Here’s a practical playbook: how scoring works, a simple structure that keeps you on track, 12 brand-new sample emails, and copy-paste templates. Use it to draft in minutes and hit the grading criteria with confidence.

How SHL Email Writing Is Typically Scored

Category	What graders expect
Task Coverage	You include every required point from the brief and don’t invent facts.
Audience Fit	U.S. workplace tone: direct, polite, outcome-oriented.
Structure	Clear subject → purpose → key details → action → close.
Brevity	Tight paragraphs, bullets for lists, no filler.
Mechanics	Accurate spelling, capitalization, punctuation, names, numbers.
Professional Format	Useful subject line, greeting, sign-off, and clean formatting.

The 5-Box Structure (use this on every prompt

1. Subject – Outcome first (“Decision Needed by Friday,” “Update: Vendor Credits Approved”).
2. Purpose line – One sentence explaining why you’re writing.
3. Key details – 2–5 bullets or short lines that mirror the prompt.
4. Action & deadline – What happens next, by when, and how to reply.
5. Close – Polite sign-off with name/title if appropriate.

• Free SHL Practice Test – Sample Questions & Answers
• SHL Deductive Reasoning Test
• SHL Numerical Reasoning Test
• SHL Practice Test

12 SHL-Style Email Examples (U.S. business tone)

Each example includes a short brief and a model email.

1) Customer Price Adjustment (External)

Brief: Notify a 2.5% price increase on August 1; honor existing contracts; offer annual renewal at current rate if signed by July 15.

Subject: Upcoming 2.5% Price Update on August 1

Hi Ms. Rivera,

I’m writing to share that our pricing will increase by 2.5% on August 1. Existing contracts will continue at current rates through their terms. If you’d like to renew for 12 months at today’s rate, please sign by July 15.

Happy to review options on a quick call.

Best regards,
Daniel

2) Internal Handoff (Operations)

Brief: Transfer ownership of vendor audit; include folder path; request progress note by Thursday 4 p.m. ET.

Subject: Vendor Audit Handoff and Thursday Update

Hi Talia,

I’m handing off the Spring Vendor Audit. All files are in /Shared/Compliance/2025_Vendor_Audit. Could you post a brief progress note in the tracker by Thursday 4:00 p.m. ET?

I’m available if anything needs context.

Thanks,
Marcus

3) Candidate Scheduling (Recruiting)

Brief: Offer two interview slots (Tue 1–3 ET, Thu 9–11 ET); Zoom link to follow; request portfolio link.

Subject: Interview Availability – UX Designer

Hi Jordan,

We’d like to schedule your interview. Are you available Tuesday 1–3 p.m. ET or Thursday 9–11 a.m. ET? I’ll send a Zoom link once confirmed. Please include a link to your portfolio in your reply.

Best,
Ariana

4) Supplier Quality Issue (External)

Brief: 16 units failed QA; request replacements by Friday to Phoenix DC; attach photos.

Subject: Request Replacement for 16 Units – Phoenix DC by Friday

Hi Evan,

QA identified 16 units that failed inspection in yesterday’s delivery. Photos are attached. Please ship replacements to Phoenix DC to arrive by Friday.

Thanks for your help keeping timelines on track.

Regards,
Neha

5) Policy Rollout (Internal)

Brief: New travel policy starts July 1; coach only unless pre-approved; receipts within 7 days; link to policy page.

Subject: New Travel Policy – Effective July 1

Hi team,

Starting July 1, travel will be coach only unless pre-approved by your VP. Please submit receipts within 7 days of travel. Full details are on the Travel Policy page.

Let me know if anything is unclear.

Thanks,
Operations

6) Customer Apology + Next Update (External)

Brief: Intermittent billing portal errors; apologize; workaround via mobile app; next status tomorrow 10 a.m. ET.

Subject: Billing Portal Interruption – Workaround and Next Update

Hi Mr. Cole,

I’m sorry for the billing portal errors you’ve seen. Our team is working on a fix. In the meantime, you can process payments through the mobile app without issues. I’ll share a status update by tomorrow at 10:00 a.m. ET.

Thanks for your patience,
Lydia

7) Budget Decision (Upward)

Brief: Vendor quote increased; options: reduce scope 8% or add $28k; decision needed by Friday noon ET.

Subject: Decision by Friday 12 p.m. ET: Reduce Scope 8% or +$28k

Hi Alex,

The vendor quote increased unexpectedly. We can either reduce scope by 8% to stay on budget or add $28k to preserve the current plan. Please advise by Friday 12:00 p.m. ET so we can finalize the SOW.

Thank you,
Priya

8) Meeting Recap + Next Steps (Cross-Functional)

Brief: Summarize kickoff; goals agreed; risks noted; next step: pilot starts June 10; request confirmation.

