Understand the assignment
Reading a Rubric
Use this page when your instructor gives you a rubric, and you want to know how your work will be graded.
What a rubric is
A rubric is a chart that shows how your work will be graded. It tells you what your instructor will look for and how much each part counts. Many students look at the rubric only after they receive a grade. It helps more if you read it before you start.
Most rubrics have three parts:
- Criteria. These are the things your instructor grades, such as your argument or your evidence. They are usually the rows.
- Levels. These show how well you did, from the highest to the lowest. They are usually the columns.
- Descriptions. Each box describes what the work looks like at that level.
Many rubrics also show points or a percentage for each criterion. A criterion with more points matters more.
Use a rubric three times
- Before you write. Read the highest level for each criterion. That is your goal.
- Before you submit. Check your draft against each criterion, one at a time.
- After you get your grade. Find the level you received. Compare it with the level above it to see what to change next time.
Key terms
- Rubric:
- a chart that shows how your work will be graded.
- Criteria:
- the things that are graded. This word is plural. One of them is a criterion.
- Level:
- a step on the scale, such as Strong or Developing.
Example: reading a rubric closely
This rubric is for an essay that argues for one change at a workplace, in a neighborhood, or at a college. Each number matches a note below the rubric.
On a small screen, move the table sideways to see every level.
| Criteria1 | Strong3 | Developing | Beginning |
|---|---|---|---|
| Argument 30 points2 | States one specific change and gives clear reasons the reader would accept. | States a change, but the reasons are general or incomplete. | Describes a problem but does not argue for a change. |
| Evidence 30 points | Uses at least two credible sources and explains how each one supports the argument.4 | Uses two sources but does not explain how they support the argument. | Uses fewer than two sources, or the sources are not credible. |
| Organization 20 points | Each paragraph has one main idea, and the order is easy to follow. | Most paragraphs have one main idea, but the order is sometimes confusing. | The ideas are hard to follow. |
| Language 20 points5 | Sentences are clear. Errors are few and do not affect meaning. | Some errors make the reader slow down, but the meaning is clear. | Errors often make the meaning unclear. |
- The criteria. This instructor grades four things: argument, evidence, organization, and language. Anything not on this list is not graded.
- The points. Argument and evidence are worth 60 of the 100 points. Give most of your time to those two.
- The highest level. Read this column first. It describes the essay your instructor hopes to receive, so you can use it as a checklist.
- The difference between two levels. Strong and Developing both use two sources. The difference is one phrase: the strong essay explains how each source supports the argument.
- How language counts. Language is worth 20 points. This rubric looks at meaning: an error matters most when it makes a sentence hard to understand. When you edit, fix those errors first.
Language focus: small words that separate the levels
Language focus
Words on a scale
Rubrics often describe every level with the same sentence and change only one or two words. Learn to see those words. Each row below goes from the most to the least.
| What is measured | Level 4 (most) | Level 3 | Level 2 | Level 1 (least) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| How many | all | most | some | few, none |
| How often | always, consistently | usually, often | sometimes | rarely, never |
| How completely | fully, thoroughly | mostly | partly | not |
The word but
In a rubric, the words after but tell you what is missing. Read them as advice.
- States a change, but the reasons are general. To improve: make the reasons specific.
Watch for this
Few and a few are different. Errors are few means there are almost none, which is good. There are a few errors means there are some.
Sentence starters: asking about a rubric
Fill in each blank with your own words.
- Before you writeIn the rubric, what does “” mean?What is the difference between “” and “” for ?Could you show us an example of work at the highest level?
- When there is no rubricHow will this assignment be graded?What matters most in this assignment?
- After you get your gradeI received “” for . What would make it “”?
Practice
Use the example rubric on this page to answer the questions.
- Which two criteria are worth the most points?
- A student’s essay has almost no grammar errors. It describes a problem at work in detail, but it never argues for a change. Which level will it receive for Argument?
- A student quotes two credible sources but does not say how they support the argument. Which level is this for Evidence? What one change would raise it?
- The rubric says “Errors are few.” Does that mean many errors or not many?
- You have one hour before the essay is due. Which is the better use of the hour: making your reasons clearer, or checking every comma?
Show suggested answers
- Argument and Evidence. Each is worth 30 points. Together they are 60 of the 100 points.
- Beginning. That box says “Describes a problem but does not argue for a change.” Good grammar earns points in the Language row. It cannot replace the argument.
- Developing. To reach Strong, the student needs to add a sentence after each source that explains how it supports the argument.
- Not many. Few without a means almost none.
- Making your reasons clearer. Argument is worth 30 points. In the Language row, an error matters most when it makes the meaning unclear, and a comma rarely does that.
Next step
Try this with a rubric from one of your classes
- Find the criterion with the most points.
- Highlight the description at the highest level for each criterion.
- Turn each description into a question. For example: “Did I explain how each source supports my argument?”
- Answer those questions before you submit your work.