The 90-Word Task — Foundation C & Higher B
✍️ The 90-Word Task — Foundation C & Higher B
The 90-word task carries 10 marks total: 5 marks for communication/content and 5 marks for language (range of vocabulary + accuracy). Missing one bullet caps your communication score at 50% — no matter how beautifully you write about the other bullet.
Earn the mark scheme marks
💡 Exam Tips & Common Errors
- Plan in 2 minutes before writing — jot 3 ideas per bullet: one present, one past, one future idea
- Write your response bullet by bullet — complete bullet 1, then bullet 2, never mix them
- If you write a past tense, double-check: is it j'ai or je suis? (movement/change-of-state verbs use être: aller, venir, partir, arriver, rester)
- Add at least one opinion-justification pair per bullet: je trouve que… parce que…
- Avoid repeating the same verb — use aimer, adorer, préférer, détester, trouver, penser, estimer across different sentences
- Re-read your response and count: have you addressed both bullets? Do you have a past tense, a present and a future?
❌ Common error: Writing 90 beautiful words entirely about bullet 1 — detailed, tense-varied, opinionated — and then adding just one sentence for bullet 2 at the very end.
✓ Correct: Aim for roughly equal development of both bullets. 40 words on bullet 1, 50 words on bullet 2 is a balanced approach — both receive full consideration from the examiner.
Why it costs marks: Bullet 2 with one sentence scores at most Band 1 for that half of the communication mark, capping your total communication score at 3–4 out of 5 no matter how strong bullet 1 is.