Grade like an examiner
Here you see the four criteria used on realistic texts. Grade each text yourself first, then compare with our rating.
In the real Matura, the examiners are your own teachers. They use the same four criteria that you see on this page.
How an examiner reads your text
- First, the examiner thinks about the task. Before reading your text, the examiner thinks about what a good B2 answer to this task needs: its purpose, its reader, the three content points and the conventions of the text type. Your text is compared with this picture.
- One criterion at a time. Each of the four criteria gets its own judgement, often in a separate reading. The same text can get 8 for Range and 6 for Accuracy. That is normal.
- Task Achievement comes first. If a text does not address the task as a whole, the whole text gets 0 and the other three criteria are not marked.
- Examiners choose a band by judgement. They do not calculate an average. Some descriptors count more than others: in Task Achievement, developing the content points matters more than the title. The examiner looks at what matters most and then chooses the band.
- Length is part of Task Achievement. If your text is more than 10% over or under the target, Task Achievement drops one band.
B1, B2, C1 at a glance
The exam checks whether your writing is at B2. It helps to know the levels just below and just above it.
| Level | What a text at this level is like |
|---|---|
| C1 above the exam | Fluent and precise, well above what the Matura asks. The writer handles complex ideas smoothly, uses idioms naturally, changes register easily and makes the important points stand out. Errors are rare and hard to find. |
| B2 your target | Clear and detailed on many topics. Arguments are developed and compared, there are some complex structures, and the text is mostly accurate. Some errors are still there, but they never stop the reader from understanding. |
| B1 not quite there | Short, simple and personal, on familiar topics. Ideas come one after the other in a simple list, reasons are short, and the writer’s first language often shows through. |
This site aims at the middle row, B2. The C1 row shows that a B2 text does not have to be perfect. The B1 row shows what a text looks like when it is not quite B2 yet.
“Right” and “correct” are different things
Two criteria can look at the same word. Coherence and Cohesion asks whether a linking word fits in this place. Accuracy asks whether it is correct English. A word can do well in one and badly in the other. Then it counts under both: once as a plus, once as a minus.
So use linking words, because they help your Coherence and Cohesion band. When you proofread, check that each one is correct, because Accuracy counts them too.
Now grade these yourself
Each text below is written at about B2, with the kind of strengths and mistakes real exam texts have. For each criterion, choose a band first. Then you see our band and the reasons. Where your band is different from ours, read the reasons.
The buttons show the six bands that have a description (0, 2, 4, 6, 8, 10). Examiners also use the odd-numbered bands (1, 3, 5, 7, 9) for a text between two descriptions, so a few of our bands are odd numbers that the buttons do not show.
These texts were written for this site as realistic examples. They are not real candidates’ work.
Example 1 of 5: Essay
Some teenagers take on a part-time job while they are still at school. Write an essay in which you discuss whether this is a good idea. In your essay you should: weigh up what students can gain from working; consider the problems a job can cause; explain what would make it work.
- The purpose is to persuade a formal reader. A clear position (for, against or "it depends") should be visible early.
- All three content points need reasons or examples. Just mentioning them is not enough.
- An essay is fairly formal. Argue mainly with general and hypothetical examples. A short personal example is fine, but not as your main evidence. Avoid contractions.
Should teenagers work while they are still at school?
More and more teenagers today have a part-time job alongside school, working in supermarkets, cafés or as babysitters at the weekend. For some families the extra money is welcome, while others worry that a job takes too much energy away from learning. Is it really a good idea to work before you have even finished school? In my opinion, a small job can teach a great deal, as long as it does not take over.
The most obvious advantage is that young people learn responsibility. When you have to be at work on time, deal with real customers and handle your own money, you grow up quickly. These are skills that no classroom can teach in the same way. A friend of mine started working in a bakery on Saturdays, and within a few months she was far more organised and confident than before. On top of that, earning your own money makes you appreciate its value, instead of simply asking your parents for more.
On the other hand, a job can easily become too much. A teenager who works several evenings a week has less time for homework, sport and sleep. If the job starts to affect their grades, then clearly something has gone wrong, because school still has to come first at this age. There is also the danger that some students only chase the money and lose interest in their education.
