Will you be marked down for poor handwriting/sentence structure in exams?

Everybody has different handwriting styles so there is no specific format you need to follow in exams. The important thing is that it is clear enough for the examiner to read, as you will get marked down if the examiner cannot read a large proportion of your work. If you can't understand you're own writing it is unlikely the marker will, so just make sure it is eligible. Sentence structure is important in making your work clear and free-flowing. It is a great thing to experiment with different sentence structures, however, if the majority of your sentences are difficult to read and don't make sense, you may get marked down.

Hi,

Good question - it depends on the situation. As an examiner for IBDP Language and Literature, I can tell you the official and human response.

Firstly, please remember, both GCSE and, more so, IBDP, are reward marked. This means we give you points for what you get right, not penalise or mark you down for what you get wrong.

If handwriting is poor on an exam answer sheet, examiners are required to attempt to read the sentence twice, determine what it could mean and mark accordingly. If we cannot read it at all, we just move on. If you have attempted to use a complex word but have misspelled it, we still reward you for trying to use that word (as long as it is used correctly and in context).

Poor sentence structure is a different issue from difficult to read handwriting. You need to communicate your ideas clearly and coherently. A cohesive (well structured) sentence is vital - if I cannot decode your word order, word choice or if the sentence is incredibly long, it will affect my understanding of your idea or point. Again, I emphasise, you will not be marked down, but you won't get any marks awarded to you for that sentence.

If you do have trouble with handwriting or sentence structure, it may be worth looking into dyslexia testing. If you are found to have dyslexia you can get extra time in exams. There is the opportunity to type your exams instead of writing which solves the handwriting issue. You may also get a scribe (a person who will type what you say). Check with your school for more details.

The easy answer to it all is write as often as you can, maybe just 15 minutes a day. And read good writing (quality news sites for example) widely and regularly to experience good sentence structure and you will learn almost by osmosis!

You might lose marks in the SPAG [spelling punctuation and grammar] marks section if your sentence structure is very poor. Most student scripts I have marked have problems with writing longer, more developed sentences and stick to basic, short ones - they wouldn't necessarily lose marks for that, but overall they might get a lower grade as their answer isn't as developed enough! I'm not sure about whether or not you can lose marks for messy handwriting.

When answering questions in exams, the way in which you present your answers must be clear. You must ensure that the person marking your exam paper can read all of your answers clearly because if they cannot, they will not understand what you are trying to show them and as a result you will not be able to get all of the marks. Sentence structure is crucial to success in exams! It is important that you have the correct Spelling, Grammar and Punctuation (SPaG) especially with written answers so the examiner knows you have all of the basic skills to be able to be able to answer the more challenging questions. If you do not have the correct sentence structure, your answers will not make sense and as a result you will not be able to achieve high marks for your responses.

Examiners do not punish poor handwriting, the only thing students need to take into consideration is that anything that examiners cannot read will not be marked and therefore not count. Bad handwriting won't affect their mark at all--illegible handwriting will stop them from accessing marks, regardless of what they write.

As for sentence structure, it is a marked aspect of the English Language exams (usually under Assessment Objective 6, which assessed a student's overall technical accuracy, which includes their grammar and sentence structures.) In English Literature, students will receive a mark out of 4 on certain questions for technical accuracy, but poor sentence structure could still affect their overall mark as Level 4 in most mark schemes (the Level students need to hit if they wish to achieve a Grade 4 or above) is defined by the keyword "clear"--if a student's response lacks clarity, it is unlikely to pass.

Handwriting - no, unless it's illegible. Sentence structure - yes! It's a big focus of the SPAG marks.

Good evening, depending on which exam you are sitting, examiners usually want to see proficient sentence structures and coherence in your paragraphing. Correct and sophisticated grammar can help you to access the higher marks. Handwriting usually isn't a problem unless your writing is illegible. In this case, examiners may not be able to understand what you are trying to say and cannot award marks. I hope this is helpful!

generally no, but try to make it readable. structure is always important although it may not affect your grades themselves, without it you could confuse yourself

Yes you would probably be marked down in an exam.

Yes! Always look to include clear and legible handwriting and a solid sentence structure to fully reflect your ability in the subject.

You will be marked down in the writing section of your language exams (Section B) as there is 16 marks available for spelling, punctuation and grammar. On most Literature exams there are 4 marks available for SPAG. Handwriting not so much however, if you can make it as legible as possible it would make it easier to read.

Whilst you won't be marked down for poor handwriting, if an examiner genuinely can't read your writing or it takes far too long for them to do so (remember, they mark hundreds of papers!), then you might not get the marks you should for your answer. However, sentence structure is important when you're answering a question that marks your writing quality. In English Language GCSE, these are the Section B questions. In English Literature, there is usually only one question on the paper, depending on the exam board. Other subjects, such as Science, have also started to include longer answer questions which mark you on your writing quality.

Hi Jameson, you will not be marked down for poor hand writing but it does need to be legible. So as long as your hand writing can be read, you will be fine. If not, this may be something you might want to spend some time practicing. Sentence structure will be taken in to account by the examiner as this will show that you can structure your work clearly use a variety or punctuation and create a certain effect in creative/personal writing.

I do not believe that you will lose points for poor or bad handwriting, though if an examiner is not able to read your writing because it is ineligible, they will probably not award you any points for what you have written.

Poor sentence structure could cause you to write an ambiguous answer, which could lead to an examiner misunderstanding what you mean, which could result in you receiving fewer marks than you could have obtained for a clearer answer.

This is a very good question that I am sure a lot of students are keen to find out about in order to secure those top marks.

Handwriting during an exam will inevitably not be your top concern, however it is important to make sure your writing is as clear as possible in order to avoid losing any valuable marks as a result of any possible confusion. However, the time of an exam can be limiting and my advice would be to not worry too much and just make sure you get all of your good ideas down on the paper.

A good sentence structure, on the other hand, is a really vital part of ensuring your exam stands out and impresses the examiner. This does not mean the sentences need to be complex as such, as long as they are correct in term of grammar and punctuation this will be valued during an exam. Students can occasionally attempt to over complicate a sentence to impress an examiner that is equally effective as a simple sentence so long as it is grammatically correct.

Hope this helps!