An assignment is a graded task at university, and for international and multilingual students the marks are most often lost not on knowledge but on approach: describing when the brief asks you to evaluate, writing at length when the rubric…
An assignment is a graded task at university, and for international and multilingual students the marks are most often lost not on knowledge but on approach: describing when the brief asks you to evaluate, writing at length when the rubric rewards argument. This guide walks through seven steps to produce a strong assignment yourself, with the points students most often raise with a MAAS mentor. You are the writer; this guide helps you write in the right direction from the start.
Author: MAAS Editorial Team · Reviewed by a Senior Academic Skills Mentor (PhD)
Last updated: 2026-07-23
Category: writing-tips
What is a university assignment?
Direct answer: An assignment is a task set and counted towards your final mark at university, usually asking you to analyse a problem and present an evidence-based argument rather than give a right-or-wrong answer like a test. The two most common forms are the essay (organised around a thesis) and the report (organised into sections and sub-sections). It is marked against a published set of criteria, the rubric.
The point many students miss: on most international programmes, assignments are criterion-referenced, meaning marks are awarded for how well you meet the rubric criteria, not ranked against your classmates (Cottrell, 2019). That is why understanding the rubric matters more than writing at length.
How to do an assignment: 7 steps
Direct answer: The process has seven steps: (1) read the brief and decode its command words; (2) read the rubric to see where the marks are; (3) find and note academic sources; (4) outline around an argument; (5) draft, favouring evaluation over description; (6) reference correctly; (7) revise and edit before you submit. Work through them in order rather than jumping straight to writing.
1. Read the brief and decode its command words
The command verb in the brief (analyse, evaluate, discuss, justify) sets the type of answer, not just the topic. "Describe" wants you to recount; "critically evaluate" wants you to weigh strengths and weaknesses and reach a judgement. Misreading the verb sends the whole assignment off course from the start. See our guide to assignment command words.
2. Read the rubric to see where the marks are
The rubric tells you what the marker rewards and in what proportion. For most undergraduate assignments, the jump from a middle grade to a high one is defined by the word "critical" (critical analysis), not by adding more content (Cottrell, 2019). Reading the rubric before you write lets you spend your word count where the marks actually are.
3. Find and note academic sources
Use academic sources (scholarly books, peer-reviewed articles, your module's set readings) rather than blogs or aggregator sites. As you read, note the source alongside each idea so you never lose the reference when you cite. For students writing in a second language, recording the academic phrasing you meet while reading helps you express ideas more naturally later (Bailey, 2018).
4. Outline around an argument
A strong assignment is organised around an argument (a thesis), not around a topic. The introduction states the thesis and the direction; each body paragraph develops one point, opening with a topic sentence before the evidence; the conclusion synthesises rather than repeats. A clear outline lets you see in advance where you are only describing, so you can shift to evaluation in time.
5. Draft, favouring evaluation over description
This is the step that decides the grade. For every descriptive sentence ("this company does X"), ask "why does that matter, who benefits, is the evidence sufficient" and write that answer. Students who come to MAAS often have a draft that is around 70% description; after tilting the balance towards evaluation, with the same evidence and the same example, the grade typically rises by one or two rubric bands. Do not wait for a perfect draft; write first, edit later.
6. Reference correctly
Every idea that is not your own must be cited, both in-text and in the reference list at the end, in the style your school requires (APA, Harvard and so on). Incorrect or missing citation is an academic-integrity risk, not just a matter of losing formatting marks. See our guide to referencing in university assignments.
7. Revise and edit before you submit
Let the draft rest for at least a session, then reread it: check that the assignment answers the command verb, that each paragraph evaluates rather than only describes, that in-text citations match the reference list, and that the word count is within limits. Reading aloud helps you catch unclear sentences. This is the cheapest step, and the one most often skipped when writing close to the deadline.
Why do assignments lose marks even when they cover the content?
Direct answer: The three most common reasons an assignment loses marks are: it describes instead of evaluating, it answers the wrong command verb, and it uses weak sources or cites them incorrectly. None of these is about missing content, so writing more does not fix them; you have to fix the right thing.
For international students there is an added layer: rubrics on international programmes use the language of evaluation (critically evaluate, justify, synthesise), which can differ from the assessment style students met at school at home, so a draft can slip into simply retelling the sources. Recognising that difference early is half the way to a strong grade.
Check your work before you submit: you can use MAAS's free Grade Check tool to get an estimated grade against a rubric and see where to improve, before you hand in the real thing.
Frequently asked questions
How is an assignment different from an essay and a report?
Assignment is the general name for a graded task; the essay and the report are two forms of assignment. An essay is organised around a single argument running through the piece, with no sections. A report is divided into sections and sub-sections (introduction, method, results, discussion, recommendations) and is often used for applied case analysis.
How long should an assignment be?
Write to the word count stated in the brief, which usually allows about a 10% margin. Writing well over does not add marks and is often a sign of surplus description; the marks are in the density of analysis, not in length.
How can I make a piece more "critical" without making it longer?
Replace a descriptive sentence with an evaluative one rather than adding a new sentence: after each fact, add a clause answering "so what does this mean". This raises the quality of analysis while keeping the word count the same.
Does MAAS write assignments for students?
No. MAAS works alongside you through an Outline → Draft → Final process: a mentor helps you understand the brief, gives feedback on your draft and points out what to fix, while the writing stays yours. For module-specific help, see our course-code guides or the academic support service.
References
Bailey, S. (2018). Academic writing: A handbook for international students (5th ed.). Routledge.
Cottrell, S. (2019). The study skills handbook (5th ed.). Red Globe Press.
University of Manchester. (n.d.). Academic Phrasebank. https://www.phrasebank.manchester.ac.uk