10 Report Practice Questions with Answers | Cambridge C2 Proficiency
In Part 2 of the Cambridge C2 Proficiency (CPE) Writing paper, you choose one task from a list, and a report is one of the options. You read a situation, then write a report of 280 to 320 words that evaluates it in depth, identifies problems, and recommends action. This post gives you 10 C2 Proficiency report practice questions with model answers. Each answer is written at C2 level and shows how to use clear section headings, a formal and analytical tone, and justified recommendations.
Report 1
A museum trialled a staffed viewing window into its open-storage area, allowing visitors to see objects normally kept behind the scenes. Write a report for the collections director evaluating visitor learning, collection safety and staff workload, identifying interpretation or access problems, and recommending whether and how the window should remain open.
Write your report in 280 to 320 words.
Model answer
Introduction
This report evaluates the museum's trial of a staffed viewing window into the open-storage area, which allowed visitors to see objects that are normally kept behind the scenes. It assesses the effect on visitor learning, collection safety and staff workload, identifies the main interpretation and access problems, and recommends whether the window should remain open.
Visitor learning and collection safety
The window proved genuinely popular and educational. Visitors were fascinated to glimpse the scale of the reserve collection, and many said that seeing unlabelled, uncatalogued objects gave them a more honest impression of how a museum actually works than the polished main galleries do. Crucially, because the window was staffed and the objects remained behind glass, the collection was never placed at risk; conditions in the store were unaffected, and no handling by the public was involved.
Workload and interpretation problems
The trial was not without difficulties. The window demanded a considerable amount of staff time, since a knowledgeable member of staff had to be present throughout opening hours, and this drew people away from other duties. Interpretation was also uneven: with no labels, visitors depended entirely on whoever was on duty, so the quality of their experience varied according to that person's knowledge and confidence. At busy times, a single member of staff could not answer everyone, and some visitors drifted away disappointed.
Recommendations
I would recommend keeping the window open, since its benefits for public understanding clearly outweigh its costs. However, it should operate only at set hours rather than all day, which would ease the pressure on staff. A rotating rota of trained volunteers, supported by a few discreet information panels, would ensure consistent interpretation and allow more visitors to be helped at once.
Report 2
Your organisation has tested an opt-in shared lunch table twice a week. Employees could sit there if they wished to eat with people outside their usual teams. The workplace wellbeing director has asked you to write a report analysing participation and employee experience, identifying any practical or social problems, and recommending whether and how the scheme should continue.
Write your report in 280 to 320 words.
Model answer
Introduction
This report analyses the trial of an opt-in shared lunch table, held twice a week, at which employees could choose to eat alongside colleagues from outside their usual teams. It examines participation and the experience of those who took part, identifies the main practical and social problems, and recommends whether the scheme should continue.
Participation and experience
Take-up was modest but steady. A core group attended regularly, and most participants valued the chance to meet people they would otherwise never encounter; several reported that a casual conversation over lunch had later smoothed a working relationship between departments. Newcomers to the organisation, in particular, found it an easy and unintimidating way to feel part of the wider workplace, which suggests the scheme has genuine value for integration. Managers, too, noticed that the informal contact eased communication between departments that had previously dealt with one another only through formal channels.
Practical and social problems
The trial nonetheless revealed limitations. Attendance was uneven, and on quiet days the table could feel awkwardly empty, which discouraged some from returning. A few employees admitted that they were reluctant to give up the only unstructured break in their day, while others worried that choosing the shared table might look like a comment on their own team. Practically, the single table was too small when interest peaked, so some willing participants were turned away.
Recommendations
I would recommend continuing the scheme, since its social benefits are real and its costs negligible. However, it would work better with a larger, clearly signposted area and a relaxed, no-commitment atmosphere, so that people may join for a few minutes without feeling obliged to stay. Rotating the days occasionally would also allow those with fixed weekly meetings to take part. A brief note in the staff newsletter would also remind people that the table exists and that no one is expected to attend every week.
Report 3
Your public library has tested automatic renewal of loans whenever no other borrower has reserved the item. Write a report for the library's services committee evaluating effects on availability, overdue administration and different groups of users, identifying unintended problems, and recommending whether and how the policy should become permanent.
Write your report in 280 to 320 words.
Model answer
Introduction
This report evaluates the library’s trial of automatic loan renewal, under which an item is renewed whenever no other borrower has reserved it. It assesses the effect on availability, on the administration of overdue items, and on different groups of users, identifies unintended problems, and recommends whether the policy should be made permanent.
