Success Criteria for English
Tick that you have fulfilled the criteria below. They should be referred to during
the planning stage. If there is something you didn’t do in your writing, try to
correct it before submitting your work for assessment. It is possible to improve
responses even after writing the final version, by crossing out and replacing words
and using asterisks and caret marks.
Reading
Did you ...
Content
• read the passage twice?
• answer the whole question?
• use different material to answer different questions?
• focus fully on the question?
• follow the length guidelines?
• use the structure and content support provided?
• develop ideas where required?
• refer closely to the text(s)?
• give details where appropriate?
• select only relevant material from the passages?
• demonstrate understanding of implicit meaning?
• show awareness of the writer’s style?
• evaluate the effectiveness of the writer’s style?
Expression
• answer the question concisely?
• answer in full sentences?
• use own words when required?
• consider the required style for response genre?
• check your responses for clarity?
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© Cambridge University Press 2014
Writing
Did you ...
Content
• structure your response in planning?
• sequence the response material?
• link the ideas within and between paragraphs?
• evaluate ideas in the passages?
• refer closely to points in the passage?
• avoid repetition of ideas?
• stay focused on the task?
• stay within the length limit?
• show awareness of audience?
Expression
• express yourself accurately?
• use a range of vocabulary?
• demonstrate an understanding of the characteristics/devices of the
response genre?
• choose precise words?
• use the appropriate register of vocabulary?
• adopt a suitable tone of voice / viewpoint?
• avoid repetition of vocabulary?
• vary sentence structures?
• avoid lifting phrases from the passage?
• use clear and concise language?
• use fluent and mature expression?
• use correct spelling, grammar and punctuation?
• use paragraphs in continuous writing?
• put quotations or speech into inverted commas?
• check your work for mistakes?
education.cambridge.org
© Cambridge University Press 2014