Writing through 2027
Practise the 2025–2027 form, directed writing and extended writing tasks with explicit task-completion checks.
Exam scope and assessment notes
All Spanish passages, prompts, model answers, listening scripts and tasks are original StudyForA materials, not Cambridge assessment content. Vocabulary is taught in context, but Cambridge's 2028 vocabulary spreadsheet has not been mapped word by word. Grammar groups have not had an item-by-item Spanish-specialist audit, and a Spanish-language specialist should review the original Spanish before publication is described as complete. Browser speech synthesis is not Cambridge audio and cannot guarantee a regional accent, natural pace or pronunciation. Speaking is rehearsal and self-review, not the supervised centre assessment or examiner interaction; writing is not Cambridge-marked. No complete timed specimen paper or 130-hour course is included. Check your exam year, entry option and centre arrangements with Cambridge and your school. A 2025–2027 Version 2 lesson is intended for that syllabus cycle; use the separately labelled format from 2028. Cambridge states that 7160 has the same subject content as 0530, with grades 9–1. Limited-entry 9–1 route. The 2025 syllabus has June and November series; 2026 and 2027 have June only; 2028–2030 have June only. Cambridge's subject-page notice lists June availability in zone 3 and for centres in Oman and UAE. Confirm your exact year, series and centre entry with Cambridge. The official 2028 vocabulary list is linked from the subject page and has not been reconciled word by word.
Before you begin
Work on paper. Try each question before revealing help, and explain why your method works.
Quick readiness check
A prompt asks for a past event, an opinion and a future plan. Which outline covers all three?
What you will learn
- Complete a form with accurate personal details and short factual responses.
- Write a directed response that covers all required bullet points.
- Develop a longer email, letter, article or blog with connected events and opinions.
- Check agreement, tense, range and accuracy against the task.
Secure task completion first
The 2025–2027 Paper 4 is one hour and 45 marks: a form task (5 marks), directed writing (12 marks, typically 80–90 words) and extended writing (28 marks, typically 130–140 words). Use the question paper for the exact prompt and word guidance.
Before writing, turn each bullet into a checklist. Include a direct answer for each point, then add relevant details. A polished response can still lose purpose if it leaves a bullet unanswered.
Develop a connected response
For longer writing, organise with a clear opening, sequenced event or description, opinion plus reason and a relevant ending. Connect with «primero», «después», «sin embargo» and «porque» where appropriate.
After drafting, check verb time frames, agreement, accents on question words, punctuation and whether each detail answers the prompt. These are learning checks, not the Cambridge mark scheme or an official score.
Sources for this lesson
- Cambridge IGCSE Spanish (9–1) 7160 subject page, entry notice and vocabulary-list link
- Cambridge IGCSE Spanish (9–1) 7160 syllabus for exams in 2025–2027
- Cambridge IGCSE Spanish (9–1) 7160 syllabus update for 2025–2027
- Cambridge IGCSE Spanish (9–1) 7160 syllabus for exams in 2028–2030
- Cambridge IGCSE Spanish (9–1) 7160 2028–2030 vocabulary list
Pause and explain
Which is a suitable final check after drafting?
Worked example
A friend asks for an 80–90-word Spanish email about a school event: what happened, what you enjoyed, one problem and what you plan next. What must your plan include?
Show the worked solution
- Convert each prompt point into one checklist item.
- Sequence the event in a consistent tense.
- Reserve a final sentence for the next plan and check the word range.
Answer A complete plan covers the event, an enjoyment with reason, a problem and a future plan. It should fit the requested range; the actual writing would need a word count and language review.
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.
Write a short form response with a name, date, preferred activity and one contact detail, then check that each field answers its label.
Give me a hint
Use concise factual phrases and preserve the requested format.
Compare my reasoning
- Read each field label.
- Enter only the requested information.
- Check dates, spelling and basic agreement.
A complete form uses the requested details in the correct fields, for example: «Actividad preferida: visitar el museo». Do not add a detail that the form does not request.
Look for these in your work
- Matches each answer to its field
- Uses concise factual language
- Checks spelling and date format
Plan an 80–90-word response to a friend about a school trip. Include the destination, one activity you enjoyed and why, a difficulty and a future suggestion.
Give me a hint
Make four bullet checks before drafting and count words afterward.
Compare my reasoning
- List the destination.
- Add the activity and a reason.
- Include a difficulty and a future suggestion; verify the requested length.
A complete response covers all four content points in connected Spanish and stays within the stated range. The final spelling and grammar should be reviewed; this sample checklist is not an official mark.
Look for these in your work
- Covers all points
- Connects events and opinion
- Checks word range
Write a 130–140-word blog entry about a community event, balancing what happened, your opinion, one challenge and a future idea.
Give me a hint
Use a beginning, sequence, contrast and ending; keep claims specific to your experience.
Compare my reasoning
- Introduce when and where the event happened.
- Describe activities and give an opinion with reasons.
- Explain a challenge and propose a realistic next step; count words.
A strong response addresses every part with connected detail, distinguishes personal experience from general claims and stays in the requested range. Learners should review the Spanish with a teacher; this task is not Cambridge-marked.
Look for these in your work
- Develops the event
- Supports an opinion
- Includes a challenge and future idea
Common mistakes
- Missing a bullet point
- Mixing past and present without a reason
- Writing far outside the requested length
- Assuming an automated check awards Cambridge marks
What can you explain now?
What is the first review check for directed writing?
Compare with the explanation
Every requested bullet has a relevant response
Task coverage is essential before polishing language.
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
Before leaving writing through 2027, explain one idea from memory, answer the checkpoint and name one syllabus detail you still need to practise.
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.