Question 1

What happens if I write too few or too many words?

Accepted Answer

The tolerance is ±10%. For a task of around 250 words that means 225–275. If you are outside that range, your Task Achievement score officially drops by one band – that is written into the assessment grid. Nobody fails because of word count alone, but why give away a band? Practise estimating your word count from your handwriting: count one full line, count the lines, multiply.

Question 2

Do contractions (don't, it's) really cost marks?

Accepted Answer

Not automatically. The grid rates whether your register fits the text type. In a blog or an informal e-mail, contractions are exactly right. In a report or a formal e-mail they pull your register down – one won't sink you, but a text full of them tells the examiner you can't hear the difference. Decide once before you write: formal or informal? Then commit.

Question 3

Can I use a dictionary?

Accepted Answer

It depends on your school type. At AHS, dictionaries and reference works – electronic ones included – are not allowed anywhere in the exam. At BHS, (electronic) dictionaries are allowed, but only during the Writing section. Either way, the tasks are built so that B2 vocabulary is enough: when a word will not come, paraphrase it – the grid rewards that.

Question 4

What if I completely misread the task?

Accepted Answer

The only true disaster is a text that ignores the set task altogether – an off-topic text or one that was obviously prepared in advance. That triggers the official VETO rule: Task Achievement is rated 0 and the other three criteria are not assessed at all. Writing the wrong text type alone does NOT trigger the veto, but it costs you heavily in Task Achievement. Your insurance policy costs 60 seconds: read the task twice and underline text type, audience and the three bullet points.

Question 5

Can I invent facts, numbers and personal experiences?

Accepted Answer

Yes. This is a language exam, not a fact check. The official guidance says content counts as relevant when it serves the task – even if it's not what the examiner expected. An invented survey, a made-up summer job in Italy: all fine, as long as it is plausible and actually develops the bullet point. What doesn't help is padding that ignores the task.

Question 6

Do British and American spelling both count?

Accepted Answer

Both are generally accepted, though this is not spelled out in the official rules – colour or color, organise or organize. What you should avoid is mixing systems mid-text, because inconsistency starts to look like guessing. Pick the one you actually know (for most Austrian students that's British) and stay with it. If you want certainty for your school, verify this one with your teacher.

Question 7

What if I don't finish a task?

Accepted Answer

An unfinished text is not an automatic zero – it is assessed with the same grid, and whatever stands on the page earns what it earns. But an incomplete text usually bleeds marks in Task Achievement (undeveloped content points) and Coherence (no ending). The rescue strategy is time management: set finishing times for each task before you start writing, and if time gets short, a short, complete text beats a long, unfinished one.

Question 8

How exact is 'around 400 words'?

Accepted Answer

Exactly ±10% – that is the official rule, not folklore. 'Around 400' means 360–440 is safe; 'around 250' means 225–275. Inside the range, nobody counts pedantically. Outside it, Task Achievement drops one band. Note that more is not better anyway: hitting the range with dense, relevant content scores higher than 480 words of padding.

Question 9

Can I write more than the three bullet points ask for?

Accepted Answer

You can – extra relevant ideas are not punished. But the grid rewards developing all three given points in roughly equal depth. Every sentence you spend on a fourth idea is a sentence missing from the three that are actually being assessed, and it pushes you towards the word limit. Treat the three bullet points as the skeleton of your text; add extras only when all three stand solid.

Question 10

Is the title part of the word count?

Accepted Answer

There is no clear public rule on this, and counting practice can differ. The pragmatic answer: a title is four to eight words, so it almost never decides anything. If you are near the edge of the ±10% range, the title is not what saves you – cutting waffle is. If you want the exact counting convention for your school, ask your teacher.

Question 11

Which task should I write first?

Accepted Answer

Your choice – the booklet does not care about order. Give each task a planned time slot before you start, begin with the text type you feel most confident about, and keep a few minutes at the end to proofread all of them. Decide your order before exam day, not during it.

Question 12

Are the tasks the same at every school?

Accepted Answer

Yes. The written Matura is standardised: the tasks come centrally from the BMB, and every candidate in your school type opens the same booklet on the same day at the same time. That is good news for you – it is exactly why the released past papers are such honest practice material.

Question 13

What happens if my written exam is negative?

Accepted Answer

It is not the end of the road. A negative Klausur can be repeated, and there is also the option of a mündliche Kompensationsprüfung – an oral compensation exam that can turn the grade around. Your teachers will walk you through the exact procedure if it ever comes to that. Plan A, of course, is this guide.

Text type	Word count	Register	Title?	Key feature
Essay	~400 words (360–440)	Formal	Required	Argue your position with evidence
Article	~250 or ~400 words	Depends on the audience	Required – catchy!	Write for real readers
Report	~250 or ~400 words	Formal, objective, neutral	Subject line + section headings	Present findings and recommend action
Blog	~250 or ~400 words	Informal to semi-formal	Post only (not a comment)	Personal voice, invite interaction
E-Mail	~250 words (225–275)	Formal	Required	Clear purpose, proper format

Mistake	What it costs	The fix
Writing only 2 of 3 bullet points	Task Achievement drops sharply	→ Tick off each bullet as you write it
Ignoring the text type’s rules (e.g. a report without headings)	Task Achievement drops – conventions are part of the criterion	→ Check the Layout box in the guide before you start
Copying words from the prompt	Range drops	→ Rephrase the task’s words – use synonyms
Word count off by more than ±10%	Task Achievement drops one band	→ Count your words. Practise estimating.
Formal style in a blog (or vice versa)	Wrong register = lower Task Achievement	→ Ask: formal or informal? Then commit.
Only simple linking words	Low Coherence score	→ Use the B2 linking words table
No topic sentences	Paragraphs feel random, weak Coherence	→ First sentence of each paragraph = the point
Forgetting to proofread	Errors you would catch in 3 minutes	→ Always save 5–10 min at the end

Overview & grading

The Writing section

How you are graded – the four criteria

What the bands mean (simplified)

The 8 most expensive mistakes