MUET 800/4 · Writing
MUET writing: Task 1 and Task 2 with sample answers
MUET writing is one 75-minute paper with two tasks. Task 1: reply to an email or letter using all the notes, in at least 100 words (about 25 minutes). Task 2: an essay of at least 250 words (about 50 minutes).
Independent guide. Not affiliated with Majlis Peperiksaan Malaysia (MPM).
MUET writing format
| Task 1: guided writing | Task 2: extended writing | |
|---|---|---|
| You read | A letter or email of 100–135 words with 3 or 4 short notes beside it | A short statement (40–80 words) setting out an idea or a problem |
| You write | A reply, using all the notes | An essay: discursive, argumentative or problem-solution |
| Length | At least 100 words | At least 250 words |
| Suggested time | About 25 minutes | About 50 minutes |
| Reader | One person: a classmate, a lecturer or a school official, for example | A general reader or a group, such as a committee |
| Register | Informal to formal, depending on the reader | Generally formal |
Source: MPM’s Regulations and Test Specifications (PDF), section 5, Tables 15 to 17.
The two tasks are on separate pages. On length, MPM says there is no explicit penalty for a shorter or longer answer: each response is read as a whole and marked on that basis. Treat the minimums as the floor you plan for.
MUET writing task 1: guided writing (email or letter)
The stimulus is a short email or letter, and the notes sit outside it in a different font. Each note is four words or fewer. Your job is to reply to the writer and turn every note into a proper sentence or two.
Practice stimulus (our own)
From: Farah (Secretary, Cycling Club)
Subject: Club ride this Sunday
Hi everyone,
Our club is planning a morning ride to the lake this Sunday. We will meet at the main gate at 7.30 a.m. and ride about 20 kilometres in total, with a breakfast stop halfway. Helmets are compulsory for everyone. Members who don’t have a bicycle with them can borrow one of the club’s six bicycles, but they must book it in advance.
We also need someone to take photos for the club’s notice board and social media page. Please reply by Friday to let me know whether you can join us, and send me any questions or suggestions you have about the ride.
Thanks,
Farah
- 1Yes, count me in
- 2Need to borrow bicycle
- 3Suggest earlier start
- 4Offer to take photos
107 words, inside MPM’s 100–135 range. Instruction in MPM’s standard wording: “Using all the notes given, write a reply of at least 100 words in an appropriate style.”
MUET writing sample: Task 1 reply
132 words · our own example, no band givenHi Farah,
Thanks for organising the ride. Yes, I’d love to join. I have been waiting for a club ride since the semester started. note 1
My own bicycle is at home in Ipoh, so I would like to borrow one of the club’s bicycles. Could you book one for me? I am about 170 cm tall, if that helps you pick the right size. note 2
I would also like to suggest an earlier start, perhaps 7.00 a.m. By ten o’clock the sun is already very strong, and leaving earlier means we would finish before the worst of the heat. note 3
Finally, I am happy to take photos on the day. My phone camera is quite good, and I can send you the best pictures by Monday for the notice board. note 4
See you on Sunday,
Daniel
- Note 1: Accepts the invitation straight away and adds a reason for being keen.
- Note 2: Turns the note into a polite request and adds a detail Farah can use.
- Note 3: Makes the suggestion and backs it with a reason (the heat).
- Note 4: Offers help and says exactly what Daniel will do and when.
The style is friendly but tidy, which suits a club secretary who is also a fellow student. Writing to a lecturer or a school official would call for a more formal opening, fuller sentences and no contractions.
MUET writing task 2: extended writing (essay)
The stimulus sets the context and the essay type, and often names the reader and the purpose. Read it for those things before you plan anything.
| Essay type | What it asks | A plan that fits |
|---|---|---|
| Discursive | Discuss an issue from more than one side | Advantages, then disadvantages (or point by point), with your view at the end |
| Argumentative | Take a position and defend it | Stance, two or three reasons, one counter-argument answered, conclusion |
| Problem-solution | Explain a problem and suggest what to do | Causes or effects, then a solution matched to each cause |
Practice prompts, one for each essay type
Discursive
Many university students in Malaysia take part-time jobs while they study. Some say this teaches responsibility and helps with the cost of living, while others worry that it harms their grades and health. Write an essay for your college magazine discussing the advantages and disadvantages of working part-time while studying.
