A1 and A2 Marking Criteria

When are these marking criteria applied?

These marking criteria are used for both written and oral assessments in your language modules. The ultimate aim of these assessments is to evaluate how effectively you can use the taught language to communicate, including your ability to express ideas clearly, accurately, and appropriately for different contexts and audiences.

In the Language Centre, these criteria will be used to assess reading/writing exams and oral exams for level 1 and level 2 modules for all languages.

In French Studies, German Studies, Hispanic Studies, and Italian Studies, these criteria will be used to assess writing and oral exams for students who are learning the language ab initio in the first year of their degree.

How will my work be marked?

For some shorter assessments (e.g. multiple-choice tests, gap-fill exercises, or short-answer tasks), each question is marked individually. This type of marking is used for tasks that focus on specific language points (such as vocabulary or grammar), where answers can be assessed individually rather than as part of a longer piece of communication.

Longer or more complex assessments are marked using the university’s 20-point marking scale. This allows teachers to judge your work as a whole. Advanced language performance is differentiated: a strong response may show excellent grammar but need more development and clarity. Alternatively, it might communicate ideas well even if vocabulary slips occur. A numerical “tick‑box” system would treat every feature as equally weighted, but real language use is more nuanced. The 20‑point scale allows teachers to recognise patterns of strength, balance these against areas for improvement, and judge overall proficiency rather than isolated errors. For some language assessments, you will receive just one mark on the 20-point scale. For others, you may receive an average mark based on multiple tasks or learning outcomes.

The criteria reflect the full range of skills involved in language learning. Lower‑order skills (e.g. recall of vocabulary and comprehension of familiar material) remain important at every stage of your language learning journey. At more advanced levels, however, we place increasing emphasis on higher‑order skills. These include depth of knowledge, independent language manipulation, nuanced expression, coherence of argument, as well as the ability to respond spontaneously and appropriately in oral work.

The assessed skills are divided into “language” and “content”, which cover both written and oral assignments. In addition, oral exams will assess the quality of the “oral delivery.” The precise weighting of these skills varies depending on assessment type. Your teachers will explain how each side of the marking criteria is weighted as they prepare you for your exams.

Language skills:

Vocabulary (for written and oral assessments): Do you possess sufficient vocabulary to engage with and respond to the task? Is your word choice precise, varied, and well suited to the context, topic, and tone? Can you paraphrase or work around gaps without losing meaning? Do you use language in a way that sounds natural?
Grammar (for written and oral assessments): Do you use and understand the grammatical structures taught at this level and previously accurately? Do errors, if present, affect clarity or meaning? Are grammatical forms used consistently, or do similar errors occur repeatedly? Do you use a range of grammatical forms, including more complex ones?
Orthography (written assessments only): Are spelling and conventions such as accent marks, capitalisation, and hyphenation accurate and appropriate? Do they support clear understanding? For Chinese, Japanese, Korean: Are your characters formed accurately and clearly? Is your writing consistent in style and precision? Are there any characters that are unclear, incorrect, or inconsistent?

Content:

Task fulfilment (written and oral assessments): Have you fully addressed all parts of the task or question? Does your response show accurate and specific understanding of any source materials and/or the topic? Is the content of your response relevant, and does it meet the purpose of the task (e.g. to inform, argue, describe, or respond)? Have you followed any specific instructions (e.g. length, format, audience)?
Clarity and coherence (written and oral assessments): Are your ideas clear and easy to follow? Is your response well organised, with logical connections between points? Do you use linking words or structures appropriately to guide the reader or listener?

Oral delivery (for oral assessments only):

Do you speak with a reasonable flow and spontaneously, i.e. without relying on memorised language? Is your pronunciation clear? Do you use appropriate intonation, pace, and emphasis to support meaning?

Your grade reflects your overall ability to communicate effectively in the target language, rather than counting the number of errors.

Different tasks may place more emphasis on certain criteria. Your language teacher will be able to explain how the criteria are applied to the specific assessments.

When should I use these marking criteria?

Before submitting work or an exam

Use the criteria to understand what your teachers will be looking for and which skills the assessment is testing. When preparing for your next assignment or exam, think about what you already do well and how you can move up to the next level.

