FCE Writing assessment criteria explained in plain English

An examiner reads your whole answer and gives it a mark from 0 to 5 on each of the four criteria. The four marks are added, so each task is out of 20 and the paper is out of 40. Both tasks count equally.

The criteria are separate. A text can score 5 for Content and 2 for Language: the student covered everything, but with many errors. That is useful for you, because it means you can see exactly where your marks go. The explanations below are our own plain-English summaries, written by teachers, to help you understand what examiners are looking for. They are not the official descriptors.

As a rough guide, a 3 on a criterion means it does the job adequately, and a 5 means it does the job well and with confidence. Each section below explains what that difference looks like in practice.

Content is about relevance and completeness. The question is simple: after reading your answer, does the reader have all the information the task said they needed?

At 3: most points are covered, but one may be thin, slightly off topic or missing a part. There may be some irrelevant material.

What moves you to 5: - every content point is covered and developed, not just mentioned - in the essay, a genuine third idea that is different from both notes - nothing irrelevant: no long personal stories in an essay, no menu details in a review of a study space - the final purpose is achieved: the opinion is clear, the recommendation is given, the question is answered

Quick fix: number every point in the task and tick each one in your plan.

This criterion asks whether your answer works as a real piece of communication: the right format, the right tone, and the right effect on this particular reader.

At 3: the text type is recognisable and the tone is mostly suitable, but it is a bit flat or slips in register; simple ideas get through, but the reader is not really engaged.

What moves you to 5: - the conventions of the task type are used confidently: a hook and a memorable ending in an article, headings and recommendations in a report, consistent register in an email or letter - the register fits the reader from the first line to the last - ideas are not just stated but used for a purpose: to persuade, to recommend, to entertain - the reader's attention is held throughout

Quick fix: before writing, write the reader and purpose at the top of your plan, for example principal, inform and recommend, neutral.

Organisation is about the shape of the text and the links between ideas, both between paragraphs and inside them.

At 3: there are paragraphs and the order is logical, but linking is basic (and, but, also, firstly) and sometimes repetitive.

What moves you to 5: - each paragraph has a clear focus and a natural place in the whole - a variety of linkers chosen for their meaning, not just for decoration - referencing words that connect ideas without repeating them: this, these concerns, such a change, which means that - the beginning and end of the text fit the task type

Quick fix: see our linking words guide and try replacing two basic linkers in your next answer with more precise ones.

Language covers vocabulary and grammar: how wide your range is and how well you control it.

At 3: everyday vocabulary used generally well, some simple complex structures (a conditional, a relative clause), and errors that are noticeable but do not stop the reader understanding.

What moves you to 5: - a range of vocabulary, including some less common words and collocations, used appropriately: a fierce debate, far outweigh, let down by - a range of simple and complex grammar: passives, conditionals, relative and participle clauses, not only... but also - good control: errors are occasional and are mostly slips you would correct if you noticed them - errors never make the reader stop and guess

Quick fix: accuracy is cheaper than ambition. Eliminate your three most frequent errors before you try more advanced structures.