This study directs to elaborate the students’ ability in writing recount text and to find out the students’ difficulties in writing recount text. The researcher used descriptive qualitative method. The data of the study are recount texts made by the tenth grade students of SMA N 1 Kembang. In this study, writing test and questionnaire are given as the instrument of the study. The results of the analysis show that they have an excellent level. In details, from thirty students who take part in this research, the researcher found there are fourteen students got excellent score, eleventh students in a good score, one student who in an adequate score, four students got inadequate score, and there was no student got unacceptable score based on Brown’s analytical scale for rating composition tasks. Based on the questionnaire, the students had some difficulties in writing recount text. From the data, it can be seen more than 50% of students answered that they almost had problem in organization of writing; more than 60% of students had problem in content; more than 50% of students had problem in grammar; 50% of students had problem in punctuation, spelling, and mechanics; more than 50% of students had problem in style and quality of expression of writing.