This study investigates both the contextual features of a range of real-life academic writing tasks and reading-into-writing test tasks, and the cognitive processes required to complete the integrated task type successfully. Since its publication, the CEFR has become influential in building a shared understanding of performance levels for foreign language learners but mainly for individual macro skills. A considerable gap remains in the understanding of the integrated reading-into-writing skills, which are so important to the kinds of academic and professional written language use involved at the higher levels of the CEFR.