There are some similarities in the Writing task types in CAE and CPE. What makes CPE Writing different from CAE?
A. In the CPE Writing paper, candidates are asked to write 300–350 words for each answer. In CAE they are asked to write 180-220 words for Part 1 and 220-260 for Part 2. In Part 1 of the CPE Writing paper, candidates are always asked to address at least three content points and the task always has a discursive focus. Part of the task, therefore, is to put forward a well-argued and logical case, making sure that this is appropriate to the particular task type – letter, essay, article or proposal – and that the register is suitable for the scenario outlined in the question. As in CAE Writing, the input for the questions in Part 2 are shorter, but there are always at least two parts to these questions. Candidates need to produce a balanced answer dealing adequately with all parts of the question in order to gain a mark in the higher bands.
