EFL Writing Performance Assessment Instrument (Based on TOEFL iBT Rubric)

 Here's a detailed measurement instrument for assessing EFL students' writing performance in a writing class, adapted from the TOEFL iBT Independent Writing Rubric (0–5 scale). This version is tailored for classroom use and provides clear criteria, descriptors, and scoring guidelines to help both instructors and students understand what is expected.

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📝 EFL Writing Performance Assessment Instrument (Based on TOEFL iBT Rubric)

Assessment Context

• Target: EFL university students in a writing class

• Task Type: Independent essay writing (opinion or argument-based)

• Length: ~300-350 words

• Time: 30–45 minutes (in-class) or untimed (home assignment)

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🔍 Assessment Criteria & Rubric

Criteria	Score 5 – Excellent	Score 4 – Good	Score 3 – Fair	Score 2 – Limited	Score 1 – Very Weak	Score 0 – No Response / Off-topic
1. Task Achievement / Development	Fully addresses the topic; ideas are fully developed with clear and relevant examples.	Addresses the topic well; some ideas may not be fully developed or lack specific examples.	Partially addresses the topic; development is limited and may include irrelevant details.	Poorly addresses the topic; ideas are unclear or minimally developed.	Barely addresses the topic; lacks relevant ideas or examples.	No response or completely off-topic.
2. Organization / Coherence	Essay is well-organized; clear progression of ideas; effective use of cohesive devices.	Generally well-organized; ideas mostly clear; adequate use of transitions.	Some organization present; ideas may be repetitive or loosely connected.	Organization is weak; transitions are lacking or confusing; ideas do not flow logically.	No clear organization; ideas are disjointed or jumbled.	No structure; incoherent or not understandable.
3. Language Use / Grammar	Consistently accurate grammar; wide range of sentence structures and complexity.	Minor grammatical errors; variety of sentence structures attempted.	Noticeable grammatical issues; limited variety in sentence construction.	Frequent grammatical errors; sentence structure is basic and repetitive.	Persistent grammatical problems that interfere with meaning.	Language errors so severe that writing is incomprehensible.
4. Vocabulary Use	Wide and precise vocabulary; word choice is appropriate and enhances meaning.	Adequate vocabulary; minor misuse of words but meaning is clear.	Limited vocabulary; some awkward or incorrect word choices.	Repetitive or basic vocabulary; frequent word choice errors that obscure meaning.	Very limited vocabulary; frequent misuse of words that confuse the reader.	Vocabulary is too poor or unclear to understand.
5. Mechanics / Conventions	Consistent control of spelling, punctuation, and capitalization.	Occasional errors in mechanics, but they do not interfere with understanding.	Some mechanical errors that may distract but do not block communication.	Frequent mechanical errors that interfere with reading.	Persistent mechanical errors that significantly hinder understanding.	Errors so numerous that the writing cannot be evaluated.

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📊 Scoring Procedure

• Total Score: 25 points (5 criteria × max 5 points each)

• Grade Conversion (Optional):

  • 23–25 = A

  • 20–22 = B+

  • 17–19 = B

  • 14–16 = C+

  • 11–13 = C

  • Below 11 = D/F

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🧾 Additional Notes for Use

• Use this rubric as both a diagnostic (initial writing) and formative (throughout the course) tool.

• Can be adapted for peer or self-assessment.

• Consider supplementing with written feedback for qualitative insight.