Polish B1 Writing Exam Guide — Templates for Every Text Type

Most B1 candidates find the writing section hardest. That’s not because writing Polish is harder than speaking it — it’s because most people go in without templates, without knowing the word count rules, and without understanding how scoring actually works.

Fix those three things and the writing section becomes manageable. This guide gives you everything: exact formats, ready-to-use templates, and the scoring criteria examiners use.

How the B1 Writing Section Works (Format + Scoring)

You have 75 minutes to write two texts:¹

• Short text: 25–50 words
• Long text: 150–175 words

The exam presents three sets of tasks. Each set contains one short task and one long task. You choose one set and write both texts from it. Do not mix tasks between sets.

Important: Writing the short text from Set 1 and the long text from Set 2 results in zero points for the writing section. This is the single most catastrophic mistake on the writing section — and it happens more often than you’d think.

Word count rules: The ±10% margin applies before penalties kick in. For the long text, that means 135–192 words technically qualify, but examiners start noticing if you’re under 140 or over 200. Target 155–170 words for the long text. For the short text, 25–50 words is the hard range — one paragraph is usually enough.

Scoring: Examiners assess four criteria:

You need ≥50% across the writing section to pass. Losing points on “range” (repeating the same conjunction five times, simple sentences only) is the most common way to fall below the threshold while still technically completing the task.

Short Text Types You’ll Encounter (25–50 Words)

Five short text formats appear on the B1 exam:

Pozdrowienia (greetings/postcard): Write a short message from a trip or event. Mention where you are, what it’s like, send warm regards. Template opening: “Cześć! Jestem teraz w [place]. Pogoda jest [adj], a miasto [adj]. Bardzo mi się tu podoba / Tęsknię za Tobą. Pozdrawiam serdecznie, [name]”

Życzenia (wishes): Write wishes for a birthday, holiday, or occasion. Template opening: “Z okazji [occasion] życzę Ci / Państwu dużo zdrowia, szczęścia i wszystkiego, co najlepsze. Serdeczne pozdrowienia, [name]”

Zaproszenie (invitation): Invite someone to an event. Include when, where, what occasion. Template: “Zapraszam Cię / Państwa na [event] w dniu [date], o godzinie [time], w [place]. Będę bardzo czekać na Twoją / Waszą obecność.”

Ogłoszenie (announcement): A notice for a board, website, or community. Include key information concisely. Template: “Ogłoszenie: Informuję, że [information]. Szczegóły: [details]. Kontakt: [contact].”

Zawiadomienie (notice): An official notice about a change, meeting, or event. Template: “Zawiadamiam, że [information]. Prosimy o [action/response]. W razie pytań prosimy o kontakt.”

Important: Short texts at 25–50 words leave almost no room for filler. Every sentence must serve the task. Practice writing these to exact word count before exam day.

Long Text Types You’ll Encounter (150–175 Words)

Eight long text formats appear:¹

Informal letters and formal letters appear most frequently. Know those two formats cold before spending time on essays or reviews.

Formal Letter Template — Step by Step

Structure:

[Your city], [date]                              (top right)
Szanowni Państwo, / Szanowna Pani, / Szanowny Panie,    (salutation)
[Paragraph 1: purpose of writing — 2–3 sentences]
[Paragraph 2: details, explanation, or request — 3–4 sentences]
[Closing formula]
Z poważaniem, / Z wyrazami szacunku,
[Your name or signature]

[Your city], [date]                              (top right)
Szanowni Państwo, / Szanowna Pani, / Szanowny Panie,    (salutation)
[Paragraph 1: purpose of writing — 2–3 sentences]
[Paragraph 2: details, explanation, or request — 3–4 sentences]
[Closing formula]
Z poważaniem, / Z wyrazami szacunku,
[Your name or signature]

Opening phrases for formal letters:

• Piszę w związku z… (I am writing in connection with…)
• Zwracam się z prośbą o… (I am writing to request…)
• Chciałbym/Chciałabym poinformować, że… (I would like to inform you that…)
• W odpowiedzi na Państwa ogłoszenie… (In response to your announcement…)

Closing phrases:

• Uprzejmie proszę o odpowiedź. (I kindly request a response.)
• Czekam na Państwa odpowiedź. (I await your response.)
• Będę wdzięczny/wdzięczna za pomoc. (I will be grateful for your assistance.)