Availability and administration
For most users the change was a clear improvement. Borrowers no longer had to remember renewal dates or make special trips, and the number of overdue notices, along with the staff time spent chasing them, fell sharply. Because renewal was blocked as soon as another reader placed a reservation, popular titles still circulated freely, so the feared reduction in availability largely failed to materialise. Staff also reported that the time freed from processing renewals could be redirected towards helping readers and improving displays, which was an unexpected benefit.
Unintended problems
Some difficulties nevertheless emerged. A minority of users kept books indefinitely simply because the system never prompted them to return anything, which meant that lightly used items sat unread on private shelves for months. In addition, less confident borrowers were sometimes confused about what they still had on loan, since the familiar reminders had disappeared. Fine income, which had quietly supported the library, also declined. A few reservations were delayed as well, because an item already on automatic renewal had to be recalled before the waiting reader could collect it.
Recommendations
I would recommend adopting automatic renewal permanently, as its benefits for most users and for staff are considerable. However, renewals should be capped after a reasonable number, so that unused items eventually return, and every borrower should receive a simple monthly summary of what they currently hold. These adjustments would preserve the convenience while restoring a gentle prompt to return.
Report 4
Your museum has tested an admission ticket that allows unlimited return visits for thirty days. The audience development director has asked you to write a report evaluating effects on repeat visiting and access, identifying operational, financial or communication problems, and recommending whether and how the scheme should continue.
Write your report in 280 to 320 words.
Model answer
Introduction
This report evaluates the museum’s trial of an admission ticket allowing unlimited return visits within thirty days. It assesses the effect on repeat visiting and on access more generally, identifies the operational, financial and communication problems that arose, and recommends whether the scheme should continue.
Repeat visiting and access
The ticket succeeded in its main aim. A significant number of visitors returned, often to see a single gallery in depth rather than rushing through the whole museum in one exhausting day, and families especially appreciated being able to leave when young children tired and come back another afternoon. This more relaxed pattern of visiting appeared to deepen engagement rather than simply increase numbers. Word of mouth spread, too, as satisfied visitors encouraged friends to buy the same ticket, which brought in some who had never previously considered a museum trip.
Operational, financial and communication problems
The trial also exposed weaknesses. Because the ticket cost only a little more than a single visit, some regular visitors who would once have paid several times now paid once, and there is a risk that overall income could fall if the scheme were extended carelessly. Operationally, staff struggled to verify returning ticket-holders quickly at busy times, and many visitors did not realise that the ticket allowed return visits at all, which suggests the offer was poorly communicated.
Recommendations
I would recommend continuing the scheme, since it clearly enriches the visitor experience. However, the price should be set more carefully, so that it rewards genuine repeat visiting without undercutting normal admissions, and returning visitors should be issued with a scannable pass to speed entry. Above all, the benefit must be explained clearly at the point of sale. Ticket-holders might also be invited to occasional preview evenings, which would deepen their loyalty further.
Report 5
Your adult-learning centre has piloted a joint session in which two classes from unrelated subjects worked together for one evening. Write a report for the programme director evaluating whether ideas transferred usefully between the subjects and how participation was affected, identifying timetabling or facilitation problems, and recommending whether and how such sessions should continue.
Write your report in 280 to 320 words.
Model answer
Introduction
This report evaluates the pilot in which two classes from unrelated subjects worked together for a single evening. It considers whether ideas transferred usefully between the subjects and how participation was affected, identifies the timetabling and facilitation problems that arose, and recommends whether such sessions should continue.
Transfer of ideas and participation
The experiment was, on the whole, stimulating. Learners were visibly energised by working with people from a different field, and there were several genuine moments of cross-fertilisation, as when a photography group's sense of composition informed the way a local-history class presented its findings. Participation rose among normally quiet students, who seemed freer to contribute in a room where nobody was the established expert. Several learners remarked afterwards that the evening had prompted them to look at their own subject with fresh eyes, which is precisely the kind of independent thinking the centre hopes to foster.
Timetabling and facilitation problems
The session was not without friction, however. The two classes normally meet at slightly different times, so the joint evening required awkward compromises that inconvenienced some learners. More seriously, the two tutors had prepared independently, and at times the discussion drifted without clear direction, because neither felt fully responsible for a subject that was only half their own. A few learners found the lack of a concrete outcome frustrating.
