Writing in the Slovak A2 exam — two tasks, 20 points

Writing is the shortest module of the exam and at the same time the one where points are lost most easily for purely formal reasons — for missing the word count, for leaving a question unanswered, for the wrong form of address. You will not learn grammar in thirty minutes. The format you can learn, and the format is what decides.

First things first: there is no single national blueprint

The guidance of the Ministry of Education, Research, Development and Youth of 27 October 2025, issued under § 54(4) of Act No. 404/2011 Coll., sets out who may examine, which skills are tested and the pass mark — at least 70 % of the total points for the written and oral parts together. It does not set the number of tasks, the distribution of points or the timings. Individual centres therefore genuinely differ.

The figures you will find below come from the published model test of Studia Academica Slovaca (Faculty of Arts, Comenius University in Bratislava) — our sample tests are built to follow it. It is the best publicly available source that exists, but it is not a binding national prescription. The exact task at your centre may look different; check the length and the number of questions in your invitation letter.

What the model test says

The Písanie (Writing) module: two tasks, 20 points, 30 minutes.

Task	What it is	Length	Points
Task 1	picture description guided by three prompt questions	50–60 words	8
Task 2	reply to an email you have received	70–80 words	12

From which follows the first strategy of the day: task 2 carries half as much weight again. If you are running out of time, finish the email. It is the most heavily weighted written task in the entire exam.

Thirty minutes for two texts means roughly twelve minutes on the first, fifteen on the second and three for checking. Do not write a draft — there is no time for one.

Task 1: a picture description in 50–60 words

You are given a picture and three prompt questions. Those questions are not inspiration, they are criteria: an unanswered question is missing content.

In the model test, and in our sample tests, the third question is phrased so that it requires the past tense — typically asking what you did, or what happened earlier. Answer it in the present and you lose points twice over: for content and for grammar.

A procedure that fits the word count:

1. One sentence about the whole: „Na obrázku vidím rodinu v kuchyni." (In the picture I see a family in a kitchen.)
2. Two or three sentences for the first two questions.
3. Two sentences for the third question, in the past tense: „Minulý týždeň som bol tiež na trhu. Kúpil som jablká a chlieb." (Last week I was at the market too. I bought apples and bread.)

Continuous text in full sentences, not bullet points. The description technique in detail, and a stock of phrases, are in our separate article on describing a picture.

Task 2: a reply to an email in 70–80 words

You are given a short email — in our sample tests it is written by a friend — and within its text three sentences are marked in italics. Those are the points you must respond to. An unanswered point is a loss on content, even if the rest of the text were flawless.

The register follows whoever is writing. A friend writes → you use the informal ty. Opening „Ahoj Zuzka," ("Hi Zuzka,"), sign-off „Maj sa, Martin" ("Take care, Martin"). Replying formally to a friend is a register error a marker spots at a glance.

A skeleton that fills 70–80 words and leaves nothing out:

Part	What to write	Example
Opening	according to the writer	„Ahoj Zuzka,"
Introduction	thanks, or a reaction	„ďakujem za správu, mám sa dobre."
Point 1	answer to the first italic	„V sobotu môžem prísť o piatej."
Point 2	answer to the second italic	„Prinesiem koláč a nejaké ovocie."
Point 3	answer to the third italic	„Peter nemôže, má službu."
Closing	a question, or looking forward to it	„Napíš mi, prosím, adresu. Teším sa!"
Sign-off	your name	„Maj sa, Martin"

Seven lines, seven to nine sentences, exactly within the range. Train this skeleton at home on three different tasks and at the exam you are only filling in content.

How the length is counted and why it matters

The word count is not a recommendation. A shorter text means some obligatory point has not been developed; a markedly longer one eats into the time for the second task and multiplies the number of errors. Learn to judge it without counting:

• 50–60 words ≈ 5–7 simple sentences
• 70–80 words ≈ 7–9 simple sentences

Write three texts at home, count the words and see how many lines that is in your handwriting. At the exam you then only have to glance at the lines.

What costs points most often

• A skipped point of the task. The most expensive error in the module. Run your finger over the questions and the italics and tick them off.
• The wrong register. Informal and formal address are not mixed within one text.
• A missing past tense in the third question of task 1.
• Notes instead of sentences. A bulleted list does not count as continuous text.
• Missing diacritics. In a written text they are visible, and they are not a detail — they change words.
• Complex multi-clause sentences. At A2 what is expected is a "series of phrases and sentences for a simple description". Short sentences are the right strategy.
• No checking. Give the last three minutes to endings, diacritics and whether you have answered everything.

How to practise

Writing is the one skill where you can improve in a week — because most of the losses are formal, not linguistic. Write five emails to the skeleton above, each time with three different points, and have them corrected.

You can work through both tasks in their real format in the sample tests: Writing, task 1 and task 2, with two further tasks in the second pack. The AI assessment shows you what is missing from your answer — it is a practice aid, not an official exam result. How the exam as a whole is marked we cover in the article on marking and procedure; further questions are collected in our FAQ.

Where to check this

The marking rules are in the Ministry guidance, the statutory basis in Act No. 404/2011 Coll. and the format of the written modules in the model test of Studia Academica Slovaca. Confirm the exact task, timing and fee directly with the language school where you register.

We are not an examination centre or a law firm and we do not administer exams; this is not legal advice. Last verified 28 September 2026.