What is the Difference Between Marking and Grading?

The key difference between marking and grading is that marking refers to the correction of students' work, while grading refers to the indication of the standard of students' performance using a grade, possibly a letter.

Marking involves:

• Deciding how well students answered the questions on a test or exam.
• Awarding marks for individual assessment items, such as assignments or quizzes.
• Providing feedback on specific assignments or tasks.

Grading involves:

• Evaluating a student's overall performance in a course or assignment.
• Converting marks into grades, usually letters like A*-E for A Levels.
• Awarding grades for courses, determined by combining the marks of individual assessment items.

In summary, marking focuses on evaluating and providing feedback on specific assignments or tasks, while grading is concerned with assessing a student's overall performance in a course or assignment and converting marks into grades.

Comparative Table: Marking vs Grading

The difference between marking and grading lies in their purpose and the information they provide about a student's performance. Here is a table comparing the two processes:

Marking involves the correction and assessment of students' work by academic staff, and the exact score obtained by the student is released. On the other hand, grading refers to the indication of the standard of the students using a grade, possibly a letter, and only a grade is issued for the overall performance of the student. Both processes are used mainly in exams and tests to evaluate students' work.