Recommendations
I would recommend repeating these sessions occasionally, as their capacity to spark fresh thinking is valuable. However, they should be planned jointly well in advance, with the two tutors agreeing a shared task and a clear structure. Scheduling them on a separate evening, rather than merging existing classes, would also remove the timetabling difficulties. A short shared reflection at the end of each session would also help learners capture what they had gained.
Report 6
Your public library has piloted lending noise-cancelling headphones for use inside its branches. Write a report for the library services committee evaluating effects on study and access, identifying problems involving hygiene, loss or fair availability, and recommending whether and with what controls the service should continue.
Write your report in 280 to 320 words.
Model answer
Introduction
This report evaluates the trial of lending noise-cancelling headphones for use inside the library’s branches. It assesses the effect on study and on access, identifies problems involving hygiene, loss and fair availability, and recommends whether, and with what controls, the service should continue.
Study and access
The headphones were warmly received and clearly useful. Students working in the busy central areas reported that they could at last concentrate, and staff noticed that complaints about noise diminished. Importantly, the service widened access: users who are sensitive to sound, including some with particular needs, were able to use the library comfortably for the first time, which had not been possible before. A number of regular users said that the availability of headphones had persuaded them to work in the library rather than at home, which increased footfall and made fuller use of the study spaces.
Hygiene, loss and availability problems
Several practical problems emerged, however. Shared headphones raised understandable hygiene concerns, and a few were returned in poor condition or not at all, since the sign-out procedure was informal. Demand also outstripped supply at peak times, so the headphones were often unavailable precisely when the library was busiest, and there was no fair system for deciding who should have priority. Storing and charging the headphones between loans also demanded space and attention that the busy front desk could not always spare.
Recommendations
I would recommend continuing the service, given its clear benefits for concentration and inclusion. However, it requires firmer controls: headphones should be signed out against a library card, cleaned after every use with disposable covers, and booked in advance during examination periods. A modest increase in the number available would also ensure that the service reaches those who need it most.
Report 7
Your council has tested lightweight movable benches in a civic square instead of fixing every seat in one position. Write a report for the public-realm director analysing how people used and rearranged the seats, evaluating accessibility and social effects, identifying maintenance or obstruction problems, and recommending a permanent arrangement.
Write your report in 280 to 320 words.
Model answer
Introduction
This report analyses the trial of lightweight movable benches in the civic square, introduced in place of fixing every seat permanently. It examines how people used and rearranged the seating, evaluates its effect on accessibility and social life, identifies maintenance and obstruction problems, and recommends a permanent arrangement.
Use and social effects
The movable benches transformed the square more than expected. People readily rearranged them to suit their needs, drawing them together into conversational circles, turning them to face the sun, or spacing them out for privacy. This flexibility made the square noticeably more sociable and welcoming, and it accommodated groups, from lunching workers to families, that the old fixed benches had served poorly. Local traders reported that the livelier square encouraged more people to linger nearby, which modestly benefited the surrounding cafes and shops.
Accessibility, maintenance and obstruction problems
The trial did reveal difficulties, however. Because the benches could be moved anywhere, they were occasionally left blocking accessible routes or the paths used by delivery vehicles, which posed a genuine hazard for wheelchair users and the visually impaired. A small number were dragged out of the square altogether or damaged, and gathering them each evening added noticeably to the workload of the maintenance team.
Recommendations
I would recommend keeping the movable benches, since their social value is considerable, but managing them more tightly. Clearly marked keep-clear zones would protect accessible routes, and the benches could be moderately weighted so that they resist casual removal without becoming immovable. A brief evening tidy, built into existing cleaning rounds, would keep the square orderly. Consulting regular users before fixing the final number and design would also ensure that the permanent arrangement reflects how the square is genuinely used.
Report 8
An adult-learning centre trialled one-page argument maps summarising the main claims, evidence and disagreements after each public lecture. Write a report for the programme director evaluating comprehension, accuracy and use, identifying production or interpretation problems, and recommending whether and how the maps should continue.
Write your report in 280 to 320 words.
Model answer
Introduction
This report evaluates the trial of one-page argument maps, which summarised the main claims, evidence and disagreements after each public lecture. It assesses their effect on comprehension, their accuracy, and how learners actually used them, identifies problems of production and interpretation, and recommends whether the maps should continue.
