CAE Writing Test 3: evaluating information, volunteer induction and a cultural centre
CAE Writing Test 3 is a free C1 Advanced Writing practice test: two tasks in 90 minutes, 220–260 words each, marked on Cambridge’s four criteria. You discuss ways to evaluate information, then choose a report on volunteer induction, a review of a material’s history or a proposal for a cultural centre.
- Free, no sign-up to start
- Layout modelled on the computer-based exam
- Estimated Cambridge English Scale score
What is in CAE Writing Test 3
| Question | Task | What you write about |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Essay | Which approaches best help people evaluate information critically? |
| 2 | Report | You recently completed the induction programme for new volunteers at a local visitor centre |
| 3 | Review | A magazine for general readers is planning a feature on books that make familiar things seem interesting |
| 4 | Proposal | The manager of a cultural centre wants the building to be useful when no performances or exhibitions are taking place |
Question 1: essay (compulsory)
Your class has listened to a discussion about helping people judge the reliability of information they encounter in everyday life. You have made the following notes.
Which approaches best help people evaluate information critically?
Approaches suggested during the discussion:
- comparing different sources
- learning how research is conducted
- discussing claims with other people
- “A second account may reveal what the first leaves out.”
- “Understanding a method matters more than remembering a conclusion.”
- “Other people notice assumptions that we overlook ourselves.”
Write an essay for your tutor discussing two of the points in your notes. You should explain which of these you consider more important in the situation described, giving reasons for your opinion. You may use the opinions expressed in the discussion, but use your own words as far as possible.
CAE essay guide →Questions 2, 3, 4: choose one
2. Report
You recently completed the induction programme for new volunteers at a local visitor centre. The volunteer coordinator has asked you to report on how effectively the programme prepared participants for their roles. Evaluate the balance between information sessions and practical activities, identify anything new volunteers still found difficult, and recommend improvements for the next group. Your report will be used to revise the programme before recruitment begins again. Write your report.
CAE report guide →3. Review
A magazine for general readers is planning a feature on books that make familiar things seem interesting. It invites you to review a book about the history of an everyday material, such as paper, glass or cloth. Evaluate how successfully the author connects the material’s history with everyday experience and how accessible the book is to a reader without specialist knowledge. Explain whether you would recommend it for the feature. Write your review.
CAE review guide →4. Proposal
The manager of a cultural centre wants the building to be useful when no performances or exhibitions are taking place. You regularly use the centre and have been invited to submit a proposal. Recommend activities for these quieter periods, explain which local people would benefit, and suggest how the activities could operate alongside the existing events programme. The centre cannot employ additional permanent staff. Write your proposal.
CAE proposal guide →How it is marked
CAE Writing marking
Content, Communicative Achievement, Organisation and Language, 0–5 each: 40 marks for two texts. Our expert evaluation gives an estimate; 24/40 is about 180.
More CAE Writing tests
CAE Writing practice tests · CAE Mock Test 3 · Updated 15 November 2026
Ready for CAE Writing Test 3?
90 minutes. Free, no sign-up to start: you give an email address when you submit, and we email you when your expert evaluation is ready to view.