Standardized tests are commonly used to evaluate students’ knowledge and skills in a consistent and systematic way across different schools and regions. Rubrics are an indispensable tool in evaluating writing performance on standardized tests as they provide a clear and objective framework for assessing students’ writing abilities. The West African Senior School Certificate Examination English test is a standardized test used to assess the English language proficiency of high school students in English-speaking west African countries such as Ghana, Nigeria, Sierra Leone, Liberia, and The Gambia. Rubrics are also integral to the WASSCE, where they are utilized to evaluate and grade candidate’s essays. However, these writing assessment tools have recently been criticized for their inability to effectively assess writing. Broad, Wilson, and Grouling have identified several issues with rubrics in writing assessment. This study critically reviewed the 2022 WASSCE essay grading rubric, using themes to code the content of the assessment guide for the questions in the writing prompt of the 2022 WASCCE English Language paper for school candidates in Ghana only. The study found out that there is a lack of connection between the Content criterion and the assessable qualities categorized under the Expression criterion in achieving the purpose of the writing; vagueness or lack of definition of the assessable qualities; and absence explicit guidance how points should be awarded between two distinct categories assessable traits that are grouped under Organization criterion. These findings reveal the need to improve the rubric used in the WASSCE English test to better evaluate student writing. The study’s recommendations include revising the rubric to ensure that it accurately reflects the writing skills that the test aims to assess, clearly defining the assessable qualities, and providing explicit guidance on how to award points.