Self-Marker — audit a draft against the marking schedule

How to use this honestly

Print or open your draft beside this page. For each item, find the sentence in your essay that proves it — if you can't point at the line, don't tick the box. The estimate is only as truthful as your ticking.

Audit your draft

Achievement gate

0/4

My essay is about the genre — survival reality competition television — not about one show or a franchise.Examiners fail essays that close-read texts or treat a franchise as a genre. Every paragraph should make a genre-level claim.
I clearly describe the aspect (change / audience / commercial) the statement points at.A reader should be able to say what your aspect is after your introduction.
I use detailed evidence from at least TWO texts within the genre.Detail = named show, season/era, specific moment or dated change — not 'in Survivor people vote'.
I address the chosen statement's actual words, at minimum in my introduction and conclusion.Echoing key words is the floor, not the ceiling — but without it you may not reach Achievement.

Merit gate

0/4

Each body paragraph explains HOW and/or WHY the aspect impacts the genre — a mechanism, not just a description.Look for causal language doing real work: because, so, which led producers to, which meant audiences…
My position on the statement is visible in every paragraph, not bolted on at the edges.Test: read only your topic sentences. Do they advance an argument about the statement?
My paragraphs are organised by idea, with at least two shows appearing inside each — never one-show-per-paragraph.Text-by-text structure caps essays at Achievement in report after report.
I use evidence beyond the shows themselves — a review, a rating, a renewal, a creator quote.Merit descriptors expect a range of texts and/or other sources supporting the discussion.

Excellence gate

0/4

I examine implications — what the aspect means for the genre's future, its producers, or its audiences — and draw a conclusion.The 'so what?' and 'therefore?' rungs. Implications should grow out of your argument, not appear in a tacked-on final paragraph.
Secondary sources (criticism, statistics, theory, industry commentary) are integrated and attributed, each supporting a specific claim.A statistic that isn't attached to a claim is decoration. Attribute everything.
My response has nuance: I engage with the statement's absolute words ('only', 'guarantee', 'must') and concede what's true on the other side.Excellence responses argue 'to what extent' — they locate the limits of the statement, not just a side.
There is thinking here an examiner hasn't read before — my own selection of evidence and my own line of argument.Reports say the enjoyment of an Excellence script is its independent insight. Rote-proof yourself: would a classmate's essay look the same?

What the official criteria say

Achievement

Demonstrate understanding

Identify and describe an aspect of a specific media genre using detailed supporting evidence from a range of media texts within the genre, and/or other sources.

In practice: You can say what the aspect is and show it operating in at least two of our texts, with detail (names, seasons, dated changes) rather than vague claims.

Merit

Demonstrate in-depth understanding

Give reasoned explanations — a logical argument of how and/or why the aspect impacts the genre, responding to the chosen statement, with specific evidence from texts within the genre and secondary sources.

In practice: Your paragraphs answer 'how?' and 'why?', not just 'what?'. Causes and mechanisms are explicit: audience literacy → producer response → convention change.

Excellence

Demonstrate critical understanding

Examine the likely implications of the aspect and draw conclusions, with supporting evidence from relevant secondary sources.

In practice: You push to 'so what?' and 'therefore?' — what the aspect means for the genre's future, producers, or audiences — with nuance, and secondary evidence (criticism, statistics, creator quotes, theory) doing real work.

The eight score bands

Paraphrased from the official assessment schedule. Notice what changes between bands: the verb (describe → explain → examine), the evidence (texts → texts + sources → selected secondary sources), and how consistently the statement is addressed.

Band	Grade	What the marker is looking for
N1	Not Achieved	Limited understanding of an aspect, or the genre is not apparent, or specific examples from texts are lacking.
N2	Not Achieved	Limited description of an aspect, or the chosen statement is not addressed, or evidence is insufficient to support the description.
A3	Achievement	Describes an aspect of a media genre. Uses detail from at least TWO media texts within the genre (may contain factual inaccuracies). Addresses the chosen statement throughout some of the essay.
A4	Achievement	Describes the aspect in detail; may attempt to explain how/why it impacts the genre. Uses evidence from at least TWO texts within the genre. Addresses the chosen statement throughout most of the essay.
M5	Merit	Explains how and/or why the aspect impacts the genre. Focuses on the genre, using relevant evidence from a range of texts and/or other sources (reviews, critical analysis). Addresses the chosen statement throughout the essay.
M6	Merit	Explains in detail how and/or why the aspect impacts the genre; may attempt to examine an implication. Detailed, relevant evidence from a range of texts and/or other sources. Addresses the chosen statement throughout the essay.
E7	Excellence	Examines the implication(s) of the aspect for the genre and draws a conclusion (implications may concern the genre, audiences, other media, or related issues). Carefully selected secondary-source evidence (articles, criticism, statistics, creator quotes, theory). Responds to the statement throughout, with some nuance.
E8	Excellence	Examines implications in detail and draws conclusions; shows awareness of the complexities for the genre, producers, or audience. Carefully selected secondary-source evidence integrated into the argument. Responds to the statement throughout, with nuance.

Full grade behaviours, straight from the reports, live on Examiner Insights. To practise under time, use Practice.