Writing Assessment Training Manual Basic Level: March 2022

Writing Assessment
Training Manual
Basic Level
March 2022
Basic Level Rating Scale
Task Completion Pts. Language
All 3 questions are answered 10 Very good range of structures/vocabulary for the
clearly. task.
3C Fully understandable. Minor errors.
Maximum points: 10
2 questions answered 9 Very good range of structures/vocabulary.

clearly, 1 unclearly. Easy to understand. Few errors.
2C + 1U
Maximum points: 9 8 Good range of structures/vocabulary.
Easy to understand. Few errors.
Only 2 questions are 7 Good range of structures/vocabulary. Easy to

answered clearly. understand. Some errors.
2C
Maximum points: 7
1 question answered clearly, 6 Sufficient range of structures/vocabulary. Easy to

2 unclearly. understand. Some errors.
1C + 2U
Maximum points: 6 5 Sufficient range of structures/vocabulary.
Difficult to understand in places. Some serious
errors.
Only 1 question is answered 4 Restricted range of structures/vocabulary.

clearly. Difficult to understand in places. Some serious errors.
1C / 1C + 1U
Maximum points: 4
3 questions are answered 3 Restricted range of structures/vocabulary.

unclearly. Often difficult to understand. Numerous errors.
3U
Maximum points: 3 2 Severely restricted range.
Often difficult to understand. Numerous errors.
1 Generally difficult to understand.
No questions answered. 0 Irrelevant / Unintelligible / Less than 30 words.

2U/1U/0C
Points: 0
Note
The Language criterion is out of 10, but the final mark depends on the Task Completion scale. The
Task Completion scale states the upper limit a script may receive according to the number of
clearly answered questions. C stands for 'clear answer' and U stands for 'unclear answer'. For
example, a script may receive 10 on the Language scale, but, if only 2 questions are clearly
answered, the final score will be 7, and if only 1 question is clearly answered, the final score will be
4. In addition, the final mark depends on the number of words of the script.
Underlength scripts are penalised as follows:

56-69 words: -1 point; 43-55 words: -2 points; 30-42 words: -3 points. The minimum score is 0.
Short forms (e.g. I’m, isn’t) are counted as one word.
Basic Level Writing Assessment Training Manual 2022 page 2

Word count
The word count does not include salutations, valedictions, repetitions, enumerations and passages
that are irrelevant or copied from the Reading Paper.
Explanation of Terms
Task Completion
Answered clearly/unclearly
A question is answered clearly if

(1) it provides an unambiguous answer to the question
e.g. Where will you go on Saturday?
Clear answer: I will go to the cinema with some friends.
Unclear answer: I will go out with some friends.
(2) it answers both parts of a question if the question is in two parts (e.g.
wh-question + wh-question)
e.g. What’s your favourite time of year and why?
Clear answer: I like summer best because of the long holiday.
Unclear answer: My favourite time of year is summer. It’s great.
(3) it is correct enough for easy understanding

e.g. What will you do on Saturday?
Clear answer: I will go shopping on Saturday.
Unclear answer: I go shopping on Saturday.
A question is not answered if

(1) there is no attempt to answer the question
(2) language errors make the response difficult to understand (e.g. because of the use of
structures that do not exist, or if there is no verb in the sentence)
No answer: I went go shopping on Saturday.
(3) the student responds with I don’t know, etc. without an explanation
Clear answer: I don’t know what I will do on Saturday. It depends on my homework.
No answer: I don’t know what I will do on Saturday.
(4) the second part of a two-part question (yes/no + wh-question) is not

answered
e.g. Will you go out on Saturday and why?
Clear answer: On Saturday I will go to a club with my friends because it’s
my birthday.
No answer: On Saturday I will go out with my friends.

Language
Range concerns the structures/vocabulary that are used with a degree of control.
Very good range: the writer shows control of a range of structures/vocabulary that is wide enough
(simple/perfect/continuous/passive, subordination, cohesive devices etc. – according to the
constraints of the task) for him/her to provide clear answers with ease.
Good range: the writer shows control of a range of structures/vocabulary that is less than very
good but more than sufficient.
Sufficient range: the writer shows enough control of simple structures/vocabulary (simple tenses,
lack of subordination, simple coordination) for the reader to be able to understand the answers
without much strain.
Restricted range: the writer shows sufficient control of structures/vocabulary to be generally
understood but there are places where the text is difficult to understand. A serious error is an error
that causes difficulty in understanding.
Severely restricted range: the lack of control of structures/vocabulary often makes the text difficult to
understand.

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Writing Assessment

Task Completion Pts. Language

2 questions answered 9 Very good range of structures/vocabulary.

Only 2 questions are 7 Good range of structures/vocabulary. Easy to

1 question answered clearly, 6 Sufficient range of structures/vocabulary. Easy to

Only 1 question is answered 4 Restricted range of structures/vocabulary.

3 questions are answered 3 Restricted range of structures/vocabulary.

1 Generally difficult to understand.

No questions answered. 0 Irrelevant / Unintelligible / Less than 30 words.

Underlength scripts are penalised as follows:

Basic Level Writing Assessment Training Manual 2022 page 2

A question is answered clearly if

(3) it is correct enough for easy understanding

A question is not answered if

(4) the second part of a two-part question (yes/no + wh-question) is not

Basic Level Writing Assessment Training Manual 2022 page 3

Basic Level Writing Assessment Training Manual 2022 page 4

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