Cambridge O Level English Language: Paper 2 Writing — Practice Questions

These are original exam-technique questions written for Marlbridge, testing understanding of Paper 2’s format and mark scheme rather than reproducing full Directed Writing or Composition tasks. Use these alongside official past papers and specimen mark schemes, freely available from Cambridge International, for full-length writing practice.

Related: Paper 2 – Writing study guide and revision notes.

Section A

1. State the total marks and time allowed for Paper 2, and its weighting toward the final grade. [3]

2. Name the five Writing assessment objectives (W1–W5) tested across this paper. [5]

3. State the approximate word count expected for a Section A answer and for a Section B answer. [2]

Section B

4. Explain why Paper 2 includes 10 Reading marks in Section A even though it is described as a “Writing” paper. [3]

5. A candidate is given two source texts for a Directed Writing question but bases their entire response on ideas from only one of them. Explain why this is likely to cost marks. [3]

6. A candidate writes a well-argued, fluent Section A response that expresses strong personal opinions on the topic, but rarely refers to specific facts or ideas from the printed source texts. Explain which marks this candidate is at risk of losing, and why. [3]

7. Explain why W4 (register) is tested in Section A but not separately assessed in Section B. [2]

8. A candidate chooses a descriptive question in Section B and writes a piece with no clear sequence of events, focusing entirely on sensory detail about a single place.

(a) Explain why this is an appropriate approach for a descriptive task. [2] (b) Explain how this would need to change if the candidate had instead chosen a narrative question. [2]

9. A candidate spends 70 minutes on Section A because they feel more confident with it, leaving only 45 minutes for Section B.

(a) Explain why this timing approach risks losing marks overall. [2] (b) Suggest a better approximate time split across the two hours. [2]

10. Explain why proofreading in the final few minutes of the exam specifically targets W5, and why this objective is described as easy to lose marks on under time pressure. [3]

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Answers

1. 50 marks, 2 hours [1], worth 50% of the final grade [2].

2. W1 – articulate experience and express what is thought, felt and imagined; W2 – organise and structure ideas and opinions for deliberate effect; W3 – use a range of vocabulary and sentence structures appropriate to context; W4 – use register appropriate to context; W5 – make accurate use of spelling, punctuation and grammar [5].

3. Section A: approximately 250–350 words [1]. Section B: approximately 350–450 words [1].

4. Paper 2 includes Reading marks in Section A because candidates must use, develop and evaluate information from a printed source text to produce their answer [1]; this means full marks cannot be earned by writing fluently in isolation from the source, since the task specifically tests whether the candidate has read, selected from, and evaluated the material provided [2].

5. Section A explicitly rewards evaluating and developing material across all the sources provided, not just one [1]; basing the entire response on a single source text when two are given means the candidate has not demonstrated engagement with the full range of material, which is part of what the 10 Reading marks (R3, R5) are assessing [2].

6. This candidate risks losing the 10 Reading marks (R3, R5) in Section A [1], because these marks specifically reward how well the candidate has analysed, evaluated and developed the facts, ideas and opinions in the source material [1]; strong personal opinion and fluent writing alone address the Writing objectives (W1–W5) but do not substitute for grounding the response in the given source text(s) [1].

7. W4 is tested in Section A because the Directed Writing task specifies a particular audience, purpose and form (for example, a formal letter or a speech to students), so matching register to that specific context is part of what is being assessed [1]. Section B has no set audience or format — candidates choose their own descriptive or narrative approach — so there is no fixed register to assess against [1].

8. (a) This is appropriate because descriptive writing is testing controlled, vivid description of a person, place or situation, and does not require a plot or sequence of events — sensory and structural detail is the skill being assessed [2]. (b) A narrative response would need a clear sequence of connected events with a beginning, development, and some form of resolution or turning point, rather than focusing solely on static sensory detail [2].

9. (a) Because Section A and Section B carry equal marks (25 each), spending significantly longer on Section A leaves too little time to plan and develop a properly structured Section B response, risking a rushed or underdeveloped answer that cannot access the same range of marks even if Section A scores very highly [2]. (b) A roughly even split of 55–60 minutes per section, including 8–10 minutes reading and annotating the source text(s) for Section A and around 5 minutes planning for Section B, leaving a short buffer for proofreading [2].

10. Proofreading targets W5 specifically because spelling, punctuation and grammar accuracy is assessed throughout both sections but is easy to lose through small, avoidable slips made while writing quickly under time pressure [2]; a final dedicated check, separate from the writing process itself, is the most reliable way to catch and correct these errors before time runs out [1].

A note on exam technique for this topic

The single habit that most reliably protects marks on this paper is treating Sections A and B as genuinely different skills rather than two versions of the same essay: Section A rewards disciplined, source-grounded writing for a stated audience and purpose, while Section B rewards controlled, structured expression with no material to lean on. Before writing either answer, check what each section’s marks are actually rewarding — the W1–W5 objectives, plus Reading in Section A — rather than judging a draft only by whether it “sounds good.” Timing discipline matters just as much as technique, since under-planning Section B because it feels more creative than Section A is one of the most common and avoidable ways marks are lost on this paper.