Last updated: October 2026. Exam details checked against CAPLE's official CIPLE page, sample paper and exam rules in October 2026.
The CIPLE writing tasks are the part of the A2 Portuguese exam you can prepare for most precisely. You write two short texts, usually a quick message and a slightly longer email, postcard or letter, and the format barely changes from one session to the next.
This guide shows what the two tasks look like, gives you a template and a model answer for each common type, and lists the phrases worth memorizing before exam day.
Quick Answer
In the CIPLE exam, writing is Part II of the Reading and Writing component, which lasts 75 minutes and counts for 45% of your total score. You write two short texts on everyday topics. In CAPLE's official sample paper, Text 1 is a reply to a text message (25–35 words) and Text 2 is an informal email (60–80 words). Learn a simple structure for each, stay within the word range and answer every point in the instructions.
The CIPLE Writing Part at a Glance
| What | Details |
|---|---|
| Where it sits | Part II of the Reading and Writing component (Compreensão da Leitura e Produção e Interação Escritas) |
| Time | 75 minutes for the whole component, reading and writing together |
| Weight | The component counts for 45% of the total score |
| Number of texts | Two short texts on everyday topics |
| Length in the official sample | Text 1: 25–35 words · Text 2: 60–80 words |
| Pen | Blue or black pen, on CAPLE's answer sheet |
| Dictionary | Not allowed |
Sources: CAPLE: CIPLE · CAPLE sample paper (PDF) · CAPLE exam rules
New to the exam? Start with our CIPLE A2 guide: cost, format and registration. This article focuses only on the writing.
What the CIPLE Writing Tasks Look Like
CAPLE describes Part II as the "production of two short texts on topics appropriate to the level". Its official sample paper shows what that means in practice.
Text 1: a short message (25–35 words)
In the sample, you're late to meet friends. They send you this text message:
Olá! Já chegámos. Estamos à tua espera no café do parque. Ainda demoras?
(Hi! We're here. We're waiting for you at the café in the park. Will you be long?)
You have to reply in 25–35 words.
Text 2: an informal email (60–80 words)
In the sample, you couldn't go to your Portuguese friends' house last weekend because you had several problems. You write them an email explaining what happened. The email must start with:
Caros Amigos, / Queria muito estar convosco no fim de semana, mas não consegui.
(Dear friends, / I really wanted to be with you at the weekend, but I couldn't.)
The length is 60–80 words.
Other text types to prepare for
The sample is one example, not a fixed template. CAPLE's description of the A2 level says candidates can write:
- Informal texts, such as a postcard or a letter with a simple message about personal matters.
- Short messages or simple requests to colleagues about routine matters.
So prepare four types: a reply to a message, an informal email or letter, a postcard, and a short note or request to a colleague or neighbour. The templates below cover all four.
How the Writing Is Marked
CAPLE doesn't publish a detailed marking scheme for the CIPLE writing tasks on its website. What it does publish is the overall result scale: you pass with 55% or more, graded Suficiente (55–69%), Bom (70–84%) or Muito Bom (85–100%).
The points below aren't CAPLE's marking scheme. They're practical advice based on what the task instructions ask for, and on where candidates commonly lose marks:
- Answer everything in the instructions. If the prompt says "tell them what happened", the email needs at least two or three concrete events, not just an apology.
- Stay within the word range. It's stated in the instructions, so treat it as part of the task.
- Use the right tone. Friends get tu or vocês and a warm closing; a colleague or neighbour gets a polite form.
- Open and close the text. A greeting, a sign-off and your name make it a real message.
- Keep the language simple and correct. Short, accurate sentences beat long sentences full of errors.
How to Count Words
CAPLE's sample gives the word range but doesn't explain how words are counted. A practical approach: count every group of letters between spaces, so sexta-feira is one word and 10h00 is one word.
When the task gives you an opening line, as in the sample email, it isn't clear whether that line counts. The safe option is to write 60–65 words of your own after the opening. That way you're inside 60–80 whether the opening counts or not.
In practice, count your words on practice texts until you know what 30 and 70 words look like in your handwriting. Then you won't need to count on exam day.
CIPLE Writing Templates and Model Answers
Each template shows the structure, then a model answer with an English translation. Our word counts include everything you write: greeting, sign-off and name. The models use simple A2 grammar on purpose: present tense, the past tense (pretérito perfeito) and ir + infinitive for the future.
Template 1: Reply to a message (25–35 words)
- Greeting: Olá!
- Apology and reason: Desculpem, …
- When you'll arrive or what will happen: Chego daqui a …
- A question or request: Podem …?
