French writing: the consigne is the mark scheme
The French writing paper — production écrite — gives you a situation and a consigne: the instructions saying what your text must do. The first thing marked is whether you did all of it. A well-written text that answers most of the consigne is capped before the French is considered.
What you write, by level
| Level | Task | Length |
|---|---|---|
| A1–A2 | A form and a short message | Very short |
| B1 | A personal view on a general subject, with reasons | Around 160–180 words |
| B2 | A formal argued text — a letter, a contribution, an essay | Around 250 words |
| C1 | A synthèse de documents plus an argued essay | Substantially longer |
Word counts are indicative at lower levels and enforced at C1, where the synthesis has a stated range. Writing well short of the target is penalised at every level.
Structure is scored
- Introduction — situate the subject and announce what you will argue.
- Développement — one idea per paragraph, each with a reason and an example.
- Conclusion — restate the position; add nothing new.
French writing marks structure more explicitly than English-language exams do. An unparagraphed text loses marks even where the argument is good, and the connectors that signal the structure are expected to be visible.
Every Production écrite question type
French Production écrite — FAQs
2 questions
The instructions stating what your text must do. Covering all of it is the first thing marked.
Yes. Writing well under the indicated length is penalised, and at C1 the range is enforced.
Sources
Written from the test board's own published material and checked on 1 October 2026.