Teach-out Unit Learning Outcomes & Discipline Specific Guidance

Creative Writing guidance

OCA Assessment Requirements

When considering the learning outcomes for your unit, it is important to know what you are being asked to submit for assessment. These are known as your assessment requirements. In summary, these may include:

1. A selection of your creative work.
2. Creative Reading Commentary - where applicable to Stages 2 (HE5) and 3 (HE6).
3. The Overall Reflective Commentary.

The following guidance will help you to understand how these overarching assessment requirements at the OCA apply to you and your work in creative writing. To be clear, unlike the majority of OCA units, the Creative Writing units do not require a Learning Log.

Creative Writing Unit Assessment Requirements

When invited to submit your unit for assessment, you should submit the following:

Teach Out Units

• At all Stages, you should submit your choice of three creative writing assignments. Choose the ones that – after rewrites – you think represents your best work. For each creative writing assignment you choose, make sure you submit:
  • The annotated, original version (that’s the version your tutor returns to you with comments on).
  • The accompanying tutor feedback report.
  • Your rewritten, final version.
  • Refer to your unit for word counts.

• At Stages 2 (HE5) and 3 (HE6), make sure you submit the creative reading commentary:
  • The annotated, original version (that’s the version your tutor returns to you with comments on).
  • The accompanying tutor feedback report.
  • Your rewritten, final version.
  • Word counts, excluding reference lists: For Stage 2 (HE5) 2,000 words, and for Stage 3 (HE6) 2,500 - 3,000 words.

• At all Stages, you should submit your Overall Reflective Commentary:
  • The annotated, original version (that’s the version your tutor returns to you with comments on).
  • The accompanying tutor feedback report.
  • Your rewritten, final version.
  • Word counts:  For Stage 1 (HE4) 1,000 - 1,500 words, and for Stages 2 (HE5) and 3 (HE6) 1,500 - 2,000 words.

• At all Stages, where applicable, you should provide all other, unselected original annotated assignments and tutor reports, unaltered in any way:
  • Though the content of these documents should remain unaltered, you can adapt the document title to make clear in your assessment submission which is which.

Additional advice for the assessment of creative writing units

Creative Work

Please adhere to any word counts in the course materials. If you’re not sure about these - or you need specific advice for Scriptwriting or Poetry submissions - please speak to your tutor.

The redrafts of your creative work should evidence any changes you have made as a result of tutor feedback or other learning. You should choose the best of the assignment outcomes from your unit. Perhaps use the ones where tutor feedback was most positive. Or perhaps choose the ones that you feel you have improved the most when redrafting. It’s not usual to include your first assignment from any units, although if you have a strong case for doing so then discuss it with your tutor. If it’s a strong creative piece then you may feel it’s important to include. It is usual, though, to include your final creative assignment from any unit. This is because it helps the assessors see how your work has progressed.

Creative Reading Commentary

There is no requirement for a Creative Reading Commentary (also referred to as a Critical Review in overarching OCA assessment guidance) at Stage 1 (HE4). But there is a requirement for them at Stages 2 (HE5) and 3 (HE6) in Creative Writing (where applicable to the given unit). You must submit your original version, the related tutor report and your redrafted version.

Overall Reflective Commentary

All creative writing units require a final version of your Overall Reflective Commentary, which should discuss the development of your work for assessment in light of tutor feedback.

If you have any questions, please contact your tutor.

Last updated: September 2025.