Moreover, the type of work matters a lot. A few calm hours in a shop are very different from a stressful job that keeps a teenager on their feet until late at night. Schools and parents could help by giving young people advices about their rights, so that nobody is exploited. Everyone have the right to fair treatment, even a sixteen-year-old with their first contract.
All in all, I believe that working during school can be a valuable experience, but only in small doses. A few hours a week build character and independence; much more than that can quickly do more harm than good. The goal should be balance, not a wage packet earned at any price. In the end, it depends of the individual student and how well they manage their time.
A good essay that argues its case and is easy to follow. Two things hold it back. The position should be clear earlier in the first paragraph, and the second and third content points need as much development as the first. The grammar mistakes ("advices", "Everyone have", "depends of") are easy to practise and avoid. Without them, the Accuracy band would be higher.
Example 2 of 5: Article
Your school tried a "no-phone week". Write an article about it for the international page of your online school magazine. In your article you should: describe how students reacted at first; explain what the week changed; suggest whether the school should do it again.
- An article has to catch the reader's interest and keep it: an interesting opening, a lively style, direct address and maybe one or two rhetorical questions.
- Each of the three content points needs its own part of the text. A short list of reactions is not enough.
- Watch the word count. This text is long, and more than 10% over the target costs one band in Task Achievement.
The Week Our School Switched Off
Imagine walking into school on Monday and being told to hand in your phone until Friday. Panic? That is exactly what most of us felt when our headteacher announced the first ever "unplugged week". A few days later, almost nobody wanted it to end.
At the beginning, the mood was terrible. During the breaks we did not know what to do with our hands, and some students admitted they felt genuinely nervous without their screens. The group chats fell silent, and more than one person kept reaching in an empty pocket out of pure habit.
But something changed after the second day. People actually started talking to each other again. Suddenly the schoolyard was full of noise: card games, football, real conversations. For the first time in ages, I saw people laughing at something in front of them and not on a screen in their hand. Teachers said we were more focused in class, and, honestly, most of us slept better too. It turned out that the thing we were most afraid to lose was the thing we needed a break from.
Of course, nobody is saying we should throw our phones away forever. They are useful, and we are not going to pretend otherwise. But maybe an unplugged afternoon now and then would do us all good. A whole week had sounded impossible at first, yet a single phone-free lunch break sounds almost easy. Why not try one a week and see what happens? You might be surprised who you end up talking to.
So, would I do it again? Absolutely. Sometimes you have to switch something off to notice what was there all along.
An enjoyable article that sounds like a real person wrote it. For content and style alone, Task Achievement would be a 7. The word count costs one band: cutting seven words would have been enough to keep the 7. So count your words at the end and cut where you can.
Example 3 of 5: Report
Your school is reviewing its after-school clubs. Write a report for the student council. In your report you should: outline how satisfied students are with the current clubs; describe the main problems; recommend improvements for next year.
- A report gives facts in an impersonal way, for someone who has to make a decision.
- It should look like a report at first sight: a short header, clear headings that say what each section is about, and facts or figures presented simply. Headings do not need numbers.
- The recommendations must follow from the findings.
Date: 5 May 2026
To: The Student Council
From: Mara Toth, 7B
Subject: Survey on the school’s after-school clubs
Introduction
This report presents the findings of a survey on the school’s after-school clubs. A total of 96 students from the sixth and seventh years took part. Its aim is to establish how satisfied students are and to recommend improvements for next year.
Satisfaction with the clubs
The response was mixed. On the positive side, 74% of those asked said they enjoyed the club they attended, and the sports clubs in particular were praised for being well organised. Many also valued the chance to meet students from other classes.
Main problems
However, almost half of the students reported that the club they wanted was either full or not offered at all. A recurring complaint concerned timing: many clubs take place on the same two afternoons, which forces students to choose between them. Language and music clubs were the most frequently requested additions. A smaller group also asked for a debating club, although interest in it was mostly limited to the senior years.
Recommendations
In the light of these findings, three steps would be advisable. First, the most popular clubs should be spread more evenly across the week. Second, the school should consider adding at least one language club and one music club. Finally, a short online sign-up at the start of term would make it easier to judge demand in advance.
