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

GCSE AQA: You will never be marked down for handwriting; In fact you will never be marked down even if you write the wrong point. The only thing is you won’t be marked for it. For example if your points written allow you to get 5/8 marks, you will stick to that 5. You will not be marked down.

When it comes to handwriting if yours cannot be read then the script will be passed onto a another person. Poor handwriting can however prevent you from getting marks as important points might be missed out if the examiner cannot read it, therefore handwriting is extremely important.

Sentence structure is key for Aqa paper 1 question 5 and paper 2 question 5. You get marked on this for the second half of the question which is out of 16 marks. Sentence structure is important in creative writing as it shows the examiner you have those skills. Again you will NEVER be marked down; the reality is you won’t get any extra marks if you don’t use sentence structures correctly. No one will knock marks off yours.

In the literature paper for Aqa you get an extra 4 marks for 2 questions. Again those 4 marks are SPAG marks : spelling, punctuation and grammar which can push you into the next band up (the next grade too) so do be mindful it can help boost your grade if used correctly.

Firstly, poor handwriting doesn't necessarily mean you'll lose marks (unless your handwriting is completely illegible). Markers are used to deciphering all kinds of handwriting and if they are totally baffled then they'll pass it onto another marker or to their manager. Examiners will try their best to award you marks; they aren't looking to take them away. A tip would be to read what you have written: if you can't understand your handwriting, it's likely that the examiner won't be able to either. That said, your teacher and SEN department should have identified that you struggle with handwriting and should offer you either a scribe or a laptop instead of handwriting for examinations (known as Special Arrangements). This needs to be established as your preferred way of working in lessons and class assessments and evidence supplied to the exam board that you can produce better quality work using one of these types of support. If this hasn't happened then I'd suggest that you speak to your teacher about this.

With sentence structure, the creative and transactional writing elements of the English Language exam specifically award marks for using a variety of well-managed sentence structures. It's not so important in other exams but again, your ideas need to make sense and you may find that typewriting or using a scribe (as outlined above) helps you with this.

As long as what you have written can be read then no need to worry. No marks are taken off for poor handwriting.

The better your sentence structure and using a variety of sentences will help to get better marks!

Hope that helps!

Well James, if the examiner can't read your amazing analysis then yes, BUT if it is legible then you are marked for WHAT you write rather than the quality of your handwriting. We know that our handwriting often takes a battering in timed exam conditions, but this is where adding a quick proof read to check before the end of the exam helps to make sure what you have written is both legible and accurate.

Hi! If an examiner can't read your writing, then you may not gain marks (they can't mark a sentence they cannot read), but you won't be negatively marked! As for poor sentence structure - some questions have marks for SPAG (spelling, punctuation and grammar) and in these questions your quality of writing will be assessed, but not for every question. The SPAG questions will be clearly labelled on your exam paper! I hope this helps!

No, you won't, but the examiner will read a scanned copy of your exam - one of several hundred - so it is important for your handwriting to be clear.

In the writing section of GCSE language papers 1 and 2, the mark scheme mentions the use of various sentence structures for effect. There are no marks for this in the reading section of either paper.

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.

You would only be marked down for poor handwriting if it is so ineligible that the examiner can't read it, and so can't mark it. Most examiners will have experience with all types of handwriting so I wouldn't be too worried about this, just make sure that it's readable.

Regarding poor sentence structure, yes you would be marked down for this. Poor structure would show less of a grasp of the language and so you would lose marks. It will depend on the marking criteria though. Some exams may allow for some grammatical or structural errors and not committing too many may not have much of an impact. However, in general you will be marked down for poor sentence structure.

It definitely helps to have neat hand-writing so examiners are able to mark your responses more easily. Sentence structures will count only in Creative and Non-Fiction Writing in GCSE English Language examinations.

No, I always prefer to write clearly, and I encourage children to write clearly as well as practice writing clearly.

Unfortunately the answer is absolutely yes to this! It’s as important to work on your handwriting as it is your spelling and grammar.

You may be marked down for sentence structure, yes. It’s important to write cohesively so your work can be understood and you can get the maximum points for your ideas! If you are concerned about your handwriting, it may be worth speaking to your teachers about this, as they may be able to help more.

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.

You will not be marked down for poor handwriting in your exams. Examiners are obligated to do their best to read what's been written. If any of your ideas are illegible you will not be awarded marks for them for the simple reason that they cannot be read. You will be marked down in the English exams for poor sentence structure. In both English Literature and English Language exams not only are there specific marks available for sentence structures but there are also implicit marks available. In other words, in your English exams it is best that you communicate as clearly as possible. Higher attaining candidates are advised to use a range of structures to create different effects on the reader.