Level 5 draft improvement: from description to analysis

The situation

An HR advisor studying Level 5 alongside a full-time role sent us a near-complete draft. The writing was clear and the HR knowledge was sound, but on review the work was heavily descriptive — it explained concepts thoroughly but rarely analysed them or applied them to the organisation. At Level 5, that gap is a common cause of referral.

What we did

We reviewed the draft against each assessment criterion and produced a criteria-by-criteria feedback note. For every point marked 'descriptive', we suggested how to move it towards analysis — comparing options, weighing suitability and reaching a judgement — and where a workplace example would demonstrate application.

• Mapped the draft to every AC and flagged which were not yet fully met.
• Showed where description could become comparison and evaluation.
• Identified places to add a relevant workplace example.
• Checked Harvard referencing for consistency and completeness.

The outcome

With a clear action list, the advisor revised the draft themselves, adding analysis and application where it counted. The final submission addressed every criterion and read with the applied, evidence-based depth Level 5 expects.