Since 2012, the Center for Plain Language has proudly issued a yearly report card evaluating how well federal agencies comply with the Plain Writing Act of 2010. This year, for the 12th Federal Plain Language Report Card, we reviewed 10 high-impact service providers to see how they’re making important information clear, accessible, and easy to use for everyone.
Agencies earned grades ranging from A to F, based on how well they met criteria in four key areas: Do readers get what they need? Can readers find what they need? Can readers easily understand the entry? Can readers easily use this entry? These grades reflect each agency’s success in using plain language to serve the public effectively.
Below, you’ll find:
- Themes and findings from this year’s assessments
- Who We Graded: Details about the agencies we reviewed, including key findings from top performers.
- How We Graded: An overview of our methodology.
Themes from this year’s assessments
In this year’s Federal Plain Language Report Card, federal agencies earned an average grade of B-, showcasing both impressive achievements and areas for growth. While some agencies excelled in making information accessible and actionable, others struggled with dense legal language and poor navigation.
These assessments underscore the importance of clear communication in helping citizens access critical government services.
Do Readers Get What They Need?
- Clear purpose statements and actionable guidance are key to success.
- Inconsistent terminology and dense legal language often confuse readers.
- Providing upfront examples or context ensures readers know whether the page applies to them.
- Practical tools and direct links streamline access but must be logically placed.
- Redundant or unnecessary details detract from the reader’s ability to get the information they need.
Can Readers Find What They Need?
- Logical organization with clear sections and headings simplifies navigation.
- Overlapping or ambiguous headings can mislead users.
- Text-heavy formats, with long paragraphs or insufficient bullet points, hinder usability.
- Effective navigation features, like return links and clickable table of contents, enhance usability.
- Disorganized visual elements and inconsistent design styles confuse readers and dilute content focus.
Can Readers Easily Understand the Entry?
- Conversational tone and second-person pronouns improve readability and engagement.
- Legal jargon, technical terms, and unnecessarily complex phrases hinder comprehension.
- Consistent terminology and sentence structure help readers focus on key messages.
- Visual aids, like infographics or flowcharts, enhance understanding for complex topics.
- Using short, direct sentences makes bureaucratic content feel approachable and less intimidating.
Can Readers Easily Use This Entry?
- Simplified layouts and Q&A formats improve accessibility and usability.
- Dense, text-heavy pages frustrate users and complicate navigation.
- Missing critical steps or action items, such as how to apply, creates barriers to usability.
- Clear call-to-action buttons and task-focused designs guide users effectively.
- Consistent and reader-friendly formats encourage repeat use and confidence in the information provided.
Findings from top-performing entries
Below are highlights from the highest-scoring entries in this year’s Report Card. These examples showcase how plain language helps agencies better meet the needs of their citizens.
Veterans Benefits Administration – Accessing VBA Education Benefits 
Grade: B+
The webpage provides clear language and logical navigation, enabling veterans and their families to apply for education benefits. However, terms like “education” and “training” are used inconsistently, causing potential confusion. Improvements in navigation (e.g., “Back to Benefits” buttons) and adding visuals like infographics could enhance the user experience.
Judge’s comments: “The VA Education page has a clearly stated purpose for its audience. Readers are met with clear and simple language, reassuring them that they are in the right place to ‘learn how to apply for and manage the education and training benefits you’ve earned.’”
Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services – Medicare Information for Those Under 65 
Grade: A-
Despite the complexity of Medicare, the page breaks down the process into digestible steps with clear headings. Suggestions for improvement include simplifying terms (e.g., “&” or “coverage”) and adding subheadings for content boxes to guide users better. The page successfully reassures and informs readers while meeting plain language principles.
Judge’s comments: “Overall, this webpage showcases strong efforts to use plain language to describe an extremely complex subject. Perhaps most importantly, the webpage gives off the impression that the Medicare program is truly trying to make the information as accessible as possible.”