After feedback

Use the criteria to help interpret your mark and understand how your strengths and areas for improvement relate to expectations for your level of study. They can guide you in identifying what you already do well and what to focus on next. Your teacher can discuss your feedback in more detail during Advice and Feedback Hours.

A note on considerate marking:

If you have met with a Disability Advisor at Warwick and have a specific learning difference (SpLD) you may have been given a Considerate Marking cover sheet. You can download your PDF cover sheet from the Wellbeing Portal. Please attach or present it every time you submit assessed work.

SMLC staff follow the guidance on considerate marking issued by Disability Services. This means that your work is evaluated as a whole. Our modules do assess your ability to communicate accurately and effectively in the taught language. As a result, structure, grammar, punctuation, sentence structure, and spelling are part of the marking criteria. However, linguistic accuracy and structure are just two dimensions of the marking criteria for most work.

Written language assessments give students the opportunity to show that they understand and use a variety of grammatical structures, vocabulary, and/or characters correctly. For advanced language work, students’ ability to present a clear and logical argument is also important. However, we recognise that your SpLD may lead to patterns such as untidy structure or missing punctuation. Markers will consider carefully whether patterns of errors are relevant to the learning outcomes for that assignment or exam.

For oral assessments, examiners will focus on pace and fluency but not penalise reduced eye contact or different use of body language when this is linked to an SpLD. They also recognise that it may be necessary to rephrase certain questions and allow longer for responses.

94 / 100: High First: Virtually Flawless

Marks in this range are reserved for exceptional performances that go substantially beyond what would normally be expected at this level, meriting special recognition. Such work shows all the qualities expected of a Mid First, as well as additional strengths that stand well above typical First-Class performances at this level of study. There is virtually no scope for meaningful improvement given the confines of the assessment.

Language	Content	Oral Delivery (oral assessments only)
Varied and precise vocabulary and grammatical structures that demonstrates a rare mastery of the learning outcomes for this level. Maintains an unusually high degree of accuracy throughout, even when attempting complex or less familiar grammatical structures. For written work: Shows an unusually secure command of spelling, accent marks, capitalisation, punctuation, and hyphenation, as appropriate. These support clear and fluent communication throughout. For Chinese, Japanese, Korean: Virtually no errors in character formation.	Responses make exceptionally effective use of the opportunities provided by the task. They demonstrate a level of development and coherence rarely encountered at this level.	Virtually no errors of pronunciation or self-correction required. Stress and intonation are consistently appropriate and enhance the clarity and effectiveness of communication. Speaks with a degree of spontaneity, independence, and flexibility that is rarely achieved at this level. Maintains a natural flow of communication, adapting readily to questions and changes in direction.

82 / 88: Mid First: Highly Precise

Work in this category goes beyond typical First-Class performances at this level, showing mastery of the module learning outcomes. Outstanding skill in some areas may compensate for isolated minor shortcomings elsewhere.

It demonstrates all the skills expected of assignments awarded a First, as well as displaying the additional strengths listed below, as applicable. For work awarded an 88, performance is strong across all criteria, leaving only minimal room for refinement.

Language	Content	Oral delivery (oral assessments only)
Uses a wide range of common and topic-specific vocabulary accurately and appropriately. Selects vocabulary effectively to suit the context and task. There may be isolated imprecisions when attempting to use less common or more specialised vocabulary. Demonstrates a high degree of grammatical accuracy. There may be isolated imprecisions when using complex or less familiar structures. For written work: Spelling, accent marks, capitalisation, punctuation, and hyphenation (as appropriate) are highly accurate. Slips or inconsistencies are isolated. For written work in Chinese, Japanese, Korean: Produces characters with consistent accuracy and clarity. There are only isolated slips or imprecisions.	Demonstrates full and accurate understanding of the task. Engages fully and directly with source materials. Responses may show creativity. Responses are well developed and fully coherent. Ideas are linked and, where relevant, expanded effectively, beginning to use the available language in a flexible and stylistically effective manner.	Pronunciation is clear, with only occasional slips on more challenging sounds. Stress and intonation are well controlled and support meaning effectively. Speaks clearly and develops communication in an engaging and responsive manner. There is minimal need for rephrasing. Shows an ability to self-correct.

