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The Writing portion of the Listening and Writing assessment measures examinees' skill in writing work-related messages and summaries. The assessment is administered via an audiotape winch contains all directions and messages. Examinees are asked to listen to the audiotaped messages and then write messages or summaries based on the information they hear. Examinees are placed in the role of employees who receive information by phone or in person from customers, co-workers, or suppliers and must then write down the information to communicate it to someone else.
The taped messages reflect various workplace settings, but no prior knowledge of the occupations is necessary. The messages feature both male and female speakers of differing ages and with various accents. Each message is given twice, and examinees are encouraged to take notes. After a message is given the second time, examinees have a specific amount of time to write before the next message is given. The messages increase in length as the assessment progresses, ranging from about six pieces of information given by one speaker to about seventeen pieces of information given by two speakers. The time allotted to write increases from two minutes after the first message to six minutes after the final message. Examinees are given a total of 40 minutes to compose and write their responses to six messages, and they may return to work on previous responses at any time during the
assessment.
Scoring for each examinee is based on the writing mechanics (such as sentence structure and grammar) and writing style used in the examinee's responses. It is not based on the accuracy and completeness of the information, although the responses must be related to the stimuli and convey the information clearly. Two or more raters read each message and assign it a score. Overall scores are then calculated to indicate the particular level of skill for each examinee. Skill levels range from 1 to 5.
Level I
People with Level 1 skills can write messages in English. A large number of major grammatical, punctuation, spelling, and/or other mechanical errors make the messages very unclear and inconsistent with standard business English.
Level 2
People with Level 2 skills can write messages that are generally understandable. Many errors in grammar, punctuation, and/or sentence structure make understanding these messages somewhat difficult.
Level 3
People with Level 3 skills can write clear messages which include some incomplete sentences and/or errors in grammar and punctuation.
Level 4
People with Level 4 skills can write messages that are clear and generally consistent with standard business English. Such messages contain complete sentences but may include a few minor errors in grammar and punctuation, and/or the writing style may lack clear organization and appropriate transitions.
Level 5
People with Level 5 skills can write messages that are clear and highly consistent with standard business English. They can use good sentence structure without mechanical errors, and a smooth, logical style.
Note: The Writing score is based on the writing portion of the Listening and Writing assessment. Examinees with extremely limited listening skills may be unable to produce a response that is sufficiently on topic to receive a valid Writing score.
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