Writing Scoring Guide
A Reminder
While Listening and Writing is administered as a single assessment, the Listening portion and the Writing portion are scored separately.
Scoring of the Writing portion is based on the writing mechanics (sentence structure and grammar) and the writing style used in the examinee's written messages. It is not based on the accuracy or completeness of the information (these skills are assessed in the Listening assessment).
The following is a summary of the criteria used in scoring the Writing assessment. Responses, which are scored holistically, do not always fall precisely into any one level. Therefore, this summary should be used as an overall guide, not as a checklist.
- Score 5
- Conveys message clearly
- Highly appropriate for the business setting of the prompt
- No mechanical errors
- Good sentence structure
- Smooth and logical style
- Score 4
- Conveys message clearly
- May have a few minor mechanical errors that do not interfere with comprehension
- Good sentence structure (e.g., all sentences are complete)
- Adequate style: Sentences may be somewhat choppy. Overall message may not be
- completely smooth or logical
- Score 3
- Conveys message clearly
- Some mechanical errors: Problems with spelling, punctuation, etc. do not interfere
- with comprehension
- Adequate sentence structure (e.g., most sentences are complete)
- Score 2
- Conveys message adequately
- Many mechanical errors that may interfere with comprehension
- Weak sentence structure; incomplete sentences or poorly structured sentences
- (e.g., comma splices, fused sentences)
- Score 1
- Conveys message inadequately
- Gross mechanical errors that may be very difficult to decipher
- Overall lack of proper sentence structure
- Score 0
- An attempt is made at the message, but the response is completely garbled, with no recognizable sentence structure; one or more comments within the response are grossly inappropriate (e.g., profanity, threats); message is off-topic; page is blank; or message is completely illegible.
Note: The Writing score is based on the Writing portion of the Listening and Writing assessment. Examinees with extremely limited listening skills may be unable to produce a response that is sufficiently on topic to receive a valid Writing score.