74 / 78: Lower First: Skilled

Work in this category fully addresses the task. It convincingly meets the learning outcomes of the module and expectations for language learning at this level of study. Work awarded a 78 is highly proficient, even though there is still scope for refinement or development.

Work in this category demonstrates the skills expected of assignments awarded an Upper Second (2.1). It also displays the additional strengths listed below, as applicable.

Language	Content	Oral Delivery (oral assessments only)
Uses a wide range of common and topic-specific vocabulary accurately and appropriately. There may still be some imprecision when drawing on vocabulary from a wider range of topic areas. Skilfully applies varied grammatical structures. There may be occasional imprecision or minor errors when using complex and less familiar structures. These do not compromise communication. For written work: Spelling, accent marks, capitalisation, punctuation, and hyphenation (as appropriate)are used effectively to support communication. Errors are rare and minor. For Chinese, Japanese, Korean: Writes most characters correctly and recognisably. Shows growing confidence with complex characters, although there may be occasional slips or imprecisions.	Provides a full and relevant response to all aspects of the task, including detail where necessary. Demonstrates accurate understanding of source materials, including key themes and most specific details. Shows the ability to express more complex ideas, independent viewpoints, or creative responses, although occasionally meanings may be simplified or only partially conveyed. Able to infer meaning from context. Ideas are consistently presented in a clear, well-organised sequence. Shows developing confidence when producing detailed, independent, or creative responses.	Produces most sounds accurately. Stress and intonation are usually appropriate and contribute positively to communication, although there may be some inconsistency. Able to sustain a conversation beyond simple questions and answers. Can manage minor communication difficulties through repetition, reformulation or self-correction Can use simple conversational techniques to start, maintain or end a short conversation.

62 / 65 / 68: Upper Second: Competent to Proficient

Work in this category addresses all aspects of the task and broadly meets the expectations for language learning at this level, showing proficiency in relation to the module learning outcomes. However, there is scope for refinement in some areas.

Work may fall into this category if it is skilful but contains some minor inaccuracies, omissions, and/or isolated major errors. Work at the lower end of this category may require refinement in most categories listed below.

Language	Content	Oral Delivery (oral assessments only)
Uses a range of common and some topic-specific vocabulary effectively and appropriately on the whole, with few gaps or errors. May employ synonyms to introduce variety on occasion. May adapt taught phrases or material from prompts to communicate meaning in new contexts. Accurately applies varied grammatical structures. There may be several minor errors, imprecisions, or inconsistencies. There are very few major errors and/or errors at sentence level. These mostly occur when using complex structures. For written work: Spelling, accent marks, capitalisation, punctuation, and hyphenation (as appropriate) are mostly accurate and appropriate. Any errors are occasional and minor. For Chinese, Japanese, Korean: Formation of characters is functional but sometimes imprecise.	Provides an effective and relevant response to most prompts and/or questions. Occasionally responses may lack detail. Able to provide information and express opinions. Accurately grasps and extracts key information from short texts or exchanges, as relevant. May show an ability to deduce meaning from context. Effectively uses a range of connectors to link most ideas. Communication is generally clear and the recipient does not need to guess or infer meaning.	There may be some first-language interference, but pronunciation is generally accurate. Uses simple stress and intonation patterns effectively to support meaning and communication. Able to hold a straightforward conversation on a familiar topic. Shows growing confidence when responding, despite occasional hesitation. May occasionally need to ask the conversation partner for clarification.
At the lower end of this category:
Uses vocabulary effectively to convey meaning. There is some repetition. Less precise vocabulary may occasionally be used to compensate for gaps in topic-specific knowledge. Uses simple grammatical structures reliably and attempts complex structures with varying success. There may be noticeable patterns of minor errors, as well as occasional major errors. Major errors may occasionally obscure meaning, although the overall sense of the response is maintained. For written work: Spelling, accent marks, capitalisation, punctuation, and hyphenation (as appropriate) are mostly correct, although a small number of errors occur. For Chinese, Japanese, Korean: There may be some minor errors when forming characters, though the intended word is recognisable.	May occasionally go beyond the main issues to address the details of the question, prompt, and/or source materials. Responses may be repetitive in parts and/or occasionally drift from the prompt. There may be minor omissions, inaccuracies, and/or misunderstandings. Linking and transitional words may not be used consistently. This can give longer responses a fragmented feel.	There may be several cases of mispronunciation (especially on more challenging sounds), but words remain intelligible overall. Stress and intonation are not always accurate but generally support communication. May offer effective but short, formulaic, and/or obviously memorised responses. May need to ask for more complex questions to be repeated or clarified. Some false starts or hesitation in places may affect the smoothness of the delivery.

