/2017/001); General technical manual, Appendix H. The preparation tips are AptisBot's own judgement.