Examiners award marks for technical accuracy: spelling, punctuation and grammar. Even a strong piece loses marks for avoidable errors.
Reserve checking time suited to the task. Three to five minutes can work within some timed tasks, but the allocation depends on the task and your needs.
Proofread and revise deliberately
What to check
Spelling: especially common words and homophones (their/there, your/you're, to/too).
Punctuation: full stops, capital letters, commas in lists, apostrophes, speech marks, comma splices.
Grammar: subject-verb agreement, consistent tense, Standard English.
Sense and clarity: does each sentence make sense? Is anything missing (a word, a verb)?
Handwriting: can the examiner read your words? Write clearly.
Correct in context
Improving content
Revise vague words where a precise choice better expresses the intended meaning. Cut unnecessary repetition and add detail only when it serves the purpose.
Check you have a strong ending and a hook opening.
If time allows, add a missing word or a short sentence using a caret mark (^) or neat insert.
Proofreading techniques
Read slowly and silently in an examination. During practice, reading aloud can help when permitted and useful.
A second pass focusing on one sentence at a time can reveal missed punctuation. Reading sentences in reverse order is optional; check normal order again for overall meaning.
Target common personal errors. Checking one type at a time can help, but there is no required spelling-first order.
Cross out neatly with a single line; avoid scribbling.
Make the edit readable
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