4-minute check-up
How ready is your CSS essay?
Answer honestly. It takes about four minutes and shows where you stand against the 40-mark pass line, what you're already good at, and the three things that will add the most marks.
In short. The check-up asks how you plan, argue and support an essay, plus six quick grammar questions. It estimates your mark against the 40-mark pass line, shows what you are already good at, and ranks the three steps that will add the most marks. Retake it weekly to track progress.
Part 1: How you write
- Before outlining, I rewrite the topic as one clear question.
- I can tell whether a topic asks for a comparison, a policy judgement, a test of an idea, or a response to a quote.
- My essay states one clear position that someone could disagree with.
- My thesis appears by the end of the introduction.
- My outline points are full-sentence claims, not headings like 'Causes' or 'Effects'.
- Every outline point becomes a paragraph, in the same order.
- I include the strongest counter-argument and answer it.
- My paragraphs explain why, not just what happened.
- I use specific facts with a year, a figure or a named source.
- I avoid memorised guidebook paragraphs and clichés like 'since time immemorial'.
- I read my essay for grammar errors before I submit it.
Part 2: Six quick grammar questions
Drawn from the grammar units: agreement, articles, tenses, prepositions, sentence boundaries and clichés.
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Frequently asked questions
How accurate is the check-up estimate?
It is a guide, not a prediction. A marked essay in the Practice Studio gives a more reliable picture; the dashboard uses both.
How often should I take it?
Once a week, so you can see your progress between marked essays.