Conclusion
To conclude, students clearly value the club programme but are held back by limited choice and clashing times. A more balanced timetable and a few new options would allow far more of them to take part.
This text shows how much a clear structure helps. It looks like a report before you read it, stays factual and bases its recommendations on the survey results. The language is good but simple, and that is enough here. With some text types, following the conventions carefully already helps your Task Achievement band a lot.
Example 4 of 5: Blog
Write a post for your personal blog about a habit you decided to change. In your post you should: explain why you decided to change it; describe how it went; say whether you would recommend it to others.
- A blog post needs a personal voice. It is informal, contractions are fine, and it speaks to the reader directly.
- All three content points still have to be developed. A great story with no real answer to the third content point (would you recommend it?) loses marks in Task Achievement.
- Be careful: very good language and Task Achievement are rated separately. One can be high while the other is low.
by mia_writes · 3 May 2026, 21:15
Thirty Days Without the Scroll
Thirty days. That was the deal I made with myself: no Instagram, no TikTok, no endless scroll. Here is how it went.
I still remember the exact moment I decided to quit. It was 2 a.m., my eyes hurt, and I had just watched a total stranger reorganise their fridge for the fourth time. Something in me snapped. That night I deleted every social media app from my phone.
The first few days were honestly pathetic. My thumb kept opening the empty space where the apps used to be, like a dog nosing at a bowl that is not there any more. I felt weirdly out of the loop, convinced that something important was happening without me. Spoiler: it was not. The world carried on being exactly as boring and as wonderful as before. What nobody warns you about, though, is the sheer amount of time you suddenly have. I read two whole books. I called my grandmother. I went for long, aimless walks. By the end of the month I felt calmer than I had in years, as though someone had finally turned the volume of my brain down to a bearable level.
Would I recommend it? Try it yourself. You might hate the first week, but stay with it.
So, thirty days on, am I free forever? Not quite. I have put two apps back, but on my laptop only.
The best thing about this text is its voice: this writer can really write. But Task Achievement looks at the task, and the third content point (would you recommend it?) gets only a two-line paragraph while the story gets most of the space. So Range can be 9 while Task Achievement is 6, and both bands are fair. Next time, use a few of those good sentences for the third content point.
Example 5 of 5: E-mail
You have seen an advert for a summer English course abroad. Write an e-mail to the language school. In your e-mail you should: say why you are interested; ask about the accommodation and the group size; ask about the free-time programme.
- The reason for writing belongs in the first line, and the greeting and sign-off must match.
- The register is formal or neutral: no contractions and no casual words such as "really".
- Each question should be specific and developed. A list of questions is not enough.
To: info@brightoncollege.example
From: felix.wagner@email.example
Date: 12 May 2026
Subject: Question about your summer course
Dear Sir or Madam,
I am writing because I saw your advertisement for a summer English course on your website, and I am very interested in taking part this July.
I am a seventeen-year-old student from Austria and I would like to improve my English before my final year at school. Above all, I want to become more confident when I speak. Your summer programme was recommended to me by a classmate who took part last year and found it genuinely worthwhile.
Before I apply, there are a few things I would like to know. First, I would be grateful if you could tell me whether the course includes accommodation with a host family, as I have never stayed abroad on my own before. Secondly, could you let me know how big the groups are? I learn much better in a small class where the teacher has time for everyone.
I would also like to ask about the free-time programme. Your website mentions excursions, but it doesn’t say whether they cost extra, so any informations about prices would be really helpful. It would also be good to know whether the excursions take place at the weekend or during lesson time. Also, do the students get a certificate at the end.
I would be very thankful for a quick answer, because the application deadline is soon and I still have to organise my flights. I look forward to hearing from you.
Yours faithfully,
Felix Wagner
The e-mail does its job. The reader knows exactly what Felix wants, and the greeting and sign-off are correct. Small things hold it back: a mistake with an uncountable noun, a missing question mark, and the informal "really" and "doesn’t" in a formal message. The content is complete. A careful last proofreading would fix most of these problems.