TOCFL Writing Test Practice (Advanced, Band B): Letters, Emails and Essays with Model Answers

By the end you can

• Know the two Band B tasks and what a good answer does. Practical writing (an email or a letter) and an essay, both typed and longer than a Basic task. List every point the task names and cover each one in a clear order.
  每一點都要寫到。 · Měi yì diǎn dōu yào xiě dào. · Cover every point.
• Type cleanly with zhuyin or pinyin input. Catch the usual sound-alikes: 在 and 再, 的, 得 and 地, 做 and 作, 已 and 以. Two sentences on page 6 are for typing from the audio.
  打完以後再檢查一次。 · Dǎ wán yǐhòu zài jiǎnchá yí cì. · Check once more after you finish typing.
• Match your style to the reader. Open with a name, a title and 您好, close with 敬祝 順心, and use written connectives like 因此, 然而 and 此外 in place of spoken 所以啊 or 可是喔.
  因此，我想請您幫忙。 · Yīncǐ, wǒ xiǎng qǐng nín bāngmáng. · Therefore, I'd like to ask for your help.
• Write a complaint and a formal request. Email an online shop about a rice cooker that broke after three days, and ask a university registration office for an enrolment certificate to extend your residence permit.
  我想反映一個問題。 · Wǒ xiǎng fǎnyìng yí ge wèntí. · I'd like to report a problem.
• Reply to a friend's invitation. Thank Lin Hao for a trip to Kenting, explain why you can't go, suggest Tamsui instead, and tell lines for a friend from lines for an office.
• Write three kinds of essay. A story from four pictures about a borrowed umbrella, an essay that weighs a car park against a park, and an opinion on food delivery with an example for each side.
  那天早上發生了一件事。 · Nà tiān zǎoshàng fāshēng le yí jiàn shì. · Something happened that morning.
• Type both tasks in a timed mock. An email to your building's management office about a missing parcel and an essay on living in the city centre or the suburbs, timed to the current SC-TOP guidelines, then compared with the Models.

What’s inside

• The test: TOCFL Writing Band B on One Page · Typing and Style for Band B
• Practical writing: Email 1: A Complaint to a Shop · Email 2: A Request to a University · Letter 3: Reply to an Invitation
• Essay: Essay 1: The Borrowed Umbrella · Essay 2: Car Park or Park? · Essay 3: Food Delivery, Yes or No?
• Mock run: Mock Run: Both Tasks, Timed
• Plan: Your Four-Week Band B Writing Plan

How to use this book

Two pages on the test and typing, six task pages and a timed mock. Follow the book's four-week plan on page 12: type every answer with input set to Traditional characters, and read each Model aloud when you finish.

1. Week 1: Typing and two emails. Type the phrases on pages 3 and 4 with your input method every day. Do Email 1 and Email 2, then read each Model aloud.
2. Week 2: A letter and a picture story. Do Letter 3 and Essay 1 with a timer. Keep a list of your own sound-alike mistakes and check every answer for them.
3. Week 3: Two essays. Do Essays 2 and 3 with a three-line plan before you type, then rewrite one Model for a different reader, such as a teacher instead of a friend.
4. Week 4: Timed mock. Check the latest task list and times on the SC-TOP writing page, then do the Mock run with a timer and compare your answers with the Models in the key.
5. Every day: Read a Model aloud. Read one Model aloud every day with the free audio, which pauses after each line so you can say it back.

Who it’s for

Learners preparing for the TOCFL Writing test at the Advanced or High level (Band B), including anyone studying or working in Taiwan, and teachers who want typed writing practice in Traditional characters.

Before you start: Intermediate Mandarin, about B1 to B2, with Traditional characters and a zhuyin or pinyin keyboard set to Traditional. Phrases print pinyin and zhuyin. For the Basic tasks first, see TOCFL Writing Test Practice (Basic).

Frequently asked questions

How is Band B different from Basic?

Both tasks are longer, and the essay can start from pictures, a situation, a chart or a topic. The book gives no fixed lengths on purpose: check the exact lengths, times and score scale on the current SC-TOP writing page. For Basic tasks, see TOCFL Writing Test Practice (Basic).

Should I write by hand or type?

Type. The test is typed, so set zhuyin or pinyin input to Traditional characters on a computer or phone and do every task that way. Leave a few minutes at the end to check sound-alikes such as 在 and 再.

Is there audio?

Yes, free on this book's page on saymei.app: every Chinese line with a pause to say it back, including the Models. The two typing sentences on page 6 are on the audio only.

Is this workbook free?

Yes. The whole 17-page PDF is free, and you can look through its pages here before you download. There's no card and nothing to pay.

Do I need a SayMei account?

Yes, to download the PDF, and the account is free: sign up with Google, Apple or your email address. With it we email you a copy of the workbook, keep every workbook you download on your account on all your devices, save your place in the free online practice, and you can practise speaking with Mei Lin, SayMei's AI tutor.

How do I print it?

The PDF is US Letter size. On A4 paper, choose "Fit to page" (or "Scale to fit") in the print dialog so nothing is cut off. Print the whole workbook or only the pages you need; colour looks best, and black and white works too.

Can I print copies for my class?

Yes. Print as many copies as you like for your own class or family. To share it, send this page: everyone can download their own copy.

Keep going

TOCFL Band A Practice: Listening and Reading in the Test Format, with Answers and Audio · TOCFL Speaking Test Practice (Basic, Band A): Short Answers, Experiences and Video Description · TOCFL Band B Practice: Listening and Reading in the Test Format, with Answers and Audio · TOCFL Writing Test Practice (Basic): Picture Descriptions and Letters with Model Answers · More exam practice · Browse all 294 workbooks