| Criteria | Level 4+ 10-9 points |
Level 4 8.5-8 points |
Level 3 7.5-7 points |
Level 2 6.5-6 points |
Level 1 5.5-5 points |
Level R 4.5-0 points |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Organization | Essay has a clear, logical structure with an engaging introduction, well-developed body paragraphs, and a strong conclusion. | Essay is well-organized with a clear introduction, body, and conclusion, though transitions may be slightly awkward. | Essay has a basic structure with an introduction, body, and conclusion, but lacks smooth transitions. | Essay structure is unclear or inconsistent, with weak or missing transitions. | Essay lacks a clear structure, making it difficult to follow the argument. | Essay is disorganized and lacks a coherent structure. |
| Evidence of Research | Includes a variety of well-researched evidence that strongly supports the argument, with proper citations. | Includes relevant and well-researched evidence that supports the argument, with mostly proper citations. | Includes some evidence that supports the argument, but may lack depth or proper citations. | Includes limited or weak evidence, with many missing or incorrect citations. | Includes minimal evidence, lacking relevance or proper citations. | Includes no evidence or research to support the argument. |
| Persuasion | Argument is compelling and convincingly persuades the reader, with strong appeals to logic and emotion. | Argument is clear and mostly persuasive, with effective appeals to logic and emotion. | Argument is present but may not fully persuade the reader, with some appeals to logic and emotion. | Argument is weak or unclear, with few persuasive elements. | Argument is unconvincing, lacking persuasive elements. | Argument is absent or fails to persuade the reader. |
| Mechanics | Essay is free from grammatical, spelling, sentence structure and punctuation errors. | Essay has minor grammatical, spelling, sentence structure or punctuation errors that do not interfere with understanding. | Essay has some grammatical, spelling, sentence structure or punctuation errors that may distract the reader. | Essay has many grammatical, spelling, sentence structure or punctuation errors that interfere with understanding. | Essay has numerous grammatical, spelling, sentence structure or punctuation errors that make it difficult to understand. | Essay is riddled with grammatical, spelling, sentence structure or punctuation errors, making it very difficult to read. |
| Overall Impression | Essay is exceptionally engaging and leaves a lasting impression on the reader. | Essay is engaging and leaves a positive impression on the reader. | Essay is satisfactory and leaves a basic impression on the reader. | Essay is underwhelming and leaves a weak impression on the reader. | Essay is unengaging and leaves a negative impression on the reader. | Essay fails to make any impression on the reader. |