Assessing Writing Performance – Level A2

Examiners and writing assessment in the A2 Key for Schools exams

Cambridge Assessment English writing scripts are marked by trained examiners in a secure online
marking environment. The quality assurance of Writing Examiners (WEs) is managed by Team
Leaders (TLs) who are in turn responsible to a Principal Examiner (PE). All of the examiners (PEs, TLs
and WEs) must prove each year, through a certification process, that they are competent to assess. In
addition, they are regularly monitored during live testing sessions.

The Writing Examiners award marks using a writing assessment scale which was developed with
explicit reference to the Common European Framework of Reference for Languages (CEFR). It
covers all the levels of the Cambridge English exams and is divided into three subscales:

 Content
This focuses on how well the candidate has fulfilled the task, in other words, if they have
done what they were asked to do.
 Organisation
This focuses on the way the candidate puts together the piece of writing, in other words,
if it is logical and ordered.
 Language
This focuses on vocabulary and grammar, it includes the range of language as well as
how accurate it is.

Examiners use the A2 Level assessment scales to decide which marks to give candidates taking the
A2 Key for Schools Writing test.

How can I use the assessment scales?

Examiners use the A2 Level assessment scales to decide which marks to give candidates taking the
A2 Key for Schools Writing test. Using the scales yourself during classroom writing practice tasks will
help you to:

 analyse your students’ strengths and weaknesses when they do A2 Key for Schools Writing
tasks
 form an impression of how ready your students are to take the Writing part of the exam.

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Assessing Writing Performance Level A2
The assessment scales

The A2 assessment scales are divided into six bands from 0 to 5 with 0 being the lowest and 5 the
highest. Descriptors for each criterion are provided for bands 1, 3 and 5 and indicate what a
candidate is expected to demonstrate at each band. A2 Key for Schools is at Level A2 of the
Common European Framework of Reference (CEFR) and the descriptors for band 3 and above
generally indicate performance of at least A2 level.

As you look through the scales, it may help to highlight words which make one band different from
another.

For example, under the Language subscale, the descriptor at Band 1 (below A2 level) states:
Produces few simple grammatical forms with only limited control. The Band 3 descriptor (A2 level),
uses similar language but with key differences: Uses simple grammatical forms with some degree of
control, so at A2 level, simple forms are expected, used with some degree of control.
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At Band 5 (B1 level), a writer Uses simple grammatical forms with a good degree of control.

How can I use the assessment scales?

You could:

1. Refer to the scales as you mark students’ written work in general, especially when they have
attempted an A2 Key for Schools writing task.
2. Note down examples of your students’ performance in terms of the listed criteria, e.g.
Organisation: Text is connected - good use of linking words.
3. Give students feedback on their strengths and weaknesses, linking it to the assessment criteria,
e.g. Try using a range of linking words, Good use of linking words, Try and use a range of words
– try not to repeat the same words.
4. Think about whether your students are ready for the exam and how they could improve. You
could get them to complete a task from the sample paper, setting a time limit, and then mark it
using the assessment scales.

As teachers are not trained in the use of these assessment scales, as examiners are, it can be
difficult to feel confident in using them the right way. The following activity is designed to help you get
started by practising using them to analyse some sample writing tasks.

The activity is based on some sample answers from A2 Key for Schools writing tasks.

Sample task 1: A2 Key for Schools Part 6

Sample task 2: A2 Key for Schools Part 7

The tasks for each of these scripts and further information can be found in the Appendices, of the
relevant Handbook for teachers.

Activity 1
1 Make a copy of the blank assessment sheet on pages 5 and 6. You will see that statements from
the assessment scales have been turned into questions.
2 Read the A2 Key for Schools Writing Part 6 task (see Appendix I).
3 Read Sample Script 1 (see Appendix II). Note down your comments and examples of good and
not so good elements of the candidate’s writing for each of the questions in the boxes on the
assessment sheet. Make sure that while you are doing this you constantly refer to the A2
assessment scale.
4 Compare the notes you have made with a completed example on pages 7 and 8.
5 Repeat stages 1–4 for the Part 7 sample script, a completed example is on pages 9 and 10.
6 When you feel comfortable with using the assessment scale, continue to use the blank
assessment sheet when assessing your own students’ writing and use this to give them
feedback on what aspects of the scales they need to work on to improve.
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Remember:

 Being able to refer to the assessment scales will help you to analyse your students’
strengths and weaknesses and to estimate whether they are ready for the writing part of the
exam. However, it won’t necessarily give you an accurate prediction of the marks that your
students will achieve in a real writing paper, as the candidate may be affected by other
factors such as nervousness.

