The HIR Academic Writing Contest scores every essay on a published 55-point rubric: 30 points for Content and 25 points for Style. Because the rubric is public, the simplest edge you can give yourself is to treat each line as a revision checklist — and to understand the one distinction most essays get wrong. This independent guide decodes the whole thing.
Content (30) — six dimensions, five points each
Content is worth 30 points, split into six dimensions of five points each: topic, introduction, structure and transitions, use of evidence, analysis of evidence, and overall coherence. The pattern to notice is that four of the six are about the argument, not the information. The judges are not testing how much you know; they are testing whether you can build and sustain a case. Each dimension is a question you should be able to answer “yes” to before you submit.
The split most essays miss: evidence vs analysis
Here is the single most useful thing to understand about this rubric: “use of evidence” and “analysis of evidence” are scored as two separate lines. That is a deliberate signal. Evidence is what you cite — the statistic, the historical example, the quoted expert. Analysis is what it means — why that fact actually supports your claim. Weak essays stack up evidence and assume it speaks for itself; they score on line ④ and lose line ⑤. Strong essays follow every piece of evidence with a sentence or two of interpretation that ties it explicitly back to the thesis. If you do only one thing with this guide, make it this: after each fact, ask “so what?” and answer it on the page.
What a 5/5 looks like — and what a 2/5 looks like
To make the split concrete, take the line judges probe hardest — analysis of evidence — and picture two versions. A 2/5 reads: “In 2014, country X’s exports fell 12%. This shows the policy failed.” The fact is real, but the leap to “failed” is asserted, not argued. A 5/5 reads: “Country X’s exports fell 12% in 2014 — but over the same period its largest trading partner entered recession, so the fall is at least partly demand-driven rather than proof the policy itself failed; isolating the policy’s own effect would require…” Same fact; the second version interprets it, acknowledges what it does and does not show, and ties it to the claim. That gap — between citing a number and reasoning from it — is most of the distance between a good HIR essay and a winning one.
Style (25) — where points quietly leak away
Style is worth a full 25 of 55 points — nearly half — so it is not a place to be careless. Style rewards clarity, correct AP Style, clean grammar and mechanics, and a controlled academic voice. For non-native English writers in particular, this is where avoidable points leak away: AP Style has specific conventions (for numbers, titles, dates, and abbreviations) that differ from school MLA habits, and a reader scoring 25 points on style will notice. Budget real time to proofread against AP Style, read your essay aloud to catch clumsy sentences, and prefer plain, precise wording over inflated vocabulary. Clean, clear prose that an editor would not need to fix is what earns the Style marks.
Turn the rubric into a pre-submission checklist
| Rubric line | Ask yourself before submitting |
|---|---|
| Topic | Is my question focused and genuinely arguable — not too broad to handle in 1,200 words? |
| Introduction | Is my thesis stated clearly by the end of the first paragraph? |
| Structure | Does every paragraph advance the argument, with transitions that connect them? |
| Use of evidence | Is every claim backed by specific, credible evidence? |
| Analysis of evidence | After each fact, have I explained why it supports my claim? |
| Coherence | Does the whole essay build one argument, start to finish? |
| Style (25) | Is it clear, in correct AP Style, clean of errors, and free of padding? |
Self-score honestly out of 55 before you submit — and remember that the rubric also shapes Defense Day, where judges probe your analysis hardest. New here? Start with our complete HIR contest guide, then build the essay on a clear 800–1,200 word structure.
How to self-score before you submit
Score your own draft the way the judges will. Go line by line through the six Content dimensions and Style, giving each an honest mark out of five (Style out of 25), and total it out of 55. Be strict: if you cannot point to the sentence that earns a five, it is probably a three. Then act on the lowest scores first — a single weak dimension (usually analysis, or structure) is where the cheapest marks are. Do this twice, a day apart, because you read your own work more honestly when it is no longer fresh. A draft you have scored at, say, 44/55 and then targeted the weak lines on is far stronger than one you simply reread for typos.
Frequently asked questions
How is the HIR contest essay scored?
On a published 55-point rubric: 30 points for Content (six dimensions of five points each — topic, introduction, structure and transitions, use of evidence, analysis of evidence, and overall coherence) and 25 points for Style.
What is the difference between “use of evidence” and “analysis of evidence”?
Use of evidence is whether you cite specific facts; analysis of evidence is whether you explain why those facts support your claim. They are scored separately, so you must both cite evidence and interpret it.
How much does Style count?
Style is worth 25 of 55 points — nearly half. It rewards clarity, correct AP Style, clean grammar, and a controlled academic voice, and is a common place for non-native writers to lose avoidable points.
Can I use the rubric while writing?
Yes — that is the point. The rubric is public, so treat each line as a checklist and self-score your draft out of 55 before submitting.
What separates a 5/5 from a 2/5 on analysis of evidence?
Interpretation. A 2/5 cites a fact and asserts a conclusion; a 5/5 explains what the fact does and does not show, weighs alternative readings, and ties it explicitly to the claim. Same evidence — the difference is the reasoning around it.
How should I self-score my draft?
Mark each of the six Content dimensions out of five and Style out of 25, total it out of 55, and fix the lowest scores first. Be strict — if you cannot point to the sentence earning a five, it is probably a three.
Ready to enter? →
Turn this into an actual entry — the next steps:
- How to enter the HIR contest — deadlines, word limits and the step-by-step submission
- The contest at a glance — divisions, format and the 55-point rubric in one place
- Read past winning entries — see what a scoring paper actually looks like
Filed underEssay Writing · Hir Academic Writing Contest · Hir Rubric
This is an independent guide to the HIR Academic Writing Contest, operated by Hanlin Education for China-based international-school students. We are not affiliated with, endorsed by, or sponsored by the Harvard International Review or Harvard University. The rubric and its weighting can change each year — always confirm the current criteria on the official Harvard International Review contest page. Confirmed errors are corrected within 7 working days.