Writing Success: C2 Proficiency (CPE)
Philo and Sophia guide learners through the hardest essay task in the Cambridge suite — built entirely from two source texts.
Writing paper: 1 hour 30 minutes
2 parts
Reading and Use of English is a separate paper — see our guide
Philo
Sophia, at C1 Advanced the essay asked a writer to judge between two given points. Surely C2 Proficiency can't ask for much more than that?
Sophia
It asks for something genuinely different, Philo, not simply harder. There are no bullet points at C2 — instead, two short texts are given, each about a hundred words, and the writer must read both, draw out and evaluate their key ideas, and then build an essay that responds to both, in their own words.
Philo
So reading carefully becomes part of the writing task itself.
Sophia
Exactly — this is where reading, synthesis, and argument finally meet in one task. Let's look at how it works, part by part.
Part 1Compulsory essay: summarise and evaluate ideas from two short texts, then give your own view — 240–280 words
Part 2Choice of one: article, letter, report, or review — 280–320 words
1 The Two-Text Essay
Two short texts, each around 100 words, are given on the same general theme but offering different perspectives or emphases. The task is to write an essay of 240–280 words that draws on ideas from both texts, evaluates their key points in your own words, and adds your own opinion, reaching a reasoned conclusion.
Example setup
Text A argues that museums should prioritise digitising their collections for online access. Text B argues that physical preservation and in-person exhibition matter more. The essay must engage with both viewpoints before presenting a considered conclusion.
Why this is the hardest essay in the suite.It combines close reading, honest paraphrase (copying phrases directly from the texts is penalised), synthesis of two distinct viewpoints, and a personal argument, all within 280 words. Our Essay Writing Guide covers the thesis-building and paragraph structure needed — the added skill here is summarising someone else's idea accurately, in entirely new words, before responding to it.
Practise this in isolation: read a short paragraph, close it, and summarise its main idea from memory in one sentence, in your own words.
Strategy: Give roughly equal space to both texts. An essay that only engages seriously with one of the two source texts cannot score at the top for Content, however well written it is.
2 Choosing the Right Part 2 Task
Three task types are offered from a possible article, letter, report, or review, each requiring 280–320 words.
ArticleA confident, engaging piece for a wide readership, often exploring a topic with nuance and personal voice
LetterAddressed to a specific person or publication, with precise control of register and tone throughout
ReportA structured, formal document presenting findings and recommendations with complete clarity
ReviewA sophisticated evaluation of a book, film, or event, balancing description, judgement, and recommendation
Strategy: At this level, examiners are listening for a genuine, individual voice rather than a formulaic structure — a well-controlled piece that sounds like a real, confident writer scores higher than one that simply follows a memorised template correctly.
How Writing Is Scored
Both parts are marked using the same four subscales, each out of 5: Content, Communicative Achievement, Organisation, and Language. At C2, examiners expect full flexibility of style and register, precise and natural vocabulary, and errors so rare they barely register at all.
0–5Content
0–5Communicative Achievement
0–5Organisation
0–5Language