Writing — Article & Report for the FCE Exam

Common failure modes

These are the patterns that cause most candidates to lose marks on this topic. Recognising them in advance is half the work.

• !Writing a report in the informal style of an article — wrong register
• !Missing the required report subheadings (Introduction, Findings, Recommendation)
• !Articles that do not engage the reader from the opening line

Study tips

• 1Learn the article formula: engaging title, opening question or statement, 2–3 main paragraphs, friendly conclusion.
• 2Learn the report formula: To/From/Date header, subheadings (Introduction, Findings, Recommendations), formal impersonal language.
• 3Decide in the exam which task type you know best — play to your strengths.

Sample FCE Writing — Article & Report questions

These sample items mirror the format and difficulty of real FCE questions. Practice with thousands more on the free Koydo question bank.

1. 1

   Which is the most appropriate opening for an FCE magazine article about volunteering?

   • A"Introduction: This report will discuss volunteering."
   • B"Have you ever wanted to make a real difference? Volunteering might be exactly what you are looking for!"Correct
   • C"Dear Sir/Madam, I am writing to inform you about volunteering opportunities."
   • D"Volunteering is a noun that means working for free."
   Why this answer?

   Magazine articles use an engaging opening to hook the reader — often a question, anecdote, or surprising fact. Option B uses a rhetorical question and directly addresses the reader, which is appropriate for an article. Option A is a report format; Option C is a letter; Option D is a dictionary-style definition.