Grading and Moderation

Grade integrity refers to the extent to which the grades are true representations of students’ academic achievement. It requires that grades are awarded based on the students’ achievement of the learning outcomes alone and nothing else.

Grade consistency refers to the degree of agreement in the meaning of the grades assigned to students’ work across assessments, assessors, and assessment contexts. This means that the standard that a grade represents is always the same (within the University) and that students achieving the same academic standards should get the same grades.

Grade integrity and consistency are fundamental to the robust and fair assessment of student learning and the credibility of academic qualifications.

Moderation involves teachers (and sometimes external experts) in checking, reviewing and/or discussing the design, implementation (or practice) and outcomes of assessment, to ensure that assessments are designed appropriately and marked consistently and fairly. It is a quality assurance process as it helps to ensure:

• validity and reliability of assessment tasks, criteria, and standards
• consistency, appropriateness, and fairness of assessment judgments

Moderation can also be a professional learning activity for teachers as it encourages:

• reflection and discussion which deepen teachers’ understanding and knowledge of assessment qualities and standards
• professional development by setting goals to enhance assessment and grading practices, as well as teaching practices to enhance student learning