Assessment criteria for writing - Language Proficiency Level 4 to Level 6

Sep 28, 2026

Uploaded by dbqoiu

Assessment criteria for writing define performance expectations across language proficiency tasks, ensuring candidates’ outputs are evaluated holistically rather than by a single criterion. The document provides detailed level descriptors from Level 4 through Level 6 covering flexibility, coherence and cohesion, propositional precision and range including idiomaticity, and grammatical accuracy. It also specifies abilities for communicating through describing, narrating and reporting, for creative writing with genre-appropriate style, and for producing structured reports, articles, essays and opinion texts.

LanguageEnglish

CategoryExam

FormatPDF

Pages3

Reading Time8 min

AccessFree to download

Assessment criteria for writing

LEVEL 6 - General criteria

LEVEL 5 - General criteria

LEVEL 4 - General criteria

Yleiset kielitutkinnot – The National Certificates of Language Proficiency Assessment criteria for writing These assessment criteria cover all tasks (Note that the candidate product should not be assessed according to one criterion only) | LEVEL 6
General criteria | Flexibility | Coherence/
cohesion | Propositional
precision/ range/idiomaticity | Grammatical
accuracy | Communicating (e.g. describing, narrating, reporting) | Creative writing | Report/essay/
opinion | | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | | Can write different types of texts almost as competently as a native speaker. Is able to write wellstructured, logical texts, rich in nuances, and in a personal style that is appropriate with regard to the assumed reader. | Can flexibly formulate ideas by using a variety of language means
-to eliminate vagueness
-to give emphasis, and
-to accommodate language use according to the audience and the situation. | Can create consistent content and form by making full and appropriate use of a variety of organisational patterns and a wide range of means to improve coherence and
cohesion. | Can convey even finer shades of meaning precisely. Uses accurately and with variety a wide range of qualifying devices (e.g., adverbs expressing degree) . Holds a very extensive vocabulary and can use idiomatic and connotative expression consistently, correctly and appropriately (e.g. irony, joking) | Maintains consistent grammatical control of complex language; only occasional ‘slips’may occur. | Can present clear and fluent reports as well as skillful and impressive descriptions and accounts. | Can write clear, fluent and interesting stories
and descriptions using a style appropriate to the genre. | Can produce clear, fluent and demanding reports, articles andessays which have an appropriate and effectively progressing logical structure. | LEVEL 5-> 6 ► Expression is more acurate and varying. ► Expression contains more idiomaticity. ► The abstraction level in the content is higher. | LEVEL 5
General criteria | Flexibility | Coherence/
cohesion | Propositional precision/range/ idiomaticity | Grammatical
accuracy | Communicating (e.g. describing, narrating, reporting) | Creative writing | Report/essay/
opinion | | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | | Can write clear, wellstructured, detailed and smoothly flowing texts on a variety of subjects, in an appropriate style. Is able to present and justify his/her opinions even on complex topics. The use of less frequently used words and complicated grammatical structures may, however, cause some difficulties. | As on Level 4: Can adjust what he/she expresses according to the purpose of the text, recipient and the level of formality of the situation in both familiar and somewhat less familiar text types. | Can produce clear and logically progressing text showing relatively controlled use of text organizers and cohesive devices. | Has a good vocabulary in general topic areas. Only seldom has to rely on using avoidance strategies. Is able to use, with ease, circumlocutions and uses idiomatic expressions fairly naturally. Occasional slips may occur, no significant vocabulary errors. Can express precisely e.g. certainty/ uncertainty, belief /doubt, likelihood. | Controls almost all grammatical structures. Texts can contain some unnatural forms. | Can present reports fluently. Can express clear, detailed descriptions and accounts of complex matters. Can combine different subthemes and develop details and complement the text with an appropriate ending. | Can write clear, detailed, wellstructured and well developed descriptions, and texts from imaginary topics with a certain, personal and natural style, which is well suited for the target audience. | Can writer clear, wellstructured accounts of complex topics and highlight important things.
Can to some extent expand and support his/her opinion with extra details and justificatio

FAQs

How is a candidate’s writing product assessed according to this document?

The criteria cover all tasks, and the candidate product should not be assessed using only one criterion.

What aspects are evaluated at Level 6?

Level 6 evaluates flexibility, coherence and cohesion, propositional precision with idiomaticity, grammatical accuracy, communication (describing/narrating/reporting), creative writing, and report/essay/opinion structure.

What improves from Level 5 to Level 6 in expression?

Expression becomes more accurate and more varied, includes more idiomaticity, and the abstraction level in the content increases.

Sep 28, 2026

Uploaded by dbqoiu