Argumentative
A university has proposed that every student must complete 40 hours of community service before graduating. Supporters say it builds character and helps society, while critics say it adds pressure to an already busy timetable. Write an essay for the student affairs committee stating whether you agree with the proposal.
Problem-solution
Large amounts of food are thrown away every day at hostel cafeterias and campus events. The student welfare committee has asked students for ideas. Write an essay explaining the main causes of food waste on campus and suggesting practical ways to reduce it.
Our own prompts, each inside MPM’s 40–80 word range for the stimulus. MPM’s standard rubric adds: “Write at least 250 words.”
Paragraph plan for the argumentative prompt
| Paragraph | Job | Words |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Introduction and stance | 45 |
| 2 | Reason 1, with an example | 67 |
| 3 | Reason 2 | 54 |
| 4 | Counter-argument and reply | 63 |
| 5 | Conclusion | 45 |
MUET essay sample: Should community service be compulsory before graduation?
274 words · our own example, no band givenUniversities exist to prepare young people for working life, but working life rarely happens in a lecture hall. The proposal to require 40 hours of community service before graduation has divided students. In my opinion, it is a good idea, provided the hours are flexible.
The strongest argument in favour is that service teaches skills that a degree often misses. A student who helps run a free tuition class for children from low-income families learns to plan lessons, to explain ideas to people of different ages and to solve problems on the spot. These are the abilities that job interviews tend to probe, yet they are hard to show on a transcript.
Community service also helps the people being served. Forty hours from every graduate adds up quickly across a whole university. Even a modest programme could support food banks, river clean-ups and regular visits to homes for the elderly in the surrounding area. It also connects students with neighbourhoods they might otherwise only drive past.
Critics argue that students are already stretched by assignments, part-time work and family duties, and that forced volunteering is not really volunteering at all. These concerns are reasonable. However, forty hours spread over three or four years works out to roughly an hour a month. If students can choose when and where they serve, including during semester breaks, the burden becomes very light.
Overall, the benefits clearly outweigh the costs. A flexible service requirement would give graduates real experience outside the classroom and give the community thousands of hours of help. The committee should approve the proposal, but it should let students decide how to complete their hours.
What to notice: the stance appears in the first paragraph and returns in the last, each body paragraph does one job, and the counter-argument is answered with a number (an hour a month) rather than a feeling. MPM publishes no public mark scheme, so we don’t claim a band for this essay.
A time plan for the 75 minutes
MPM advises about 25 minutes for Task 1 and 50 for Task 2. One way to split those, for practice:
| Task | Read and plan | Write | Check |
|---|---|---|---|
| Task 1 (about 25 min) | 3 min | 17 min | 5 min |
| Task 2 (about 50 min) | 8 min | 35 min | 7 min |
Practise with a clock running. Minutes you lose on Task 1 come out of Task 2, which needs the longer answer and more planning.
MUET word counter
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Checklist before you hand in
Task 1
- Every note is covered, in your own words, not copied as a fragment.
- The reply has a greeting and a sign-off that suit the reader.
- The tone matches the relationship: a classmate, a lecturer and a school official each need a different level of formality.
- At least 100 words.
Task 2
- The essay type matches the prompt: discursive, argumentative or problem-solution.
- Your position or plan is clear in the first paragraph.
- Each body paragraph has one main point with a reason or an example.
- The conclusion answers the question rather than repeating the introduction word for word.
- At least 250 words, in formal English.
For real exam layout, MPM’s MUET sample questions booklet (PDF) includes a writing paper. The rest of the test is covered on the MUET band score page and the MUET speaking test page.