Writing on the Polish B1 exam — letter and e-mail templates

The writing module of the B1 exam usually lasts 75 minutes and is worth 30 points — to pass, you need at least 50%, i.e. 15 points. Your job is to write short practical texts: most often a private letter or e-mail plus a shorter form, e.g. a notice, a note or a postcard.

Below you'll find the kinds of texts to expect, how they are scored, and ready-made phrases you can use in the exam.

What you have to write

At B1 level the topics are everyday ones — an invitation, a request, an apology, describing an event, plans. The most common forms are:

• A private letter / e-mail — to a friend, family, someone you know (informal).
• A semi-official letter / e-mail — e.g. to a school, an office, a landlord (formal: Pan/Pani).
• A notice (ogłoszenie) — e.g. selling a bike, looking for a flatmate, a lost key.
• A note / message — a short piece of information for someone.

The prompt usually gives you 3–4 points to cover (e.g. "write what happened, say thank you and suggest a date"). You must address every one of them — skipping a point lowers your score.

How it is scored

The examiner looks at three things:

1. Task completion — whether you covered all the points and whether the form is right (a letter is not a notice).
2. Language range — whether you use varied words and structures rather than the same ones over and over.
3. Accuracy — grammar, spelling, punctuation.

Length matters too — stick to the word limit in the prompt. A text that is too short loses task-completion points.

Ready-made phrases

Informal e-mail (to a friend):

• Greeting: Cześć Aniu! / Kochana Aniu! ("Hi Ania! / Dear Ania!")
• Opening: Co u Ciebie? / Dawno się nie widzieliśmy. ("How are you? / We haven't seen each other in ages.")
• Closing: Trzymaj się! / Pozdrawiam serdecznie / Do zobaczenia! ("Take care! / Warm regards / See you!") + your first name

Formal letter / e-mail (to an institution):

• Greeting: Szanowni Państwo, / Szanowna Pani Dyrektor, ("Dear Sir or Madam, / Dear Director,")
• Opening: Piszę w sprawie… / Zwracam się z prośbą o… ("I am writing regarding… / I would like to request…")
• Closing: Z poważaniem, / Łączę wyrazy szacunku, ("Yours faithfully, / Respectfully,") + your full name

Useful phrases (for any text):

• Request: Czy mógłbyś / mogłaby Pani…? ("Could you…?" — informal / formal) · Byłbym wdzięczny za… ("I would be grateful for…")
• Thanks: Dziękuję za… ("Thank you for…") · Jestem bardzo wdzięczny. ("I am very grateful.")
• Apology: Przepraszam, że… ("I'm sorry that…") · Niestety nie mogłem… ("Unfortunately I couldn't…")
• Suggestion: Proponuję, żebyśmy… ("I suggest that we…") · Może spotkamy się w…? ("Maybe we could meet at…?")

The most common mistakes

• The wrong form — you write a notice instead of a letter (or the other way round). Always check what kind of text the prompt asks for.
• A skipped point — cover all 3–4 points of the prompt.
• Mixing registers — writing Cześć to an institution instead of Szanowni Państwo. Decide: informal ty or formal Pan/Pani.
• Too few paragraphs — split the text into a greeting, the body and a closing.

How to practise writing

The most effective way is to write short texts and have them checked. In our writing practice module you write a piece on a topic in the exam format, and the AI evaluation shows your score against the B1 rubric (task completion, range, accuracy) and points out the mistakes to fix.

Before you start writing, it's worth revising the grammar basics — the grammar cards cover the cases, tenses and typical traps that most often cost accuracy points. And if you want to see the whole exam in context, read what the Polish B1 exam looks like.

In short: 75 minutes, 30 points, 50% threshold. Write the right form, cover every point of the prompt, watch your register and length — and above all, practise writing regularly, ideally with feedback.