Before we start: Why these errors “sting” so much in the rubric

When the proofreader sits with your text in front of you, he doesn't read for pleasure; he reads with an evaluation sheet where each column represents a criterion—coherence, task achievement, lexical variety, grammatical variety, cohesion. It is enough to fail in one of them for the entire block to lose points, so that an apparently minor oversight ends up inflating the final subtraction. The five problems you are going to see below are repeated exam after exam and are, statistically, those that transform a “loose fit” into a “scrape” or even an “unfit”. Knowing them—and, above all, internalizing how to correct them—is the fastest way to protect your note.

1. Not responding to guidelines: the gap that leaves your text without an “anchor”

The Cervantes Institute formulates each task with very specific instructions: purpose, recipient, record and, almost always, three or four points that you must address. Ignoring one of these elements is like giving a lecture without knowing who is listening to you. The corrector then applies the criteria “achievement of the task” and your score plummets because, simply and simply, You haven't fulfilled the assignment. To protect yourself against this failure, highlight the key words in the statement and turn them into captions or guide ideas before you start writing; then tick each pattern covered. Only when all the ticks are in green does the final draft begin.

2. Answer only half: the “yes, but no” that remains the same as silence

Sometimes we think that we have answered because we mentioned the point, but we do it so briefly that the corrector considers it insufficient. Classic example: the guideline asks “explain two advantages and two disadvantages” and you list the advantages but you develop only one disadvantage. Result: The block is scored with half the scale. The solution is to apply the rule 1 idea = 2 sentences: presents and develops. If you run out of space, cut out an ornament, not a slogan.

3. Lexical poverty: when your text sounds like a photocopy

Repetitive vocabulary doesn't just bore the reader; in the DELE rubric, lower your box of “richness and lexical precision”. The corrector immediately detects that you use the verb “to do” for everything, that you repeat “good” three times in five lines or that you abuse the “thing” wild card. Expand your repertoire with thematic synonyms before the exam and, during the rereading, highlight any word that appears more than twice: replacing it with a synonym or a periphrasis is usually enough to raise the score.

4. Little grammatical variety: the flat phrase that leaves your idea orphaned

A correct but monotonous text —all in the present simple, without subordinate sentences, without compound tenses— conveys minimum security but no ambition. The DELE awards the “grammatical breadth and flexibility”, so you need to show that you master more than one time and more than one type of structure. Introduce at least one causal connector with a subjunctive (“for what”), a contrast (“though”) and a conditional (“if I had”). It's not a question of forcing grammar, but of giving it space to breathe and show your real ceiling.

5. Absence of markers: loose ideas that never form discourse

As good as your ideas are, if you don't put them together, the proofreader reads floating paragraphs. Without connectors — besides, however, therefore, instead — the text lacks cohesion and your note is deflated in the “organization” column. Make a list of ten essential bookmarks and paste the sheet into your notebook; before submitting, look over and check that at least one appears for every three or four sentences. A well-used bookmark guides the reader and shows that you control the architecture of the discourse.

How to integrate the solution into your routine

  1. Simulate the task with stopwatch and rubric in front, not with free essays.
  2. Review in two phases: first the content — do you meet all the guidelines? —, then the form — lexicon, grammar, bookmarks.
  3. Create your own bank of synonyms and structures; feed the list every week and force your next essay to include at least two new features.
  4. Read aloud the final version; the ear captures repetitions and lack of cohesion that the eye overlooks.

Deliberate practice along these four lines turns chronic errors into visible strengths for the court.

Avoiding these five failures does not require literary genius, only method and conscious attention. Each time you correct them, you add up to tenths, which may be the margin between “unfit” and “fit” —or between a fair pass and a score that makes you feel proud. Put this list on your study table, review it before each simulation and your Written Test will cease to be minefield and become another firm step towards the certificate

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