Federal Student Aid – Public Service Loan Forgiveness (PSLF) 
Grade: A
This entry stands out for its concise, no-frills presentation of information. The FAQ section and direct structure facilitate easy understanding and navigation. Minor improvements could focus on explaining technical terms like “authorized official” and using simpler language in forms.
Judge’s comments: “The page structure enables quick scanning. This facilitates finding the information the reader needs to be able to fill out the form for the forgiveness of student loans. The design demonstrates respect for the user by recognizing that their time is valuable.”
Housing and Urban Development – Filing a Housing Discrimination Complaint 
Grade: A
Clear instructions and well-structured sections make this page highly effective. Suggestions include shifting content to prioritize users’ needs and simplifying legal language for a more empathetic tone. Highlighting examples of housing discrimination upfront would save users time and provide clarity.
Judge’s comments: “This page provides clear options for reporting housing discrimination or contacting an agent. It also explains exactly what information a user needs for their complaint. This makes it easy and straightforward to start the process or get help.”
Who we graded
We reviewed 10 high-impact service providers selected from federal agencies that deliver critical services to the public. Below is a list of the agencies and the specific webpages we evaluated:
Agency: Bureau of Consular Affairs
Page Reviewed: Apply for Your First Adult Passport
Agency: Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services
Page Reviewed: Getting Started with Medicare
Agency: Employee Benefits Security Administration
Page Reviewed: Claiming Benefits/Filing a Claim for Your Disability Benefits
Agency: Federal Student Aid
Page Reviewed: Applying for Public Service Loan Forgiveness (PSLF)
Agency: Forest Service
Page Reviewed: Getting a Recreation Special Use Permit
Agency: Housing and Urban Development
Page Reviewed: Filing a Housing Discrimination Complaint
Agency: Office of Workers’ Compensation Programs – Department of Labor
Page Reviewed: Filing a Workers’ Compensation Claim Under the Federal Employees Compensation Act (FECA)
Agency: Veterans Benefits Administration – Department of Veterans Affairs
Page Reviewed: Accessing VBA Education Benefits
Agency: U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services
Page Reviewed: Increasing Naturalization for Eligible Legal Permanent Residents
Agency: Veterans Health Administration – Department of Veterans Affairs
Page Reviewed: Utilizing In-Person Primary Care
How we graded
We reviewed the webpages and rated them based on the rubric that the Center for Plain Language uses to assess clear communication (see Clearmark Criteria). The evaluation criteria are as follows:
- Understanding Audience Needs
- Is it clear what the audiences should learn or do using this page?
- Are the writing, tone, and presentation appropriate for the audiences?
- Did you get the sense the writers know the audiences and want them to succeed using this page?
- Structure and Organization of Content
- Are sections organized and labeled with related information grouped together?
- Do the writers create effective transitions between sentences, paragraphs, and sections?
- Is the content presented in an order that tells a story or helps audiences complete a task?
- Does the typography, color, and whitespace grab and guide the audiences’ attention?
- Do any pictures, graphics, or charts map to and support the content?
- Style or Voice
- Do the writers follow plain writing principles? For example, writers use relatively short sentences and active voice, while avoiding noun-strings, hidden verbs (nominalizations), and delayed verbs.
- Do the tone, choice of words, and conversational style convey respect for the target audience? For example, do the writers use reader-oriented language, including “you” and “your”?
- Do the writers avoid jargon?
- Readability
- Is this an error-free page in which all elements work together to form a unified whole?
- Can you tell by glancing where the important information or action is?
- Does the navigation offer a visible, guided path through the content?
- Do they convey key content while effectively winnowing unnecessary details?
- Overall
- Will the target audiences be able to find, understand, and act confidently using what they learn?
- Would you use this page as an example of effective plain writing?
Who did the grading?
Teams of three judges, all plain language professionals and members of the Center for Plain Language, reviewed the webpages under the guidance of a team captain. These experts, specializing in editing, user-centered design, and clear writing training, conducted their evaluations with oversight from Paul Aterman, Vice Chair of the Center.
The Center thanks Circuit Media for making the federal report card accessible in line with Section 508 standards on our site.