The 4 Marking Criteria of the Writing Task
Hello guys! Today we’ll be looking at the four different marking criteria that examiners are using to evaluate you on the writing examination.
Both in writing task 1 and 2 there are four different criteria to evaluate your essay from 0-9, each one counting for 25%. However, keep in mind that the four criteria are interdependent, which means that a lower mark in one of them might probably lower others too.
The first one is called “Task Achievement” or “Task Response”, and it examines whether you have actually answered the question and performed the task effectively as you were instructed to. Mistakes, like not reaching the word minimum or answering only part of the question, can negatively affect your mark in “Task Response”.
The second one, “Coherence and Cohesion”, checks two interrelated things: coherence is about the structure and flow of your text, such as your paragraphing, while cohesion is whether the reader understands what you are trying to say and perceives the text as a whole.
The remaining two criteria concern the use of English.
“Lexical Resource” is about your vocabulary: here your choice of words, as well as their spelling, is examined. To get a high mark, not only you have to use the right words on every occasion and make them feel natural, but you also ought to seek some more sophisticated vocabulary and expressions to show your fluency.
The last one, “Grammatical Range and Accuracy” examines the use of grammatical structures like the correct use of tenses. Forming complex sentences and using a variety of tenses and advanced verb forms like passive voice will help you get a higher mark in this section.
Now, try writing an essay with the four criteria in mind!