Comprehension, accuracy and use
The maps proved a valuable aid to understanding. Many learners, especially those new to a subject, said that seeing the structure of an argument laid out visually helped them grasp how the evidence connected to the conclusions, which a linear set of notes had never done. The maps were generally accurate, and a number of learners returned to them when preparing for later discussions, using them as a reliable point of reference. Tutors, too, found the maps revealing, since a glance at one showed whether the key points of a lecture had actually reached the audience.
Production and interpretation problems
The scheme was demanding, however. Producing a fair, accurate map after each lecture took considerable time and skill, and there was an inherent risk that the map-maker's own reading of the argument would quietly shape how learners understood it. A few learners, moreover, treated the map as a complete substitute for attending closely, and consequently engaged less with the lecture itself.
Recommendations
I would recommend continuing the maps, as their benefit for comprehension is clear. However, they should be produced collaboratively, with the lecturer checking each one for balance before it is shared, so that no single interpretation dominates. Presenting the map as a starting point for discussion, rather than a definitive summary, would also encourage learners to engage critically rather than passively. Training a few interested learners to help produce the maps would also spread the considerable workload.
Report 9
Your museum has piloted lending supervised object-handling kits to adult community groups that meet outside the museum. Write a report for the learning director evaluating effects on learning and access, identifying problems involving facilitator training or object custody, and recommending whether the service should continue, for whom and with what controls.
Write your report in 280 to 320 words.
Model answer
Introduction
This report evaluates the pilot in which supervised object-handling kits were lent to adult community groups meeting outside the museum. It assesses the effect on learning and on access, identifies problems involving facilitator training and the custody of objects, and recommends whether, for whom, and with what controls the service should continue.
Learning and access
The kits had a striking effect on engagement. Handling real objects, rather than viewing them behind glass, gave participants a direct, memorable connection to the past, and groups that would rarely visit the museum, including some in care settings and remote villages, were reached for the first time. For many, the session was clearly the most vivid encounter with history they had ever had. Group leaders reported that the sessions sparked conversations and memories that continued long after the objects had been returned, which was especially valuable among older participants.
Facilitator training and custody problems
The pilot also carried real risks. The value of a session depended heavily on the group's facilitator, and those who had received little training struggled to draw out the objects' significance. More seriously, once the kits left the building, the museum's control over fragile and sometimes valuable items was necessarily reduced, and a small number of objects were returned with minor damage, which is a serious matter for a collection.
Recommendations
I would recommend continuing the service, but only for groups with a trained facilitator and for objects that are robust and readily replaceable; irreplaceable items should never leave the museum. Facilitators should complete a short compulsory training session, and every kit should be checked, item by item, on issue and return. With these controls, the scheme’s considerable outreach value can be enjoyed safely.
Report 10
Your college has piloted tutors recording assessment feedback while also providing students with searchable transcripts. Write a report for the head of academic support evaluating effects on comprehension and access, identifying problems involving consistency or staff workload, and recommending whether, when and how this combined format should continue.
Write your report in 280 to 320 words.
Model answer
Introduction
This report evaluates the pilot in which tutors recorded their assessment feedback while also giving students searchable transcripts of it. It assesses the effect on comprehension and on access, identifies problems involving consistency and staff workload, and recommends whether, when and how this combined format should continue.
Comprehension and access
The combined format was clearly beneficial. Hearing a tutor’s tone made criticism feel more supportive and easier to accept, while the searchable transcript allowed students to return to specific points and to locate comments on a particular skill across several assignments. Students who process written text with difficulty, and those working in a second language, found the two formats together far more accessible than written comments alone had been. Several students said that being able to search their feedback encouraged them to act on it, because they could quickly find the relevant comment while revising a later piece of work.
Consistency and workload problems
The approach was not without cost, however. Spoken feedback varied more in length and structure than written feedback, so some students received noticeably fuller comment than others, which raised questions of fairness. Recording and checking the transcripts also added appreciably to tutors’ workload, particularly where the automatic transcription misheard technical terms and had to be corrected by hand.
Recommendations
I would recommend continuing the combined format, since its benefits for comprehension and access are substantial. However, tutors should work to a short shared checklist, so that every student receives comparably thorough feedback, and the transcription software should be trained on the relevant technical vocabulary to reduce correction time. Offering the format for major assessments, rather than every minor task, would keep the workload manageable. A short guide showing students how to search their transcripts effectively would also help them get the most from the new format.