O-Level Situational Writing: How It Is Marked
SEAB publishes the band descriptors for this section. They are reproduced below from the 1184 syllabus, with notes on what each band asks for in practice.
Situational writing is 30 marks, split 10 for task fulfilment and 20 for language. Two thirds of the mark is for how you write, not what you cover.
Task fulfilment, 10 marks
The syllabus names three criteria: addressing the required points, showing awareness of purpose, audience and context, and using the given information.
| Band | Marks | Descriptors |
|---|---|---|
| 5 | 9 to 10 | All points addressed and developed in detail · Purpose, audience and context fully and clearly addressed · Ideas consistently supported by given information |
| 4 | 7 to 8 | All points addressed with one or more developed in detail · Purpose, audience and context clearly addressed · Ideas generally supported by given information |
| 3 | 5 to 6 | Most points addressed with some development · Purpose, audience and context addressed · Some attempts to use given information to support ideas |
| 2 | 3 to 4 | Some points addressed · Purpose, audience and context partially addressed · Some reference to given information |
| 1 | 1 to 2 | One point addressed · Purpose, audience and context occasionally addressed · Occasional reference to given information |
| 0 | 0 | No creditable response |
What separates band 4 from band 5. Both address all the points. Band 5 develops all of them in detail; band 4 develops one or more. So the way up is not finding another point, it is taking the points you already have further.
"Using the given information" is a third of this criterion. The visual text is not decoration. An answer that never draws on it caps out low however well organised it is.
Language, 20 marks
Three criteria: organisation of ideas, clarity of expression, accuracy of language.
| Band | Marks | Descriptors |
|---|---|---|
| 5 | 17 to 20 | Coherent and cohesive presentation of ideas across the whole of the response · Effective use of ambitious vocabulary and grammar structures · Complex vocabulary, grammar, punctuation and spelling used accurately |
| 4 | 13 to 16 | Coherent presentation of ideas with some cohesion between paragraphs · Vocabulary and grammar structures sufficiently varied to convey shades of meaning · Vocabulary, grammar, punctuation and spelling used mostly accurately |
| 3 | 9 to 12 | Most ideas coherently presented with some cohesion within paragraphs · Vocabulary and grammar structures sufficiently varied to convey intended meaning · Vocabulary, grammar, punctuation and spelling often used accurately |
| 2 | 5 to 8 | Some ideas coherently presented with attempts at achieving cohesion · Mostly simple vocabulary and grammar structures used, meaning is usually clear · Vocabulary, grammar, punctuation and spelling used with varying degrees of accuracy |
| 1 | 1 to 4 | Ideas presented in isolation · Simple vocabulary and grammar structures used · A few examples of correct use of vocabulary, grammar, punctuation and spelling |
| 0 | 0 | No creditable response |
This same scale marks continuous writing. It is identical, descriptor for descriptor and band for band, so 40 of Paper 1's 70 marks are judged by one rubric. Getting better at it is the single highest-value thing you can do for this paper. See how continuous writing is marked.
Cohesion is where the bands turn. Band 3 has cohesion within paragraphs, band 4 between them, band 5 across the whole response. That is a ladder you can climb deliberately: link each paragraph to the one before it, then make the last paragraph answer the first.
"Shades of meaning" is band 4's phrase, not "big words". Band 5 says ambitious vocabulary used accurately. A reached-for word used wrongly costs you on the third criterion what it gained on the second.
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