Preview
IB MYP Year 5 · Language & Literature · Unit 2: MYP Assessment Skills | Understanding How Your Work Is Marked
📋 What You Will Learn
- Identify all four MYP Language & Literature assessment criteria (A–D), each marked out of 8, and state what each one fundamentally requires
- Interpret the band descriptors for every criterion — distinguishing the language of 7–8 (exceptional) from 1–2 (limited) so you can self-assess with precision
- Match any given MYP task to its assessed criteria and explain what evidence you must produce to satisfy each strand
- Annotate a short student response against a specific criterion and justify an accurate band placement with reference to the descriptor language
- Apply the strand language of each criterion as a revision checklist before submitting any piece of assessed work
- Recognise the most common errors that prevent students from moving from band 5–6 into band 7–8
🔍 Guiding Question If two students hand in responses of roughly equal length and effort on the same task, what exactly determines whose work earns a 7 and whose earns a 4 — and how can knowing the answer transform the way you plan, draft and revise?
🌍 Why This Matters Every piece of assessed writing, oral work and creative text you produce in MYP Year 5 is measured against the same four criteria. Your English teacher does not mark impressionistically or reward effort — they apply the official IB band descriptors. Students who understand those descriptors from the inside can identify exactly which strand is holding their mark down , fix it, and move bands. This is not about gaming the system; it is the most honest form of self-directed learning the MYP offers. The global context Identities and relationships is relevant here: understanding how you are being evaluated is part of understanding the relationship between your voice as a writer and the standards your academic community expects.
1 · The Marking System at a Glance
In MYP Language & Literature, every summative assessment task is marked against one or more of the four criteria: A Analysing , B Organizing , C Producing text , and D Using language . Each criterion is worth a maximum of 8 marks. A written analysis task might be marked on A, B and D; a creative writing task on C and D; an oral presentation on A, B, C and D — your teacher specifies which criteria apply to each task.
📖 Definition — Band Descriptors Band descriptors are the precise written descriptions of what performance looks like at each mark level for a given criterion. They are organised in bands: 1–2 (limited), 3–4 (adequate), 5–6 (substantial), and 7–8 (excellent). The descriptor gives you the vocabulary of success — copy its verbs and adverbs into your self-assessment checklist.
The table below gives you the full picture: what each criterion assesses, the key strands within it, and what separates the top band from the bottom band.
| Criterion | What It Assesses | Key Strands | Band 7–8 (Excellent) | Band 1–2 (Limited) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| A Analysing /8 | How you read and interpret texts — analysing content, context, language, structure, technique and style, and the effects of authorial choice | i. Analyse the effects of the author's choices on an audience ii. Justify opinions using examples, explanations and subject-specific terminology iii. Analyse similarities and differences by making comparisons and connections between texts | Consistently and perceptively analyses the effects of choices; opinions thoroughly justified with precise evidence and terminology; highly effective comparisons and connections | Attempts to identify basic features; minimal analysis of effect; little or no use of evidence or terminology; comparisons superficial or absent |
| B Organizing /8 | How you structure and present your ideas — logical organisation, coherent argument, appropriate register, and correct use of citation/referencing | i. Employ organisational structures that serve the context and intention ii. Organise opinions and ideas with a great degree of effectiveness iii. Use referencing and formatting tools to the reader's advantage | Employs organisational structures with great effectiveness; ideas and opinions are clearly organised and flow logically; referencing and formatting consistently support the reader | Some attempt at organisation; structure rarely serves the intention; minimal or incorrect referencing; ideas may be repetitive or disconnected |
| C Producing text /8 | How you create original text — making purposeful, imaginative and critically aware choices about structure, language and form for a specific audience and purpose | i. Make thoughtful, creative choices about text structure and language to effectively express ideas ii. Demonstrate awareness of the relationship between the self and the world iii. Experiment with |