The First Certificate in English (FCE) examination from Cambridge English includes an essay writing component that requires exam takers to write between 220-260 words on a given topic. The essay is assessed based on 4 criteria – Content (how well the essay addresses the topic and included relevant details), Communicative Achievement (how appropriate and effective the language used is), Organization (how cohesive and coherent the essay structure is), and Language (range and accuracy of grammar, vocabulary, spelling and punctuation used).
To help prepare for the FCE essay, it is useful to look at sample essays that received high scores. Analyzing example essays can help identifying strong features to emulate as well as common mistakes to avoid. Here are analyses of two high scoring FCE example essays:
Example Essay 1:
“Many young people today spend too much time using electronic devices such as phones, tablets and computers. Do you agree or disagree? Support your opinion with reasons and relevant examples from your own knowledge or experience.”
This essay received a band score of 7/7/7/7. Here is a summary of the key features that contributed to its high score:
Content:
Clearly states an opinion that young people do spend too much time on electronic devices
Provides 3 well-developed reasons to support the opinion: devices are addictive, negatively impact social skills, affect health and sleep
Includes relevant examples from own experience such as staying up late texting friends
Communicative Achievement:
Uses appropriate complex language and idioms to clearly express arguments (such as “get hooked on”, “have an impact on”)
Paragraph structure with topic sentence followed by elaboration is effective
Uses cohesive devices like “Furthermore” and “In addition” to link ideas
Organization:
Logical 3 paragraph structure with clear introduction, body and conclusion
Each body paragraph focused on a single reason with supporting details
Transitions between and within paragraphs ensure a smooth flow of ideas
Language:
Wide range of vocabulary, including less common words (addictive, negatively) used accurately
Complex grammatical structures like conditional sentences are mostly error-free
Few minor spelling or punctuation errors that do not interfere with meaning
Overall, this sample essay demonstrates strong performance across all four assessment criteria through relevant content, effective communication, good organization and a wide language ability. It is a prime example for FCE candidates to emulate.
Example Essay 2:
“Some people think that keeping wild animals in zoos is wrong, while others think it is acceptable. Discuss both views and give your own opinion.”
This essay also received full marks of 7/7/7/7. Let’s analyze what made it successful:
Content:
Clearly discusses both sides of the issue, for and against keeping wild animals in zoos
Own opinion is stated that zoos can be acceptable if they provide good care and education
Relevant details and statistics are given to strengthen each view discussed
Communicative Achievement:
Uses a formal, academic style suitable for the exam context
Paragraph structure and cohesive devices (firstly, secondly etc.) aid comprehensibility
Politely acknowledges other perspectives before stating own view
Organization:
Introduction outlines the issue and previews two main views
Two well-structured body paragraphs, one for each view
Conclusion restates opinion and ends assertively but not aggressively
Language:
Sophisticated vocabulary enhances precision of ideas (conservation, captive breeding)
Varied complex sentences show grammatical control
Virtually error-free language overall
This essay’s in-depth discussion of nuanced issues, strong organization, sophisticated yet accurate language usage and full development of content all add up to top marks. It provides a good template for FCE candidates on how to structure an essay discussing differing perspectives on a issue.
These two sample FCE essays demonstrate mastery of essay writing conventions at this level through relevant and well-supported content, effective use of formal academic language, logical organizational structure and language proficiency. Key learning points for candidates are to choose a stance and provide depth, use cohesive devices, write in complete varied sentences and focus on developing all criteria equally rather than focusing too much on just content or language. Internalizing features from model answers is useful preparation that can help achieve high scores on the important FCE essay component. Regular practice analyzing sample responses can support overall essay writing improvement and exam success.