Lesson 2 of 22
Understanding the assessment criteria
Each task is assessed through four criteria, equally weighted within that task. Official scoring explanation.
| Criterion | What to check in your own work |
|---|---|
| Task Achievement: Task 1 | Accurate selection, an effective overview, and supporting information |
| Task Response: Task 2 | A direct answer, a developed position, and relevant support |
| Coherence and Cohesion | Logical organisation and clear connections |
| Lexical Resource | Appropriate, precise vocabulary and controlled spelling |
| Grammatical Range and Accuracy | Suitable sentence variety, accurate grammar, and punctuation |
At higher bands, the examiner expects increasing control across these areas. For example, Band 7 Task 1 includes a clear overview and appropriate grouping; Band 7 Task 2 includes a clear, developed position with extended support. Band 8 requires more consistently effective development and language control. Band 9 requires exceptional flexibility, precision, and ease of communication, with extremely rare minor errors. These are brief explanations, not a replacement for the full descriptors. Official Writing band descriptors.
Turn the criteria into actions
When reviewing a report, highlight each claim and connect it to a label, number, or visible feature. When reviewing an essay, underline the sentence that answers the question and trace how each paragraph supports it.
Read one paragraph without looking at the prompt. Can you explain its purpose in a few words? If you cannot, its organisation may need attention.
Circle words you chose mainly because they sounded impressive. Replace any that you cannot use confidently. Then mark sentence boundaries and check that every sentence is complete.
Use this review to choose the next practice activity. If your selection is weak, practise identifying features. If your sentences repeatedly break down, practise repairing those structures before writing another full essay.