52 / 55 / 58: Lower Second: Developing

Work that provides a mostly relevant response to the task. It demonstrates developing knowledge and skills in relation to the module learning outcomes and expectations for language learning at this level. However, there are inconsistencies and room for improvement in most areas.

Work may fall into this category if it displays competence in some areas but contains several major errors and/or omissions that limit the overall quality of the response. Work at the lower end of this category demonstrates room for improvement in most areas.

Language	Content	Oral Delivery (oral assessments only)
Uses common vocabulary and simple expressions well. Occasionally uses less-common vocabulary accurately. Word choice may sometimes be inappropriate, producing awkwardness and/or occasionally compromising communication. Simple grammatical structures are often used correctly. Begins to use complex structures more consistently, albeit with several minor and some major errors. Errors may lead to awkward phrasing but do not generally compromise communication. There may be some first language interference and use of cognates, unusual word pairings, or false friends. For written work: Demonstrates a developing understanding of spelling, accent marks, capitalisation, punctuation, and hyphenation (as appropriate). Errors are noticeable but usually do not usually prevent communication. For Chinese, Japanese, Korean: Although there are some errors forming characters, they are still recognizable.	May not fully conform to the requirements or expectations of the task. Offers mostly relevant responses, although these may not cover all expected information. Occasionally conveys additional details (e.g. description, simple opinion). There may be some minor and/or occasional major lapses in comprehension. Shows some ability to link ideas in a simple sequence using connectors. In longer tasks, there are likely to be issues connecting ideas in a logical way.	Pronunciation, intonation, and/or stress may contain errors and/or show first-language interference, but communication is generally maintained. Able to participate in a simple exchange. However, the candidate struggles to engage with more detailed or complex questions. Overreliance on pre-learned responses may impact the spontaneity of the discussion. May require prompting to keep the conversation going. The conversational flow may be impacted by hesitations, false starts, or inappropriate pacing.
At the lower end of this category:
There may be vocabulary gaps in relation to specific topics. Expression is often awkward or vague, with noticeable interference from other languages. Tends to rely on simple grammatical structures, and these frequently contain both minor and major errors. Errors affect clarity of meaning in places, especially if more complex sentences are attempted. For written work: There are several errors relating to spelling, accent marks, capitalisation, punctuation, and hyphenation (as appropriate). Some errors suggest that the student is not fully familiar with the rules and conventions of the target language. Clarity may occasionally be affected. For Chinese, Japanese, Korean: Some errors forming characters may cause misunderstanding.	May not understand some questions and/or key aspects of source materials. Demonstrates broad awareness of the main issues. However, the response tends to overlook or misunderstand key details. Some aspects of the response may be inappropriate or only loosely connected to the prompt. Responses may rely heavily on isolated sentences rather than connected ideas.	Some sounds are mispronounced. Errors in stress and/or intonation may cause uncertainty or confusion for the conversation partner. May occasionally misunderstand questions and/or offer vague or irrelevant responses. Answers may be overly brief. May rely on notes and/or memorised expressions in parts. Delivery may be fragmented, with pauses that interrupt communication. The conversation partner may occasionally need to ask for clarification.

42 / 45 / 48: Third: Foundational

Work that makes some effort to respond to the task and shows that the student has met some of the module learning outcomes and expectations for language learning at this level. However, there are significant omissions and major errors.

At the top end of this category, work will show rudimentary knowledge and understanding. Work at the lower end of this category contains weaknesses in all areas and/or may fall short of the required length.

