Reviewed by the PolishReady team
How to Pass the Polish B1 Writing Exam: Guide & Checklist | PolishReady
Master the written portion of the official Polish B1 certificate exam with our structural rules, formal phrase lists, and downloadable writing checklist.
Key takeaways
- Examiners score register, letter structure, and task criteria as heavily as grammar.
- Keep formal phrasing consistent from greeting through 'Z poważaniem'.
- Memorize a short wrong→right formal phrase bank before exam day.
- Use the free B1 Writing Checklist PDF as your revision and exam-day checklist.
Pisanie — the writing section — causes more anxiety than almost any other part of the Polish B1 certificate exam. Candidates who speak comfortably still freeze when they must produce a formal letter under time pressure. Grammar alone is not enough: examiners score formal register, letter structure, and strict task criteria as heavily as case endings. Treat writing as a checklist skill, not a free-form essay.
Two register traps sink otherwise solid texts. First, mixing informal and formal phrasing — for example writing 'mam pytanie do organizatora' instead of 'uprzejmie proszę o informację'. Second, omitting mandatory formal closings such as 'Z poważaniem'. Decide the register before you write the greeting, then keep every sentence consistent through the sign-off.
Three more checklist items catch candidates under pressure. After gratitude phrases, use the correct case: not 'dziękuję za informacja' (nominative) but 'dziękuję za informację' (accusative). Stay inside the required word limit — falling short or heavily exceeding it costs marks. And insert connector words examiners look for when scoring coherence: 'Po pierwsze', 'Ponadto', 'W związku z tym'. Tick these off before you hand the paper in.
Build a short formal phrase bank so you do not invent conversational Polish on exam day. Wrong → right: 'Mam pytanie' → 'Uprzejmie proszę o informację'; 'Dziękuję za informacja' → 'Dziękuję za informację'; 'Cześć / Pa' → 'Szanowny Panie / Szanowna Pani' with 'Z poważaniem'; 'Chcę wiedzieć' → 'Pragnę poinformować, że…' or 'Zwracam się z prośbą o…'; 'I jeszcze' → 'Ponadto' or 'W związku z tym'. Memorize five pairs like these and reuse them in every formal letter.
Print a one-page examiner-style checklist and keep it next to your practice drafts. Our free B1 Writing Checklist PDF covers formal openings and closings, task-point coverage, word-count bands, and the phrase bank above. Download the free checklist from the resources page, then mark each item as you revise — the same habit transfers to exam day.
When you are ready to practice under real conditions, write the letter on paper, photograph it, and get criteria-based grading for grammar, register, and task completion on PolishReady. Pair this checklist guide with our writing mistakes article and the minute-by-minute walkthrough, then book your session using the 2026 dates guide once registration opens.