- Sign-off and name: Até já! Beijinhos, [name]
Model answer (31 words):
Olá! Desculpem, ainda estou no autocarro. Houve um acidente na estrada e o trânsito está parado. Chego daqui a vinte minutos. Podem pedir um café para mim? Até já! Beijinhos, Ana
Translation: Hi! Sorry, I'm still on the bus. There was an accident on the road and the traffic isn't moving. I'll be there in twenty minutes. Can you order a coffee for me? See you soon! Love, Ana
Template 2: Informal email about what happened (60–80 words)
- Greeting and opening line (given in the task, if there is one).
- First event, with when it happened: No sábado de manhã, …
- Second event: Depois, à tarde, …
- How it ended: Felizmente, … / Infelizmente, …
- Feeling and suggestion: Tive muita pena! Podemos combinar outro dia?
- Sign-off and name: Um abraço, [name]
Model answer (64 words after the given opening; 77 in total):
Caros Amigos,
Queria muito estar convosco no fim de semana, mas não consegui. No sábado de manhã, o meu carro avariou na autoestrada e tive de esperar duas horas pelo reboque. Depois, à tarde, o meu filho ficou com febre e fomos ao centro de saúde. Felizmente, não foi nada grave, mas ficámos em casa o resto do fim de semana. Tive muita pena! Espero que tenham gostado do almoço. Podemos combinar outro dia?
Um abraço,
Mark
Translation: Dear friends, I really wanted to be with you at the weekend, but I couldn't. On Saturday morning my car broke down on the motorway and I had to wait two hours for the tow truck. Then, in the afternoon, my son had a fever and we went to the health centre. Luckily it was nothing serious, but we stayed at home for the rest of the weekend. I was really sorry! I hope you enjoyed the lunch. Can we arrange another day? Best wishes, Mark
This email works because it tells two separate events in the past tense, uses linking words (depois, felizmente, mas) and ends with a suggestion.
Template 3: Postcard (60–80 words)
- Greeting: Querida [name] / Querido [name]
- Where you are and with whom: Estou a passar … em … com …
- What the place is like: O hotel é … e fica …
- What you do every day (present): De manhã … e à tarde …
- Something you did (past): Ontem …
- Weather and when you're back: O tempo está … Volto a … na …
- Sign-off: Beijinhos, [name]
Model answer (62 words):
Querida Sofia,
Estou a passar uma semana no Algarve com a minha família. O hotel é pequeno, mas muito bonito, e fica perto da praia. De manhã vamos sempre à praia e à tarde passeamos pela cidade. Ontem jantámos num restaurante típico e comemos peixe grelhado. Estava delicioso! O tempo está ótimo, com muito sol. Volto a Lisboa na sexta-feira.
Beijinhos,
Emma
Translation: Dear Sofia, I'm spending a week in the Algarve with my family. The hotel is small but very pretty, and it's close to the beach. In the mornings we always go to the beach, and in the afternoons we walk around the town. Yesterday we had dinner at a traditional restaurant and ate grilled fish. It was delicious! The weather is great, very sunny. I'm back in Lisbon on Friday. Love, Emma
Template 4: Short note or request to a colleague or neighbour (25–35 words)
- Polite greeting: Olá, [name]. / Cara vizinha,
- The situation: Amanhã tenho … / No sábado vou …
- The request or apology: Pode …, por favor? / Peço desculpa …
- Thanks and name: Obrigado! / Obrigada! [name]
Model answer to a colleague (33 words):
Olá, Rita. Amanhã tenho uma consulta médica às 10h00 e só chego ao escritório às 11h30. Pode dizer ao Sr. Costa que a reunião tem de começar mais tarde, por favor? Obrigado! João
Translation: Hi Rita. Tomorrow I have a doctor's appointment at 10:00 and I'll only get to the office at 11:30. Could you tell Mr Costa that the meeting has to start later, please? Thanks! João
Model answer to a neighbour (30 words):
Cara vizinha, No sábado vou fazer uma festa em minha casa, das 20h00 às 23h00. Peço desculpa pelo barulho. Se precisar de alguma coisa, moro no 3.º esquerdo. Obrigada! Laura
Translation: Dear neighbour, On Saturday I'm having a party at my flat, from 8 to 11 pm. Sorry about the noise. If you need anything, I live on the 3rd floor, left. Thanks! Laura
Useful Phrases for the CIPLE Writing Tasks
| Purpose | Friends (informal) | Colleague, neighbour (polite) |
|---|---|---|
| Opening | Olá! · Querida Ana / Querido Rui · Caros amigos | Olá, Rita. · Bom dia, Sr. Costa. · Cara vizinha |
| Apologizing | Desculpa! (one person) · Desculpem! (several) | Peço desculpa. · Desculpe. |
| Giving a reason | porque … · por isso … · infelizmente … · tive um problema com … | |
| Asking | Podes …? · Podem …? | Pode …, por favor? |
| Suggesting | Podemos combinar outro dia? · Que tal no sábado? · Vamos …? | Podemos falar amanhã? |
| Thanking | Obrigado/Obrigada! · Muito obrigado/obrigada! | Obrigado/Obrigada pela compreensão. |
| Closing | Beijinhos · Um abraço · Até já · Até breve | Cumprimentos · Obrigado/Obrigada |
Obrigado if you're a man, obrigada if you're a woman. The word agrees with the person speaking, not the person you're thanking.
