Writing paper · 2028–2030
Practise the revised 40-mark Writing paper, including the 5+10+25 allocation and separate task-completion and language criteria.
Section W4 · W4 · Writing assessment objective
Exam scope and assessment notes
Original StudyForA materials, not Cambridge papers or recordings. This is an initial mapped pathway, not the complete guided-learning course. Cambridge's vocabulary list is not reconciled word by word, grammar coverage is grouped rather than item-audited, and a qualified Malay-language specialist must review every example and answer before this course is described as complete. Browser speech synthesis varies by device and voice and is not Cambridge audio. Speaking rehearsal is not the centre-conducted assessment or an official mark; writing practice is not examiner-marked. Full timed specimen papers are not included. Confirm exam year and entry arrangements with Cambridge and your school.
Before you begin
Work on paper. Try each question before revealing help, and explain why your method works.
Quick readiness check
What is a useful way to approach writing paper · 2028–2030?
What you will learn
- Complete the five-mark form task accurately.
- Plan an 80–90-word directed response against task completion and range/accuracy.
- Develop a 130–140-word email/letter or article/blog covering every prompt point.
- Use the 2028–2030 mark criteria without claiming an official grade.
Use the 2028 criteria
From 2028, Paper 4 is one hour and worth 40 marks. Q1 is 5 marks; Q2 is about 80–90 words and 10 marks (5 task completion, 5 range and accuracy); Q3 is about 130–140 words and 25 marks (9 task completion, 9 range, 7 accuracy).
Review task completion separately from language. If a required point is missing, add it before polishing. A self-check can guide revision, but only the official process awards Cambridge marks.
Match your revision to the criterion
For Q2, check both that all requested ideas are included and that vocabulary and structures are sufficiently varied and accurate. For Q3, keep task completion, range and accuracy as three separate review questions.
Do not infer a band or Cambridge grade from this checklist. It gives students a way to revise original practice; a full assessment still requires the current official criteria and qualified marking.
Sources for this lesson
Pause and explain
What should you check after studying writing paper · 2028–2030?
Worked example
A 2028 directed task asks for an activity, the day and place, who attended, what you thought and one change you suggest. How should you review a draft?
Show the worked solution
- Check each requested content point.
- Review range and accuracy separately.
- Do not convert this self-check into a Cambridge mark.
Answer First verify every requested point is present (task completion). Then review vocabulary, connected sentences and accuracy (range/accuracy). The official Q2 criteria split ten marks equally; this checklist is not an examiner decision.
Try a topic test
Choose Easy, Normal or Difficult. Save your answers and open worked review after finishing.
Test this topic →From guided practice to a new situation
Write your answer and reasoning first. Use a hint only if you are stuck. The model solution is for self-checking; your written work is not automatically marked.
Review a draft for a 2028 Q2 prompt asking for a club, its meeting time and one reason you joined. Make separate task and language notes.
Give me a hint
Use two headings and check three content facts.
Compare my reasoning
- Find the club name.
- Check time and reason.
- Separately note one strength and one correction in Malay.
Example review: task completion—club, time and reason are all included; language—one useful connector appears, but check the time phrase. Q2 divides ten marks into five for task completion and five for range/accuracy; this review does not assign marks.
Look for these in your work
- Checks all content
- Separates language feedback
- Avoids issuing a score
Plan a 130–140-word email or article about a useful local service: what it offers, who uses it, one improvement and why that matters.
Give me a hint
Select an audience and format, then map each prompt point.
Compare my reasoning
- Choose the email or article format.
- Plan the service and its users.
- Explain an improvement and why it matters.
A complete plan identifies the service and its users, proposes one realistic improvement and explains its value. Keep the audience consistent and review against the published 9/9/7 criteria; only Cambridge awards the official mark.
Look for these in your work
- Chooses a consistent format
- Covers all requested content
- Explains the improvement
Two drafts answer the same 2028 task: one has fluent Malay but misses a required detail; the other includes all details but has several agreement or word-choice errors. What should each writer revise first?
Give me a hint
Separate task completion from range and accuracy.
Compare my reasoning
- Identify the missing point in draft one.
- Identify a language correction in draft two.
- Give a different next step for each.
Draft one should add the missing required detail first. Draft two should keep its complete content and correct the language errors. The criteria are distinct; fluency does not compensate for an unanswered point.
Look for these in your work
- Prioritises completion in draft one
- Targets language in draft two
- Keeps the criteria separate
Common mistakes
- Using the earlier 12/28 allocation in a 2028 response
- Editing grammar while leaving a required point unanswered
- Claiming StudyForA's review is a Cambridge mark
What can you explain now?
How is the new Q3's 25 marks divided?
Compare with the explanation
9 task completion, 9 range and 7 accuracy
These are the published 2028–2030 criteria.
After trying it yourself, choose your next review. This is your self-assessment.
Your review choice appears on Today. Sign in to sync it across devices.
Make it stick
Explain one idea from writing paper · 2028–2030 from memory, then give one example and one detail that must be checked in the text.
If you needed the solution, close it and solve the problem again from a blank page. A correct answer is stronger when you can explain the reason for each step.