You are assessed based on the following four criteria:
- Task response
- Lexical resource
- Coherence and Cohesion
- Grammatical range and accuracy
Task Response
This criterion checks the relevance of your answer. For example, if the essay topic is: Question: Everyone should adopt a vegetarian diet because eating meat can cause serious health problems. To what extent do you agree or disagree? If the answer is about health problems caused because of leading a sedentary lifestyle, then task response goes for a toss.For task response, your answer should revolve around the health problems caused because of eating meat ( if you are agreeing) .
Lexical Resource
This criterion checks your vocabulary For example, if the essay topic is: Question: Everyone should adopt a vegetarian diet because eating meat can cause serious health problems. To what extent do you agree or disagree? For example, Your answer should use complex words in the right context.
| There are a number of reasons why we should turn vegan and stop eating meat. | Rated as Normal |
| There are several reasons why we should turn vegan and stop eating meat | Average |
| There are a plethora of reasons why we should turn vegan and stop eating meat | Good in terms of Lexical Resource |
Coherence and Cohesion
This criterion checks how well the essay is organised using a range of linking words. For example, Question: In some countries young people are encouraged to work or travel for a year between finishing high school and starting university studies. Discuss the advantages and disadvantages for young people who decided to do this. The advantages must be explained in one paragraph and the disadvantages in the other. If mixed up, there is no coherence.For Coherence,
| First para …advantages and disadvantages Second para …. advantages and disadvantages | No coherence |
| First para …advantages Second para …. disadvantages | Coherence achieved |
For Cohesion, The ideas must be linked logically,….
| If you are elaborating on the advantages but using on the other hand, as in, A is an advantage. On the other hand, B is also an advantage | Cohesion is very poor |
| A is an advantage. On the other hand, B is a disadvantage | Cohesion is good |
Grammatical range and accuracy
This criterion checks your grammar.
| For example, simple subject verb agreement Education is good – Correct Education are good – Incorrect |
| Simple prepositions In 10:AM – Incorrect At 10:00 AM – Correct |
| Simple tenses: If the government had resolved this problem, we are not in trouble now – Incorrect If the government had resolved this problem, we would not have been in trouble now – Correct |