Past-tense verbs worth memorizing
Most Text 2 tasks ask you to tell a story or describe what happened, so learn these pretérito perfeito forms by heart:
- fui (I went / I was) · fomos (we went)
- tive (I had) · tive de (I had to)
- estive (I was, temporarily) · fiz (I did / made)
- comi (I ate) · jantámos (we had dinner)
- houve (there was) · ficou / ficámos (stayed, became)
Common Mistakes in the CIPLE Writing Tasks
- Skipping part of the instructions. Underline each thing the task asks for, then tick it off in your text.
- Writing too much. A 120-word email for a 60–80 word task wastes time and adds chances for errors.
- Mixing tu and você. Pick one form for the person you're writing to and keep it all the way through.
- Using Brazilian forms by habit. CAPLE's materials use European Portuguese: estou a chegar rather than estou chegando, autocarro rather than ônibus, telemóvel rather than celular. Writing in European Portuguese is the safe choice.
- Leaving your answer on the draft sheet. CAPLE's rules say answers on draft sheets or in pencil are never marked. Copy the final version onto the answer sheet in pen.
Exam-Day Rules for the Writing Part
These come from CAPLE's exam rules:
- Arrive 20 minutes early with the original ID you registered with. If you're more than 15 minutes late for the reading and writing part, you can't take it.
- Write in blue or black pen. Pencil is only allowed for the reading and listening answers.
- Draft sheets are provided, but only the answer sheet is marked.
- No dictionaries, notes, phones or correction fluid. Using a phone or other device can get your exam annulled.
How to split the 75 minutes
CAPLE doesn't set separate times for reading and writing. A split that works for many candidates: about 35 minutes for the 20 reading questions, 35 minutes for the two texts (10 for Text 1, 25 for Text 2), and 5 minutes to check. Some people prefer to write first, while they're fresh, and do the reading afterwards.
How to Practise for the CIPLE Writing Tasks
- Do CAPLE's sample paper under time. It's free: reading and writing sample (PDF).
- Write one short and one long text a week, rotating the four types above.
- Write by hand. The exam is on paper, and handwriting is slower than typing.
- Get corrections. A teacher, tutor or Portuguese friend can spot errors you'll keep repeating otherwise. If you don't have anyone nearby, an online tutor works too: italki, for example, has tutors for European Portuguese. Check that the tutor teaches European, not Brazilian, Portuguese, and send them your practice texts to correct.
- Keep a list of your own mistakes and read it the week before the exam.
Affiliate link: we may earn a commission if you book a lesson, at no extra cost to you.
Once you have your A2, the next step depends on your goal. Our guide to permanent residency vs citizenship explains where the certificate fits.
FAQ
How many words is the CIPLE writing task?
In CAPLE's official sample paper, Text 1 is 25–35 words and Text 2 is 60–80 words. The exact range is printed in the instructions for each task, so check it on the day.
How many texts do you write in the CIPLE exam?
Two. CAPLE describes Part II as the production of two short texts on topics appropriate to the A2 level, such as messages, informal emails, postcards or simple requests.
Can I use a dictionary in the CIPLE exam?
No. CAPLE's exam rules don't allow dictionaries, books or personal notebooks, and phones and other electronic devices are also prohibited.
Can I write the CIPLE writing task in pencil?
No. The written texts must be in blue or black pen on CAPLE's answer sheets. Pencil is only for the reading and listening answers, and anything in pencil or on draft sheets isn't marked.
Do I need to pass the writing part separately?
CAPLE states the pass mark as 55% of the overall score. Reading and writing together count for 45% of the total, so a weak writing score can pull your overall result down even if your reading is strong.
Should I use tu or você in the CIPLE writing?
Use tu (or vocês for several people) with friends, and the polite form with a colleague, neighbour or someone you don't know well. What matters most is to stay consistent within the text.
This article is general information based on CAPLE's CIPLE page, sample paper and exam rules as checked in October 2026. Task types and word ranges can vary between sessions, and CAPLE may update its materials. Always follow the instructions printed on your exam paper and check CAPLE's website before your exam.
Comments
Post a Comment