SFI national test writing: tips for courses C and D

On the SFI national test you write one text in course C and two texts in course D. The teacher looks at the whole text first: did you solve the task, does the text fit the reader, and can it be understood? Your Swedish does not have to be fully correct, but being understood is not enough on its own. Here you can see what the teacher assesses, a sample text with comments and three free exercises with answers.

The rule: Solve the task and adapt your text to the reader. You may make mistakes, but they should not get in the reader's way.

Try first. Then we explain.

What does the teacher assess in the writing part?

The teacher uses an assessment matrix from Stockholm University. First the teacher makes an overall assessment: does the text work in the situation? Then the teacher assesses your language, part by part.

The commentary to the matrix says the language does not have to be fully correct. The teacher always sees it in relation to how hard your sentences are. If you try harder sentences you may make more mistakes, and in general the mistakes should not get in the way of understanding. So dare to write a longer sentence.

But being understood is not enough. Text A in the first exercise can be understood, and it still does not work as a letter to the kommun. Your text must solve the task and fit the reader. In course D the two texts are assessed separately.

What do the writing tasks look like?

The task starts from a situation in daily life, in society or at work. Skolverket has two example tasks that anyone can read:

• Course C: You have one writing task. Skolverket's example is a letter to a friend about a trip. You get suggestions for what to write about: where you went, what you did and what you thought.
• Course D: You have two writing tasks, one informal and one more formal. Skolverket's example is a reply to a reader's letter in a newspaper (insändare). You start from what the writer thinks and say what you think yourself.

The example tasks do not say how much to write. Ask your teacher how much time you have and which aids you can use. The test is on paper in autumn 2026 and spring 2027. New tests come in January 2027 for courses that start after 31 December 2026, and the tasks may look different then. Read more about how the SFI national test works.

Common mistakes in the writing part

1. You forget part of the task. Read carefully what the task asks for. The suggestions in the task are there to help you, and the content must be developed enough.
2. The tone does not fit. Hej kommunen! Ändra det nu! Better: Hej! Jag hoppas att ni tänker om.
3. The text has no beginning or ending. Think about how you begin and end, even in a short text.
4. All your sentences are short. Jag jobbar. Jag är trött. Jag läser inte. Better: Jag jobbar mycket, så jag är trött på kvällen.
5. The verb is in the wrong place. Igår jag gick till skolan. Correct: Igår gick jag till skolan. Read the Swedish word order rule if you are not sure.

Linking words make your text easier to read. Common ones in course C texts are och, men, eller, sedan, som, så and eftersom. In course D, för att and också are common too. Try them here.

Five steps for your text

You can use the same steps for every task.

1. Read the task twice. Underline who you write to, why you write and what you need to say.
2. Make a list. Write a few words for each part of the task.
3. Choose the tone. Is it a friend, or someone you do not know?
4. Write the text. Begin, say what matters and end.
5. Read it through. Check the verbs, capital letters and full stops. Is anything from your list missing?

Sample text for course C

We wrote this task and this text ourselves. They do not come from a test, and we cannot say what result the text would get. Only your teacher can do that. The text also has no mistakes, while real texts that pass often do. It also does not show how much you should write.

Task: You have moved. Write an e-mail to a friend about your new flat. What do you think of it? Invite your friend.

Hej Maria!

Tack för ditt mejl! Nu bor vi i vår nya lägenhet i Borås. Den har tre rum och ett stort kök. Jag tycker mycket om lägenheten, eftersom den ligger nära barnens skola. Nu kan de gå dit själva. Men det är lite kallt i sovrummet, så jag ska ringa till hyresvärden på måndag.

Förra helgen målade vi köket gult. Det tog hela lördagen. Sedan åt vi pizza på golvet, för vi hade inget bord! Barnen tyckte att det var jättekul.

Vill du hälsa på oss på lördag eller söndag? Då kan jag visa dig stan, och vi kan fika på ett kafé som ligger nära oss.

Kram

Amina

What to notice:

• Content: Amina describes the flat, says what she thinks and invites Maria. She develops what she writes.
• Reader: Hej Maria! and Kram (hug) fit a friend.
• Structure: The text has a beginning, a main part and an ending.
• Linking: Eftersom, men, så and sedan link the sentences.
• Variety: Förra helgen målade vi starts with a time, and the verb comes in position two.

How to build a more formal text in course D

In course D you write one informal and one more formal text. What the formal text needs depends on the task, so read it carefully. An e-mail and a reply to a reader's letter look different.

Here is an example we wrote ourselves. Karin has written a letter to the paper and wants to ban cars in the town centre. This is a reply. The same applies here: it is not a test text, and it does not show how much you should write.

Bussarna räcker inte

Jag har läst Karins insändare om att bilar ska förbjudas i centrum. Jag förstår henne, eftersom luften är dålig och det är farligt för barnen. Men jag håller inte med om allt.

Jag jobbar i hemtjänsten och börjar klockan sex på morgonen. Då går det inga bussar från mitt område. Om jag inte fick köra bil skulle jag inte komma till jobbet i tid. Många äldre har också svårt att gå långt med sina väskor.

Därför tycker jag att kommunen först ska göra bussarna bättre. När de går tidigt och ofta kan fler lämna bilen hemma. Då blir centrum både renare och tryggare.

Amina Hassan, Norrby

Notice the paragraphs, the mix of longer and shorter sentences, and that several sentences start with something other than the subject: Då går det, Därför tycker jag. Try it here.

How to practise writing

Many people are afraid of mistakes, so they only write simple sentences. Others speak well and write a letter to the kommun like a text message. Both need the same thing: think of a real person when you write. Ask yourself what that person needs to know, and how you would say it.

Write your own text now. You do not have to wait for the test.

Your task: Write to a friend about a day when something went wrong at home or at school. What happened? What did you do? What did you think about it? Then write to your landlord or the school about the same thing. Say what happened and what you want them to do.

Then check your text:

• Have I done everything the task asks for?
• Do the beginning and the end fit the reader?
• Have I used linking words, for example eftersom, men and så?
• Do some sentences start with something other than the subject?
• Is the verb in the right place, and do I have full stops and capital letters?

Write by hand if you can, and ask your teacher to read your text. Our guide has more ways to practise for the test.

Want to practise more on your own? In the courses on Beyond SFI you write the same message to a friend and to someone you do not know, with a model answer and a checklist. It is free to use. AI feedback on your text is part of Plus, and the first time is free. The courses follow Skolverket's syllabus for SFI, but they are not the test and cannot tell you what result you will get.

Common questions

Related articles

• The SFI national test: how it works in courses B, C and D
• Where to practise for the SFI national test, for free
• SFI reading comprehension: three free exercises with answers

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Facts checked: November 2026. The exercises and the sample texts were written by Beyond SFI and do not come from a test. Beyond SFI is independent and has no connection to Skolverket.

Sources

• Stockholm University – Om sfi-proven (links to the assessment matrices with commentary, in Swedish)
• Stockholm University – Assessment matrix and commentary, writing, course C (in Swedish)
• Stockholm University – Assessment matrix and commentary, writing, course D (in Swedish)
• Skolverket – Gamla prov och exempeluppgifter i sfi (example writing tasks, in Swedish)
• Skolverket – Student letter SFI 2026/2027 (number of writing tasks per course, in Swedish)