Written Communication and Report Writing
What this domain tests
Written communication tests whether you can produce a clear, accurate and defensible record. Reports may include a chronology, a summary of evidence, an assessment and a recommendation. The exam penalizes speculation, emotive language, missing dates and conclusions that are not supported by the facts.
Core rules
- Start with the purpose and decision. A busy reader should know what the report is for and what you recommend.
- Separate fact, source and assessment. Write 'the applicant stated X' or 'the passport shows Y'; reserve 'I assess' or 'the evidence indicates' for conclusions.
- Use a chronological structure with dates and times. Include who said or did what, and where the information came from.
- Prefer plain, active sentences. Define acronyms on first use. Avoid jargon that the reader may not share.
- Be proportionate: include material facts and exclude irrelevant personal detail.
- State the evidential basis for adverse findings. 'The applicant was nervous' is observation, not proof of deception.
- Use neutral, professional language. Avoid 'obviously', 'clearly' and 'lying' unless a formal finding of deception has been made.
Worked example
Weak sentence: 'The guy was obviously lying because he was nervous and kept changing his story.' Better: 'The applicant's account of his travel history differed from the application form: he stated at interview that he had not previously visited the country, while the form recorded a visit in 2022. He was invited to explain the difference and said the earlier visit was a mistake. The interviewing officer recorded that he appeared nervous.' Reasoning: the revision removes the conclusion 'lying', identifies the specific inconsistency, records the applicant's explanation and labels the observation as such. A decision-maker can then assess whether deception is made out.
Traps
- Presenting opinion as fact.
- Omitting the date, source or author of key information.
- Using emotive or accusatory language in an official record.
- Writing a long narrative with no clear recommendation.
- Including irrelevant medical or family detail that is not necessary for the decision.