Subject: Kickoff Recap and Pilot Start – June 10

Hi everyone,

Thanks for today’s kickoff.

• Goals: reduce onboarding time; improve retention in Q3.
• Risks: API limits; coverage during holiday week.
• Next step: begin pilot on June 10.

Reply “Confirmed” to proceed with this start date.

Best,
Chris

9) Extension Request (Upward)

Brief: Need two business days on monthly forecast; reason: revised currency rates; offer draft on original date.

Subject: Monthly Forecast – Request for Two-Day Extension

Hi Morgan,

With the revised currency rates, I’m requesting a two-business-day extension on the monthly forecast. I can share a draft on the original date and deliver the final two days later.

Let me know if a shorter interim update helps.

Thanks,
Renee

10) Data Pull (Analytics)

Brief: Need MTD revenue by channel; CSV; due Wednesday 2 p.m. ET; folder path included.

Subject: Request: MTD Revenue by Channel (CSV) – Wed 2 p.m. ET

Hi Data Team,

Could you export month-to-date revenue by channel in CSV and save it to /Finance/MTD_Reports by Wednesday 2:00 p.m. ET? If any fields are heavy lift, I can adjust.

Thanks,
Evan

11) Invoice Discrepancy (External)

Brief: Invoice #4471 shows duplicate freight charge; request corrected invoice; due date unchanged.

Subject: Invoice #4471 – Duplicate Freight Charge

Hi Accounting,

On Invoice #4471, the freight charge appears twice. Please issue a revised invoice with the corrected total. The due date stays the same.

Appreciate the quick fix,
Taylor

12) Clarification Request (Peer)

Brief: Product lead asked for “latest churn data”; clarify time window, segment, and format; promise same-day delivery once confirmed.

Subject: Quick Clarification on “Latest Churn Data”

Hi Jamie,

To send the right file, could you confirm:

• Time window (last 7 days or month-to-date)?
• Segment (U.S. only or all regions)?
• Format (CSV or slide summary)?

Once I have these, I’ll deliver same day.

Thanks,
Ariel

Before/After: Tightening for Score

Prompt: Tell the store manager that shipment arrived one day late; apologize; confirm stock is now on shelves; share 10% credit code; invite feedback.

Before (weak):
Subject: Shipment
Hi, the truck was late. We put items out. Here’s a code: LATE10. Let us know.

After (scoring):
Subject: Apology for Late Delivery + 10% Credit Code
Hi Dana,
Yesterday’s delivery arrived one day late—my apologies for the disruption. Inventory is now on shelves. Please use code LATE10 for a 10% credit on this order. If there’s anything we missed, reply here and I’ll handle it.
Best,
Owen

Why it wins: Names the issue, confirms resolution, provides the remedy, and opens a feedback loop.

Plug-and-Play Templates

Inform + Ask
Subject: [Topic] – [Action] by [Date/Time]
Hi [Name],
I’m writing about [purpose].

• [Detail A]
• [Detail B]
• [Detail C]
  Request: Please [action] by [date/time].
  Thanks,
  [Name]

Apology + Next Update
Subject: Update on [Issue] and Next Steps
Hi [Name],
Sorry about [issue]. We’ve identified [status/root cause].
Workaround: [Short fix].
Next update: [date/time].
Best,
[Name]

Decision Needed
Subject: Decision Needed by [Deadline]: [Option A] or [Option B]
Hi [Name],
We have two paths:

1. [Option A] – [impact]
2. [Option B] – [impact]
   Please advise by [deadline] so we can proceed.
   Thank you,
   [Name]

Common Mistakes That Lower Scores

• Forgetting a required detail (dates, counts, IDs).
• Soft or missing ask (“Let me know”) with no deadline.
• Over-explaining instead of using bullets.
• Vague subjects (“Update”) that hide the outcome.
• Tone mismatch (too casual externally, too formal for quick internal notes).
• Typos in names, numbers, or time zones.

9-Point Submission Checklist

1. Subject line states the outcome.
2. First sentence explains the purpose.
3. Every required detail from the brief appears once.
4. Bullets used for lists (3+ items).
5. Clear ask with a date/time.
6. Names, IDs, numbers verified.
7. U.S. business tone (polite, direct).
8. Short paragraphs, readable on mobile.
9. Spellcheck and read aloud once.

Timed Practice Prompts

Write each in 6–8 minutes:

1. Vendor Credit: 5% of units damaged; request credit by Monday; attach photos; keep relationship positive.
2. Stakeholder Update: Beta signups +22% above target; two defects remain; hotfix ETA Thursday; request go-live approval.
3. Customer Outreach: Product rename; no change to features; FAQ link; invite feedback.
4. HR Nudge: New hire missing I-9 document; deadline Friday; offer help desk hours.
5. IT Escalation: VPN failures after patch; propose rollback 8–10 p.m. ET tonight; ask for approval.