Paper 1 = the writing paper: Paper 1 (l'épreuve 1, la production écrite) is the writing exam. You're given a choice of three tasks and you write just one: you produce between 250 and 400 words in an appropriate text type (a blog, a letter, an article, a diary entry…) based on one of the five themes. At SL it lasts 1 hour 15 minutes and is worth 25% of your final grade. The whole skill is choosing well, then writing in the right form and register.
- la tâche
- the task / the prompt you answer
- le type de texte
- the text type you must write (blog, lettre, article…)
- le thème
- the theme (one of the five course themes)
- le registre
- the register — formal or informal
- les conventions
- the conventions of that text type (its layout and features)
- le destinataire
- the audience — the reader you're writing for
Read all three first: The rubric is always the same: « Réalisez une des tâches suivantes. Utilisez, en fonction des propositions, le type de texte le plus approprié. Écrivez entre 250 et 400 mots. » Before you commit, read all three tasks. The best one isn't the first you understand — it's the one where you have the most ideas and vocabulary. A minute comparing them saves you a stuck, half-finished answer later.
The numbers that matter: Memorise the shape of the paper so nothing surprises you on the day. The two facts most students forget under pressure are the word count (250–400) and that you write only one of the three tasks. Each task comes with three text-type options printed underneath — you choose the one that fits the audience and purpose.
| Aspect | Épreuve 1 (NM / SL) |
|---|---|
| Durée | 1 h 15 min |
| Valeur | 25 % de la note finale |
| Tâches | tu réalises 1 tâche sur 3 |
| Longueur | 250 à 400 mots |
| Base | l'un des cinq thèmes |
| Ce que tu produis | un texte du type le plus approprié (blog, lettre, article, journal intime…) |
| Note | 30 points (A Langue /12 · B Message /12 · C Conceptuel /6) |
Lock in the key facts: 1 h 15 min · 25 % · 1 tâche sur 3 · 250–400 mots · /30. If you remember nothing else about the format, remember these numbers — examiners cap your marks if you write far too little or far too much.
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Five moves, in order: Strong candidates all follow the same routine: read everything, choose well, decode the task, plan, then write and check. The first few minutes are about deciding — not rushing into prose you'll regret.
From prompt to finished answer — 5 steps
1
Read all three tasks
Don't skim — read each of the three prompts AND its three text-type chips, so you know your real options before committing.
2
Choose your best fit
Pick the task where you have the most ideas and vocabulary, not just the first one you understand.
3
Identify text type, audience & register
Choose the type de texte from the three chips, work out who you're writing for, and whether the register is formal (vous) or informal (tu).
4
Plan your structure & key points
Jot a quick outline: the text-type sections plus the two or three ideas you'll develop. A minute here saves ten later.
5
Write 250–400 words, then check
Write in the right form and register, then leave time to re-read for verbs, agreement and word count.
Read → Choose → Identify → Plan → Write & check
Decide before you write: The candidates who run out of ideas are usually the ones who started writing on step 1. Spend the first few minutes on steps 1–4 — choosing and planning — and the writing comes far more easily.
A model Paper 1 answer, line by line: Here is an original task built on the exact IB layout — a context paragraph, the instruction « Écrivez un texte dans lequel vous… », and three text-type chips (Article · Blog · Lettre) — followed by a model answer built one line at a time. Each line carries a note on what earns A / B / C marks. Tap Voir la traduction for the English explanation, or 🔊 to hear the French.
Décoder une tâche, puis rédiger une réponse modèle
De l'énoncé à la réponse notée
- La tâche : « Votre lycée vient d'installer un potager partagé. Écrivez un texte dans lequel vous encouragez les élèves à y participer et expliquez ce que cela apporte. » Types de texte proposés : Article · Blog · Lettre.
- Le titre et l'accroche : « Au potager, on récolte plus que des légumes ! Salut à toutes et à tous, … »
- Idée 1, développée : « D'une part, jardiner ensemble crée des amitiés : on travaille en équipe, on partage les récoltes et on apprend des plus expérimentés. »
- Idée 2, avec une structure haute : « D'autre part, il faut que nous protégions la planète, et j'aimerais que chaque classe adopte un carré du potager. »
- La clôture, dans les conventions du blog : « Alors, n'attendez plus : inscrivez-vous cette semaine et venez mettre les mains dans la terre ! À très vite. »
Where each mark comes from: Trace the marks in the model: the title + reader address + call to action + friendly « vous » earn Criterion C (text-type conventions + register); the developed, balanced ideas (« d'une part… d'autre part ») earn Criterion B (Message); and the varied vocabulary, connectors and high-level structures (subjunctive « il faut que nous protégions », conditional « j'aimerais que ») earn Criterion A (Language). Hit all three and you reach the top of the /30.
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Good moves vs costly mistakes: Most lost marks in Paper 1 come not from weak French but from bad exam decisions — choosing the wrong task, ignoring the form, or missing the word count. Here's the contrast.
Bonnes décisions
- Choisis la tâche pour laquelle tu as des idées.
- Écris entre 250 et 400 mots.
- Utilise les conventions du type de texte.
- Adapte le registre au destinataire.
Erreurs fréquentes
- Choisis la première tâche que tu vois.
- Write far too little (or way over the limit).
- Write a generic essay that ignores the text type.
- Ignore who the reader is and the register they need (tu vs vous).
Match the form to the task: A brilliant essay scores badly if the task asked for a blog. Before you write, name the text type in your head and give it the features the examiner expects — a blog has a title and addresses its readers; a formal letter has « Madame, Monsieur, » and « Veuillez agréer… ». That protects your Criterion C marks.