How to make a grading rubric, step by step.

01What is a rubric?

A rubric combines two things: the criteria, which are the aspects you will assess (for example, the thesis or the spelling of an essay), and the performance levels, which describe what each criterion looks like when the work is excellent, good, satisfactory or insufficient.

There are two main types:

• Analytic: it assesses each criterion separately. It is the most useful for feedback, because students see exactly what to improve.
• Holistic: it gives a single overall judgment of the work. It is faster to apply, but it explains less.

This article focuses on the analytic rubric, the one most widely used in the classroom.

1Insufficient

2Satisfactory

3Good

4Excellent

02How to make a rubric in 6 steps

1. Start from the learning objective

   Before thinking about the table, ask yourself what students should demonstrate with this task. If the objective is “to argue with evidence”, that is the core of the rubric; everything else is secondary.

2. Choose between three and six criteria

   Each criterion should assess one thing only and not overlap with the others. With fewer than three, the rubric says little; with more than six, it becomes hard to apply and to understand.

3. Define the performance levels

   Four levels usually work best: excellent, good, satisfactory and insufficient. An even number avoids a “safe” middle level and forces you to decide whether the work is above or below expectations.

4. Describe each level with observable behaviors

   This is the most important step. Avoid vague adjectives such as “good” or “adequate” and describe what can be seen in the work. Instead of “good argumentation”, write “each argument is supported by at least one relevant source”.

5. Assign points or weights

   Decide how much each level is worth and whether some criterion counts more than another. If the task is about arguing, argumentation can be worth twice as much as spelling.

6. Test it and share it before the task

   Apply the rubric to one or two sample papers to check that it distinguishes the levels well. Then give it to your students along with the assignment, so they know from the start what is expected.

A good rubric isn’t written to justify a grade. It’s written so students know, from day one, what excellent work looks like.

03Example: rubric for an argumentative essay

This analytic rubric, designed for secondary school, assesses four criteria with four levels each:

Criterion	Excellent (4)	Good (3)	Satisfactory (2)	Insufficient (1)
Thesis	States a clear, original and defensible thesis in the introduction.	States a clear thesis, though not very original.	The thesis is present but vague, or has to be inferred.	There is no identifiable thesis.
Arguments and evidence	Every argument is supported by relevant, well-cited evidence.	Most arguments have adequate evidence.	Evidence is scarce or loosely related to the thesis.	Makes claims without evidence.
Structure	Introduction, body and conclusion connect with clear transitions.	The structure is clear, with an occasional abrupt shift.	The parts are there, but the order is sometimes confusing.	No structure can be identified.
Writing and spelling	No errors, with precise and varied vocabulary.	Few errors, which do not affect understanding.	Frequent errors that sometimes make reading difficult.	Errors prevent the text from being understood.

04Common mistakes when making a rubric

• Overlapping criteria. If “coherence” and “structure” measure the same thing, students lose points twice for the same mistake.
• Vague descriptors. “Very good”, “good” and “fair” explain nothing. Each level should be recognizable when reading the work.
• Too many criteria. A twelve-row rubric for a short task is hard to apply and overwhelms students.
• Handing it out after the task. A rubric that students only see with their grade justifies the grade; it does not help them learn.