What loses points in formal letters:

• Missing date or city at the top
• Informal salutation (Cześć instead of Szanowni Państwo)
• Casual language or colloquial vocabulary in the body
• Missing closing formula before signature

Informal Letter Template — Step by Step

Structure:

[City], [date]                    (optional but good practice)
Drogi [name], / Droga [name], / Cześć [name]!
[Opening line — reference to previous contact or reason for writing]
[Paragraph 1: main topic/news — 3–4 sentences]
[Paragraph 2: questions, personal update — 3–4 sentences]
[Closing line + warmth]
Pozdrawiam serdecznie, / Całusy, / Do zobaczenia,
[Your name]

[City], [date]                    (optional but good practice)
Drogi [name], / Droga [name], / Cześć [name]!
[Opening line — reference to previous contact or reason for writing]
[Paragraph 1: main topic/news — 3–4 sentences]
[Paragraph 2: questions, personal update — 3–4 sentences]
[Closing line + warmth]
Pozdrawiam serdecznie, / Całusy, / Do zobaczenia,
[Your name]

Opening phrases for informal letters:

• Dziękuję za Twój list / wiadomość. (Thanks for your letter / message.)
• Dawno się nie odzywałam/em! (Haven’t been in touch for a while!)
• Chciałam/em Ci napisać, bo… (I wanted to write to you because…)
• Przepraszam, że tak długo nie pisałam/em. (Sorry I haven’t written for so long.)

Closing phrases:

• Napisz do mnie wkrótce! (Write to me soon!)
• Czekam na Twoją odpowiedź. (Looking forward to your reply.)
• Mam nadzieję, że wszystko dobrze. (Hope all is well.)

What makes informal letters fail:

• Too formal tone (using Szanowna Pani to a friend)
• No personal element — just reporting facts, no warmth or questions
• Missing closing warmth formula

How Texts Are Scored — the 4 Criteria in Practice

Treść (Content): The task prompt usually has 3–4 specific elements to include. If the task says “write to a hotel, ask about available dates, ask about prices, and inquire about breakfast options” — all three points need to appear in your letter. Missing one knocks points off content regardless of how well-written the rest is.

Spójność i logika (Coherence): Use connective words between sentences and paragraphs. The shift from one paragraph to the next should be logical. Po pierwsze… Po drugie… Podsumowując… gives a clear scaffold. Jednak, mimo że, dlatego show logical relationships between ideas.

Zakres środków językowych (Range): Variety signals B1 competence. Don’t write “powiedział, powiedział, powiedział” — vary with stwierdził, zauważył, odpowiedział. Use at least two different connective types. Mix simple sentences with one complex construction.

Poprawność językowa (Accuracy): Case endings, verb aspects, agreement. One or two errors are fine at B1. Systematic errors (always wrong past tense gender agreement, consistently wrong genitive after negation) pull this score down.

Strategic advice: Complete all task elements first, then check connectives, then proofread grammar. Content is weighted heavily — an accurate letter that misses a task element scores worse than an imperfect letter that covers everything.

The 5 Most Common Writing Mistakes (and Exact Fixes)

1. Mixing sets — catastrophic. Choose your set, write both texts from it. Underline your set number as you read the instructions.

2. Wrong text length — too short loses content points; too long suggests padding. Count your words. 150–175 for the long text. Every time.

3. Missing formal salutation — Szanowni Państwo, is not optional. It is scored under content in formal letters.

4. Same connective repeated — using ale five times reads like A2. Rotate: jednak, natomiast, mimo to.

5. No proofreading time — budget 5 minutes at the end of the writing section to review case endings, aspect agreement, and gender in past tense. These are mechanical errors you can catch on review.

Important: On b1ready.pl you can submit writing practice and get AI feedback that checks exactly these criteria — missing task elements, connector variety, grammar errors. Practicing with feedback is the fastest way to improve before exam day.