About the exam
How LanguageCert Academic is marked: Writing and Speaking explained
Who marks each part, Writing and Speaking's criteria and weights, the 32 and 48 raw marks, the 0–100 scale and CEFR levels, with tables and worked examples.
By Certyar1 November 20265 min read
Read this in PersianWhere does your LanguageCert Academic score come from? Listening and Reading are marked by computer; Writing and Speaking by LanguageCert's trained examiners. This article goes through how each part is marked, from the official handbook and LanguageCert's own "Assessment and Marking" video, and what that means for your preparation.
Who marks each part?
| Part | Marked by | Marks |
|---|---|---|
| Listening | Computer | Right or wrong answers |
| Reading | Computer | Right or wrong answers |
| Writing | A trained examiner | 4 criteria, each 0–8 |
| Speaking | Two examiners | 5 criteria, each 0–8 |
The 0–100 Global Scale and CEFR levels
Each skill is reported on LanguageCert's Global Scale from 0 to 100. The scale is aligned to the six CEFR levels (A1 to C2), but LanguageCert Academic measures four of them, B1 to C2:
| Level | Global Scale score |
|---|---|
| C2 | 90–100 |
| C1 | 75–89 |
| B2 | 60–74 |
| B1 | 40–59 |
The overall score is the average of the four skills. A weaker skill is made up for by the others in the overall, but if a university or embassy sets a minimum for each skill, that skill has to reach it on its own.
Writing: 32 marks per task
Each Writing task is assessed on four criteria, each marked from 0 to 8, so a task has at most 32 raw marks.
| Criterion | What the examiner looks at |
|---|---|
| Task Achievement | How far you addressed the task and did what was asked |
| Grammar | The range, appropriacy and accuracy of structures |
| Vocabulary | The range, accuracy and appropriacy of words, and spelling |
| Organisation | How coherently ideas are linked, and punctuation |
The two tasks are added together, but not equally: according to the official Qualification Handbook (ver. 7, 2024), Task 1 is 40% of the Writing marks and Task 2 60%. LanguageCert's 2023 video gives the shares as one third and two thirds. Either way, Task 2 weighs more, so give it more of your time.
An answer that doesn't address the task gets no credit, however good its English.
An example
Say Task 1 got 20 out of 32 and Task 2 got 24 out of 32:
| Raw marks | Task's share | Share of Writing | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Task 1 | 20 / 32 | 40% | 25% |
| Task 2 | 24 / 32 | 60% | 45% |
| Total | 70% |
That 70% is then converted to the Global Scale. The conversion isn't published, so 70% of the raw marks doesn't necessarily mean 70 on the scale.
Speaking: two examiners and 48 raw marks
Speaking has four parts, each given equal importance. Your performance is assessed on five criteria, each marked from 0 to 8.
The key point is that two examiners mark it. The examiner who sits with you and talks to you (the interlocutor) gives only the first criterion, straight after the test: it is their general impression of your performance, and it counts twice. A second examiner later listens to the recording and marks the other four. Every candidate's Speaking test is recorded.
| Criterion | Marked by | Weight | Maximum |
|---|---|---|---|
| Task Fulfilment and Communicative Effect | The interlocutor | 2 | 16 |
| Coherence | Second examiner, from the recording | 1 | 8 |
| Grammar | Second examiner, from the recording | 1 | 8 |
| Vocabulary | Second examiner, from the recording | 1 | 8 |
| Pronunciation, Intonation and Fluency | Second examiner, from the recording | 1 | 8 |
| Total | 48 |
An example
If the interlocutor gives 6 for Task Fulfilment and the second examiner gives 5 for Coherence, 5 for Grammar, 6 for Vocabulary and 5 for Pronunciation, your raw mark is 6 twice (12) plus 5, 5, 6 and 5: 33 out of 48.
From raw marks to your final score
Writing and Speaking's raw marks are converted to a Global Scale score aligned to the levels B1 to C2. LanguageCert doesn't publish this conversion, so any site (Certyar included) that turns raw marks into a 0–100 figure is giving you an estimate.
After the test you get a Test Report with each skill's score and the overall, and a certificate is issued. According to LanguageCert's page, results usually come within three working days.
What the marking means for your preparation
| Part | What follows from the marking |
|---|---|
| Writing | Task 2 weighs more: give it more of your time. |
| Writing | Answer everything the task asks and keep to the word count: Task Achievement is a quarter of each task's marks. |
| Writing | Punctuation is part of Organisation, not a detail. |
| Speaking | The interlocutor's general impression counts twice: really answer the question, say enough, and keep the conversation going. |
| Speaking | The other four criteria are judged from the recording: speak clearly, at a natural pace. |
| Speaking | All four parts count equally: don't underrate the short early ones. |
How Certyar estimates your score
In Certyar's practice, your Writing and Speaking are assessed on the same criteria and the same 0–8 bands, and the raw marks use the same weights: Speaking's Task Fulfilment twice, Writing's tasks 40% and 60%. The marks come from AI, not a LanguageCert examiner, which is why they're labelled "estimated" everywhere. For each part's format, read the guide to the exam's format and scoring.
Certyar is an independent preparation site, not affiliated with LanguageCert. For the official details, see LanguageCert Academic's page.