{"id":10180,"date":"2026-10-06T15:55:58","date_gmt":"2026-10-06T14:55:58","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/sites.cardiff.ac.uk\/education-development-toolkit\/?page_id=10180"},"modified":"2026-10-06T15:56:04","modified_gmt":"2026-10-06T14:56:04","slug":"developing-and-employing-assessment-criteria","status":"publish","type":"page","link":"https:\/\/sites.cardiff.ac.uk\/education-development-toolkit\/developing-and-employing-assessment-criteria\/","title":{"rendered":"Developing and Employing Assessment Criteria\u00a0"},"content":{"rendered":"

Introduction<\/span><\/b><\/h2>\n

Assessment criteria play a critical role in supporting fair, transparent, and meaningful assessment. They help students understand what is expected of them, enable markers to make consistent judgements, and provide a framework for constructive feedback. Well-designed criteria contribute to assessment and feedback literacy, supporting students to evaluate their own work, engage with feedback, and develop as independent learners.<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Who is this page for?<\/span><\/b>\u00a0<\/span><\/h2>\n

This page is intended for anyone involved in the design, delivery, marking, moderation, or review of assessment in higher education. This includes programme and module leaders, teaching staff, assessment designers, external examiners, and colleagues involved in quality assurance and educational development. It may also be useful for staff reviewing assessment practices at programme level or exploring opportunities for student partnership in assessment design.<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Developing effective assessment criteria aligns with the principles underpinning the Professional Standards Framework (PSF 2024). In particular, it supports educators in designing inclusive and authentic learning and assessment experiences, communicating expectations clearly, and enabling learners to engage actively in evaluating and improving their performance. The approaches outlined reflect PSF commitments to promoting equitable learning opportunities, supporting learner success through evidence-informed practice, and fostering collaborative approaches to learning and assessment.<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Developing well-designed assessment criteria also supports Cardiff University’s <\/span>Our Future, Together<\/span><\/i> strategy by promoting inclusive, transparent and student-centred assessment practices. It can help to deliver an excellent educational experience, foster student partnership and belonging, and support learners to develop the knowledge, skills and self-regulation needed for lifelong learning and positive impact in their communities and professions<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

This page provides practical guidance on developing, reviewing, and using assessment criteria. It considers the characteristics of effective criteria, explores approaches to co-creating criteria with students, and highlights how criteria can be used to support consistent marking and moderation practices across programmes and modules.<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

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\n Chevron right<\/title>\n <\/path>\n<\/svg> How to Develop Good Assessment Criteria and Rubrics<\/h2>

Good, clear assessment criteria are appreciated by students and help to ensure that assessments are seen as fair, transparent, and consistent.<\/p>\n

Well-designed assessment criteria:<\/u><\/p>\n

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