Using a level of response mark scheme revision notes

Purpose of the mark scheme

A level of response mark scheme assesses the overall quality of a student’s work against descriptions of different performance levels. The process is not based on finding one isolated feature. The assessor considers how well the work as a whole matches the qualities described for each level.

Step 1: Determine the level

Start with the lowest level in the mark scheme. Treat its descriptor as a ladder: decide whether the work meets that level before moving to the next one. Continue upwards until there is a level whose descriptor matches the work. With practice, lower levels may be skipped quickly when the work clearly exceeds them.

The decision should be based on overall quality rather than a small weakness or a specific part where the student has not performed as well as the descriptor suggests. If different parts of the response appear to match different levels, use a best-fit approach. Select the level that represents the response overall.

Step 2: Determine the mark

After assigning a level, select the mark within that level. Exemplar materials used for standardisation can be used as a comparison. Consider whether the work is at the same standard as the exemplar, better, or worse, and use that comparison to allocate the mark.

A response that is mainly at level 3 but includes a small amount of level 4 material should normally remain at level 3. However, the higher-level material may justify a mark near the top of level 3. This shows the distinction between choosing the level and choosing the precise mark within it.

Important boundary

Work containing nothing relevant to the project area being assessed must receive no marks for that area. Relevance is therefore essential before the quality of the work can be rewarded.

Common errors

• Choosing a level from one impressive or weak detail instead of judging the overall response.
• Automatically selecting the highest level mentioned in any part of the work.
• Failing to use best fit when qualities from multiple levels are present.
• Selecting a mark before deciding the level.
• Ignoring exemplar comparisons when deciding the mark.
• Awarding marks to work that contains nothing relevant to the assessed project area.