Summary writing (papers before 2024): past paper questions
Real questions on summary writing (papers before 2024)
The newest 20 of 27 written questions. Open one to see it on the real paper.
- 0991/11 · October/November 2023 · Q13[12]
Read the article about going to a two‑day music festival. Write a summary of the advice the writer gives for going to the music festival. Your summary should be about 80 words long (and no more than 90 words long). You should use your own words as far as possible. You will receive up to 6 marks for the content of your...
See it on the paper → - 0991/21 · October/November 2023 · Q14[16]
Read the article about growing your own fruit and vegetables. Write a summary about the advantages of growing your own fruit and vegetables and advice on what you should do to get started. Your summary should be about 100 words long (and no more than 120 words long). You should use your own words as far as possible. Yo...
See it on the paper → - 0991/11 · May/June 2023 · Q11[12]
Read the article about bonsai, which are trees usually grown in pots so they are very small in size. Write a summary about how to care for bonsai. Your summary should be about 80 words long (and no more than 90 words long). You should use your own words as far as possible. You will receive up to 6 marks for the content...
See it on the paper → - 0991/12 · May/June 2023 · Q12[12]
Read the article about cleaning beaches. Write a summary about how to organise and run your own beach-cleaning event. Your summary should be about 80 words long (and no more than 90 words long). You should use your own words as far as possible. You will receive up to 6 marks for the content of your summary, and up to 6...
See it on the paper → - 0991/21 · May/June 2023 · Q12[16]
Read the article about light pollution. Write a summary about what the harmful effects of light pollution are AND what people can do to reduce light pollution. Your summary should be about 100 words long (and no more than 120 words long). You should use your own words as far as possible. You will receive up to 8 marks...
See it on the paper → - 0991/21 · October/November 2022 · Q13[16]
Read the article about biofuels which are used to power some vehicles. Write a summary about the advantages AND disadvantages of biofuels. Your summary should be about 100 words long (and no more than 120 words long). You should use your own words as far as possible. You will receive up to 8 marks for the content of yo...
See it on the paper → - 0991/11 · May/June 2022 · Q11[12]
Read the article about the history of the potato. Write a summary about why the potato has become a popular food. Your summary should be about 80 words long (and no more than 90 words long). You should use your own words as far as possible. You will receive up to 6 marks for the content of your summary, and up to 6 mar...
See it on the paper → - 0991/12 · May/June 2022 · Q12[12]
Read the information from a headteacher about a school trip to a sculpture park. Write a summary about what the rules of the park are. Your summary should be about 80 words long (and no more than 90 words long). You should use your own words as far as possible. You will receive up to 6 marks for the content of your sum...
See it on the paper → - 0991/21 · May/June 2022 · Q12[16]
Read the article about the Polar Academy, an organisation that takes teenagers on expeditions to the Arctic. Write a summary about what the Polar Academy wants the teenagers to gain from the experience AND what teenagers need to do to be chosen for the expedition to the Arctic. Your summary should be about 100 words lo...
See it on the paper → - 0991/22 · May/June 2022 · Q13[16]
Read the article about a teenager who did a short cookery course during the holidays. Write a summary about the cookery skills he learned during the course, AND the advice he gives to future students. Your summary should be about 100 words long (and no more than 120 words long). You should use your own words as far as...
See it on the paper → - 0991/11 · October/November 2021 · Q12[12]
Read the article about an environmentally friendly football club called Forest Green Rovers. Write a summary of what the football club is doing to help the environment. Your summary should be about 80 words long (and no more than 90 words long). You should use your own words as far as possible. You will receive up to 6...
See it on the paper → - 0991/21 · October/November 2021 · Q13[16]
Read the article about the Butterfly Highway project in North Carolina, USA. Write a summary of what the Butterfly Highway project is doing to encourage people to help butterflies and other insects. Your summary should be about 100 words long (and no more than 120 words long). You should use your own words as far as po...
See it on the paper → - 0991/11 · May/June 2021 · Q12[12]
Read the article about a teenager who enjoys geocaching, an activity which involves searching for hidden objects outdoors. Write a summary about what is good about geocaching. Your summary should be about 80 words long (and no more than 90 words long). You should use your own words as far as possible. You will receive...
See it on the paper → - 0991/12 · May/June 2021 · Q11[12]
Read the article from a school magazine about a popular chain of stores called The Body Shop. Write a summary about what the student learned during their business studies lesson about The Body Shop. Your summary should be about 80 words long (and no more than 90 words long). You should use your own words as far as poss...
See it on the paper → - 0991/21 · May/June 2021 · Q13[16]
Read the article about Tristan da Cunha, the most remote island in the world. Write a summary about the challenges of living on Tristan da Cunha. Your summary should be about 100 words long (and no more than 120 words long). You should use your own words as far as possible. You will receive up to 8 marks for the conten...
See it on the paper → - 0991/22 · May/June 2021 · Q12[16]
Read the article about banana farming. Write a summary about how one banana farm in Costa Rica is becoming more environmentally friendly. Your summary should be about 100 words long (and no more than 120 words long). You should use your own words as far as possible. You will receive up to 8 marks for the content of you...
See it on the paper → - 0991/11 · October/November 2020 · Q12[12]
Read the article about learning how to snowboard. Write a summary about the most common mistakes that people make when they are learning how to snowboard. Your summary should be about 80 words long (and no more than 90 words long). You should use your own words as far as possible. You will receive up to 6 marks for the...
See it on the paper → - 0991/21 · October/November 2020 · Q13[16]
Read the article about video gaming and the Olympic Games. Write a summary about the arguments for AND against including video gaming in the Olympic Games. Your summary should be about 100 words long (and no more than 120 words long). You should use your own words as far as possible. You will receive up to 8 marks for...
See it on the paper → - 0991/11 · May/June 2020 · Q12[12]
Read the article about a place called the Arctic World Archive where data is stored. Write a summary about why the Arctic World Archive is a safe place for data to be stored. Your summary should be about 80 words long (and no more than 90 words long). You should use your own words as far as possible. You will receive u...
See it on the paper → - 0991/12 · May/June 2020 · Q13[12]
Read the article about a girl who went on a two-day hike in the mountains with a group of classmates. Write a summary about what she learned from her hiking adventure. Your summary should be about 80 words long (and no more than 90 words long). You should use your own words as far as possible. You will receive up to 6...
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What examiners said
There was a full range of marks awarded on the summary question. All the content points proved accessible, and most candidates were able to identify at least five relevant details successfully. The task had two aspects, namely what are the harmful effects of light pollution and what people can do to reduce it. The most successful responses conveyed all relevant detail, demonstrated good use of own...
— Examiner report, May/June 2023, 0991/21 Q12 (Cambridge)
In this question, there was a significant number of candidates who lost both content and language marks because they wrote over the required 120 words. Responses also featured lifted language from the article, with little attempt made to rephrase. Some responses featured lengthy introductions that did not contain Content points meaning that some points were made after 120 words and could not be c...
— Examiner report, October/November 2022, 0991/21 Q13 (Cambridge)
Many candidates found this exercise challenging. A significant number wrote beyond the 90 word limit, which in many cases affected the Content and Language marks. Candidates are advised to read the question carefully to ensure they provide information relevant to the task. In this series, candidates had to provide advice to potential visitors to the adventure park. Responses which also included no...
— Examiner report, May/June 2019, 0991/11 Q13 (Cambridge)
Past papers, syllabus and examiner reports © UCLES (Cambridge University Press & Assessment). Questions are matched to topics from the official syllabus. AssessPro is independent and not endorsed by Cambridge.