US 22751 (A - Meets Requirements) annotated exemplars

This annotated exemplar is intended for teacher use only. Annotated exemplars are extracts of student evidence, with commentary, that explain key parts of a standard. These help teachers make assessment judgements at the grade boundaries.

View the article, Mythbuster: Immigration – the real story (external link)

Download all exemplars and commentary [PDF, 192 KB]

To meet Evidence Requirement 1.1, students must read and process information in English for academic purposes (Outcome 1). This involves identifying the writer’s purpose, and explaining how certain features (such as the use of tone, structure and vocabulary) helped to identify the purpose of the text.

The student reads the text ‘Mythbuster: Immigration – the real story’ as one of the two texts required. This text has an academic orientation and a level of language complexity sufficient for the requirements of university entrance (Explanatory Note 3).

The student identifies the writer’s audience [1] and purpose [2]. Although identification of audience is not required, it does support the identification of the purpose. The student gives an overview and examples [3] which demonstrate that the purpose for writing is understood. This is supported by an explanation and examples of three uses of vocabulary by the writer: comparatives [4], antonyms [5] and persuasive words [6].

To meet Evidence Requirements 1.2 and 1.3, students must read and process information in English for academic purposes (Outcome 1). This involves:

• analysing and evaluating key information - literal, implied and inferred – to determine the relevance to the academic purpose
• applying the relevant information in a form and manner appropriate to that academic purpose.

The student reads the text ‘Mythbuster: Immigration – the real story’ as one of the two texts required. The academic purpose [1] is appropriate and has scope for the student to demonstrate understanding as required for the B2 reading descriptors of the Common European Framework of Reference for Languages.

The answers (not all exemplified) holistically show understanding of the text. Appropriate information is selected and literal understanding is shown [2]. Meanings are analysed and linked to the implications [3] and inferences [4]. The student makes connections [5], with sufficient analysis of Dorling’s comment to show understanding of implications [6].

The comparison [7] connects to the academic purpose. The student selects relevant information and finishes with a conclusion and judgement as a result of evaluating this information [8].

The information from the text is applied in a form that is appropriate to the academic purpose. The recommendations are relevant and in the student’s own words [9]. 

To meet the Evidence Requirements more securely, the student could rely less on direct quotes to support the recommendations [9]. The student could support the analysis of the implications of migration [5] by including key information about UK’s declining birth rate and aging population.