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Assessing Writing Performance Level A2
A2 Key for Schools
CONTENT

Task Number:

Is all content relevant to the task?

Good Not so good

Is the target reader fully informed?

Good Not so good

Content mark:

ORGANISATION
Is the text connected and coherent?
Good Not so good

Does the writer use basic linking words and a limited number of cohesive devices?
Good Not so good

Organisation mark:

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Assessing writing performance Level A2
A2 Key for Schools
LANGUAGE
Does the writer use everyday vocabulary generally appropriately?

Good Not so good

Does the writer use simple grammatical forms with a good degree of control?

Good Not so good

How far can meaning be determined despite errors?

Non-impeding errors Impeding errors

Language mark:
Comments

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Assessing writing performance Level A2
A2 Key for Schools
CONTENT

Task Number: PART 6

Is all content relevant to the task?

Good Not so good

The content of the message is relevant to
the task.

Is the target reader fully informed?

Good Not so good

All three elements of the message are
clearly communicated.

Content mark: 5

ORGANISATION
Is the text connected and coherent?

Good Not so good

The text is coherent

Does the writer use basic linking words and a limited number of cohesive devices?

Good Not so good

because, then, it

Organisation mark: 5

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 A2 Key for Schools
LANGUAGE
Does the writer use everyday vocabulary generally appropriately?

Good Not so good

new football boots

meet
your house
take a bus

Does the writer use simple grammatical forms with a good degree of control?

Good Not so good

I want to buy to going shopping tomorrow

We can meet at your house at 11:00 Then we take a bus
Is it OK for you?

How far can meaning be determined despite errors?

Non-impeding errors Impeding errors

to going shopping tomorrow (candidate

should have written – to go shopping)
then we take a bus (candidate should have
written – Then we’ll take the bus/Then we
can take the bus.)

Language mark: 5

Comments
Very good attempt at the task.

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Assessing writing performance Level A2
A2 Key for Schools
CONTENT

Task Number: PART 7

Is all content relevant to the task?

Good Not so good

The first picture is not mentioned in the text.

Is the target reader fully informed?

Good Not so good

The story is mainly communicated

clearly. The reader is on the whole
informed.

Content mark: 3

ORGANISATION
Is the text connected and coherent?

Good Not so good

The text is connected

Does the writer use basic linking words and a limited number of cohesive devices?

Good Not so good

and, so

Organisation mark: 3

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 A2 Key for Schools
LANGUAGE
Does the writer use everyday vocabulary generally appropriately?

Good Not so good

sit by a lake two of people

food
kids
swim

Does the writer use simple grammatical forms with a good degree of control?

Good Not so good

They ate food they went to home

drank drinks Kids going to home
Parents was sawing their kids

How far can meaning be determined despite errors?

Non-impeding errors Impeding errors

two of people (candidate should have

written – two of the family)
went to a picnic – (candidate should have
written - went on a picnic)

Language mark: 3

Comments
Satisfactory attempt at the task.

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Assessing writing performance Level A2 Appendix I
Sample writing tasks
A2 Key for Schools
Part 6
Question 31

You are going shopping with your English friend Pat tomorrow.
Write an email to Pat.
Say:
 where you want to meet

 what time you want to meet

 what you want to buy

Write 25 words or more

A2 Key for Schools

Part 7

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Assessing writing performance Level A2 Appendix II
Sample scripts

A2 Key for Schools – Part 6

Candidate A
Hi Pat,
I am so happy to going shopping tomorrow because I want to buy new football boots. We can meet at
your house at 11:00. Is it OK for you? Then we take a bus.

A2 Key for Schools – Part 7

Candidate C
Four people went to a picnic and they sit by a lake. They ate food and drank drinks. Two of people are
kids. Kids going to swim so Parents was sawing their kids. Then they went to home.

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