Writing assessment criteria: CEFR C1
Task Achievement Appropriacy
1.0 Task achieved at a high
level Intention
Intention: Entirely clear
Instructions: Completely
followed
Effect: A positive effect on
the target reader
Outcome: Sure to achieve
a successful outcome
Content: All relevant
details included. Some
original ideas or
presentation
0.8 Performance shares
features of bands 2 and 3
0.6 Task achieved, some gaps
Intention: Clear in most
areas
Instructions: All important
ones followed
Effect: A generally positive
effect on the reader.
Outcome: Likely to
achieve a successful
outcome
Content: Many relevant
details included
0.4 Performance shares
features of bands 1 and 2
Coherence
Style & Format:
Appropriate to genre, no
irrelevant information
Register: Good
awareness of register and
formality level appropriate
to genre
Performance shares
features of bands 2 and 3
Style & Format: Usually
appropriate to genre with
little or no irrelevant
information
Register: Limited
exponents but awareness
of register is shown
Performance shares
features of bands 1 and 2
Cohesion Grammatical Lexical Range &
Range and Accuracy
Accuracy
Structure: Ideas Grammatical Grammatical Wide range of lexis
sequenced logically Structures: A wide Structures: to complete the task,
and accurately range of cohesive Complex Spelling: some original lexical
Purpose: Clear devices used Very good solutions Lexis used
Information: Well naturally, efficiently Word order: Correct appropriately with
organised into a and appropriately Punctuation: Used isolated misuse
coherent text to link words, properly throughout
clauses, sentences Errors: Very few,
and paragraphs none of them
Reference: Skilled impedes meaning,
use message
Performance Performance Performance shares Performance shares
shares features of shares features of features of bands 2 features of bands 2
bands 2 and 3 bands 2 and 3 and 3 and 3
Structure: Some Grammatical Grammatical Sufficient range of
confusion in logical Structures: structures: lexis to complete the
and accurate Adequate amount Adequately complex task Lexis used
sequencing of devices used to structures with rare mostly appropriately
Purpose: Mostly link words, mistakes that do not with some occasional
clear Information: clauses, sentences impede misuse
Adequately mostly comprehension
organised into a appropriately Spelling: Some
mostly coherent Reference: mistakes that do not
text Limited and impede
inaccurate use comprehension
Word order: Mostly
correct. Punctuation:
Mostly effective
Errors: Some, but
do not significantly
impede meaning.
Performance Performance Performance shares Performance shares
shares features of shares features of features of bands 1 features of bands 1
bands 1 and 2 bands 1 and 2 and 2 and 2
 0.2 Task unachieved Intention: Style & Format: Structure: Grammatical Grammatical Poor range of lexis to
Very unclear. Inappropriate to genre, or Muddled Structures: Structures: Very complete the task
Instructions: Many not minimal evidence Purpose: Unclear Minimal simple with frequent Lexis used
followed Register: Minimal Information: Very Reference: Simple and serious inappropriately in
Effect: Negative confused / none mistakes Spelling: most cases
Outcome: Will not achieve Very poor Word
a successful outcome order: Often wrong
Content: Omission, Punctuation: Often
irrelevance. wrong
0.0 Task unattempted / partially Not enough language to No meaning or the No effective use of Little or no evidence No relevant lexis
attempted Not enough make an assessment, or meaning conveyed cohesive devices of grammatical organized into
language to make an under 70 words is irrelevant, or and reference, or knowledge of simple sentences, or under
assessment, or under 70 under 70 words under 70 words structures, or under 70 words
words. 70 words.
Adapted from: http://www.euroexam.com/sites/network/files/file/download/Marking_Criteria/EuroC1WritingScalesLevelDescriptorsE.pdf