Language	Content	Oral Delivery (oral assessments only)
Accurately uses a narrow range of common vocabulary. Knowledge gaps remain evident and widespread. Errors may occur even when reproducing vocabulary used in questions, prompts, and source texts. There is some ability to form simple sentences and structures accurately. Attempts to use complex structures are rare and largely unsuccessful. There are persistent minor and major errors when using individual words, combinations of words, and within sentences. Sentences are often awkwardly constructed. Errors obscure meaning and hinder communication in some sections. For written work: There is a basic grasp of conventions relating to spelling, accent marks, and hyphenation (as appropriate). However, recurring errors compromise clarity and place strain on the reader. For Chinese, Japanese, Korean: There are persistent errors in character formation, making reading difficult.	Demonstrates partial understanding of the task and responds accurately to some basic questions or aspects. However, key information is often omitted, inaccurate, and/or only minimally addressed. May contain a significant amount of material that is irrelevant. Shows minimal ability to organise information beyond isolated statements.	Pronunciation is frequently difficult to understand. Errors in stress and/or intonation repeatedly hinder communication. Meaning can usually be established through careful listening. May hesitate in response to simple and slowly formulated questions, even when these are repeated. The candidate may rely on notes and/or memorised phrases. Delivery is laboured and hesitant. The conversation partner may repeatedly need to ask for clarification.
At the lower end of this category:
Vocabulary gaps include familiar topics and repeatedly undermine communication. Errors may occur even when reproducing vocabulary used in questions, prompts, and source texts. May rely on memorised words/phrases and/or cognates that are not fully appropriate for the context. May struggle to form simple structures. For written work: Meaning is often unclear or lost due to errors with basic writing conventions (e.g. spelling, accents, punctuation), which obscure meaning and burden the reader. For Chinese, Japanese, Korean: Errors in character formation are widespread. Characters are often difficult to recognise, requiring significant interpretation by the reader.	Demonstrates limited understanding of the task. While some parts of the response are appropriate, there are several major lapses in comprehension. Responses are overly brief, repetitive, and/or only loosely connected to the task. Shows limited awareness of how to structure communication.	Systematic errors in pronunciation, intonation, and/or stress hinder communication. May persistently struggle to understand questions. Unable to respond in some cases. Relies on isolated words and memorised phrases that may be inappropriate for the context. May rely excessively on cognates, body language, and/or gesture to communicate. Lengthy pauses disrupt the conversation. Communication requires significant effort on the part of the conversation partner.

32 / 38: Fail: Below Required Standards

Work that responds in part to the task but is largely irrelevant and/or falls short of the required length. It contains systematic errors and omissions and does not achieve the minimum learning outcomes for the module, falling below the standard required for the level.

A grade of 38 may be awarded if the work demonstrates some ability to respond appropriately to basic aspects of the task.

Even simple sentences are error prone. Errors relating to grammar, vocabulary, and character formation (for Chinese, Japanese, and Korean) significantly impede comprehension throughout.
Significant interference from other languages impacts on clarity and coherence.
Questions, prompts, and/or source materials are misunderstood. Shows little or no awareness of the task and/or main issues.
In oral assessments, it is not possible for a conversation to develop due to the brevity, incoherence, or irrelevance of the contributions. The candidate struggles to communicate without notes or beyond memorised phrases, which tend to be inappropriate for the context. Systematic errors render spoken language largely unintelligible. The candidate may have no choice but to use their mother tongue to maintain communication. There may be a breakdown in communication.

12 / 25: Low Fail: Inadequate or Incomplete

Incomplete work: it does not fulfil the requirements of the task or the learning outcomes for the module. Communication is extremely limited. As a result, work falls well below the standard required for the appropriate level. A grade of 25 may be awarded if the work attempts to engage with the task but displays extremely limited knowledge.

Insufficient language to assess and/or insufficient reference to the task.
Insufficient evidence that level-appropriate vocabulary, grammatical structures, and characters (for Chinese, Korean, and Japanese) have been understood.
Isolated words or phrases may be recognisable. However, these are generally inappropriate for the context and/or unrelated to the task.

0 / Zero