Edexcel Functional Skills pilot

English Level 1
Test your skills Section E

Practice test Writing

1 Practice test Test your skills

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B Test your skills

Use the practice test below to see how well you have mastered the skills you need for Functional English, Unit 3 Writing.

Writing
Questions in this test assess your writing skills.

Question 1
You should spend about 15 minutes on this question. Information Your local councillor has sent out a survey to voters within his ward. Writing task Answer the questions below to complete the survey. Write in complete sentences.
Dear Resident, I would like to hear your views on crime and anti-social behaviour in your neighbourhood and what can be done to improve it. Please write your ideas below, giving clear reasons for your views. What kinds of criminal or anti-social behaviour affect you in your area? ........... ........... ........... ........... ........... ........... ........... ........... What would you like to see your local council doing about it? ........... ........... ........... ........... ........... ........... ........... ........... ........... ........... ........... Thank you for your views.

(Total 10 marks)
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Practice test E
Question 2
You should spend about 15 minutes on this question. Information Your local community residents group is organising a community clean-up day to encourage your neighbours and others to get involved in getting rid of graffiti, litter and nuisance behaviour. You have volunteered to write a notice advertising the event, to be displayed in shop windows, on notice boards and in the local newspaper. Writing task Write a notice informing local residents about the event and encouraging them to join in. Your notice should tell people:
why the event is taking place what they will be doing if they take part when and where they should meet what they should bring with them.

Use no more than 60 words.

(Total 10 marks)

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 Answers
1 Content: The marks are awarded for how clearly you explain what kind of criminal or anti-social behaviour you are affected by. Your suggestions for the council might include more policemen or community officers, better street lighting, more litter bins, better leisure facilities for young people, money to support neighbourhood watch or community action schemes, etc. 4 marks: You have given a clear, coherent explanation of how the problem affects you. Your ideas, including your suggestions for improvements, are presented in a logical order. 3 marks: Your explanation is usually clear and detailed but is occasionally hard to follow. 2 marks: Your explanation has left out some information or is often hard to follow. 1 mark: You have included some relevant points but overall your explanation contains little information or is muddled. (Tests ability to write clearly and coherently including an appropriate level of detail and to present information in a logical sequence.) Style: The survey is set out as a questionnaire with two questions, so your answers should match this. You may know your local councillor quite well, but your views may be read by other people too, so your language should be quite formal. Write in complete sentences using standard English. 2 marks: You have formatted your answer to match the format of the questionnaire. Your language is appropriately formal. 1 mark: You have tried to use an appropriate style but this is not always successful. (Tests ability to use language, format and structure suitable for the purpose and the audience.) Technical accuracy: Although your views will not be made public, you should still check your spelling, punctuation and grammar carefully, because mistakes will make your ideas harder to understand. 4 marks: Your spelling, punctuation and grammar are almost always accurate. 3 marks: Your work is usually accurate but there may be a few significant errors in either spelling or punctuation or grammar or minor errors in more than one aspect. 2 marks: Reasonably accurate but there are mistakes in more than one area which make your writing hard to follow. 1 mark: Some accurate work but frequent significant errors in more than one aspect. (Tests ability to use correct grammar, punctuation and spelling, and to ensure that meaning is clear.) 2 Content: The notice should make clear that the event is intended to get people working together to help clean up the neighbourhood; that it will involve cleaning walls, picking up litter, talking to people and asking for their help, etc.; it should clearly state the date and time of the event; and ask people to bring things like cleaning equipment, suitable clothing
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Practice test E
and perhaps a packed lunch. The bullet points in the question are a guide to a possible structure. The important thing is to avoid jumping from subject to subject and back again. Keep your notice simple and clear. 4 marks: You have included and explained clearly, coherently and in a logical order all the key information that people interested in the event need to know. 3 marks: Your explanation is usually clear and detailed but is occasionally hard to follow. 2 marks: Your explanation has left out some important details or is often hard to follow. 1 mark: You have included some relevant points but overall your explanation contains little information or is muddled. (Tests ability to write clearly and coherently including an appropriate level of detail, and to present information in a logical sequence.) Style: A notice need not be in continuous prose and complete sentences. You could use bullet points, numbered lists or phrases to give it more impact as long as the sense is clear. Keep the word limit below 60 words so that you could use a larger print size (or handwriting) for key information to catch the readers attention, without using too much space. 2 marks: The format and style of your notice are suitable to convey the key information within the required word limit. Your language is appropriately formal. 1 mark: You have tried to use an appropriate style but some elements are missing or incorrect. (Tests ability to use language, format and structure suitable for the purpose and audience.) Technical accuracy: Your notice will be public so you need to make it look professional as well as easy to understand. Take care with your spelling, punctuation and grammar and proofread your work carefully. 4 marks: Your spelling, punctuation and grammar are almost always accurate. 3 marks: Your work is usually accurate but there may be a few significant errors in either spelling or punctuation or grammar or minor errors in more than one aspect. 2 marks: Reasonably accurate but there are mistakes in more than one area which make your writing hard to follow. 1 mark: Some accurate work but frequent significant errors in more than one aspect. (Tests ability to use correct grammar, punctuation and spelling, and to ensure that meaning is clear.)

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The practice test gives you a chance to test how well you have mastered all the Writing skills for Functional English. When you have marked your answers, measure your own score against the target score on the grid below to see where you need more practice. Then look again at the relevant sections in the learner materials.

Writing Skills covered Writing clearly and coherently including an appropriate level of detail. Presenting information in a logical sequence. Using language, format and structure suitable for purpose and audience. Using correct grammar including subject-verb agreement and correct and consistent use of tense. Proofreading and revising writing for accuracy of grammar, punctuation and spelling, and to ensure that meaning is clear. All Writing skills Q. no. Max. mark Target score Test score If you need more practice, look again at these units D1.1 1, 2 8 7+ D2.1, D2.2 D3.1, D3.2 D4 D1.2, D2.3, D2.4 D4 1, 2 8 6+

1, 2

3+

D3.1, D3.2 D4

20

16 +

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