Self-Assessment Criteria

External feedback is valuable, but you will write most of your practice essays alone. The ability to evaluate your own work honestly and accurately is therefore one of the most important preparation skills. This lesson provides a comprehensive rubric for self-assessment, explains how to use it, and helps you identify patterns in your performance that point to specific areas for improvement.

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The Self-Assessment Rubric

After every practice essay, evaluate your work against the following nine criteria. Score each on a scale of 1–5.

Criterion 1: Argument Clarity

Is there a clear, specific argument (thesis) that the essay defends throughout?