A rubric template, and how to write one
For teachers in Gulf schools, from Grade 1 to Grade 12.
An open task — an essay, a project, a presentation, a practical — is usually marked on impression: a tidy script scores above a better one that is less well arranged. A rubric fixes that, and it helps the student before they write, because they know what is being asked and stop losing marks for something nobody requested. This guide says how to write one that actually gets used, and comes with a printable template.
Analytical, or holistic
There are two kinds, and choosing the kind is the first decision:
- An analytical rubric marks the task against separate criteria, each with its own marks. It suits work that will be repeated — a genre of writing, a kind of project — because you can tell a student where they improved and where they did not.
- A holistic rubric marks the whole task against one list of descriptions ("excellent", "good", "acceptable", "needs work"). It is quicker to mark, but it does not tell the student the next step, and it leaves more room for the marker's impression.
The practical rule: holistic for the marks you take quickly at the end of a lesson, analytical once or twice a term, when you expect the student to do the same task again.
Four tests of a good criterion
- It can be seen: write what you will observe in the work, not a mental quality. "Names three pieces of evidence from the text" beats "thinks critically".
- It does not overlap: if two criteria measure the same thing, the marks are counted twice and a student loses the same mark for one mistake.
- It fits the class and what they have been taught: a rubric requiring a skill the class has never practised is a judgement, not an assessment.
- Few enough to remember: three or four. More than that and neither the teacher marking nor the student writing remembers them.
Levels that describe, not judge
The description that separates one level from the next should say what the student does, not what they are worth. A quick comparison:
| The wording that repeats | Wording you can actually use |
|---|---|
| "Excellent / good / weak" | "Names three pieces of evidence and explains each in a line" / "Names two" / "Names one or none" |
| "A polished piece of work" | "Steps in order, then a correct answer, checked against the question" |
| "Good language" | "Complete sentences, punctuation where it belongs, spelling errors that do not change the meaning" |
Spreading the marks across the rubric
Start from the total mark and work down to the criteria, not the other way round. Here is a 20-mark task with four equal criteria, each with four levels worth 5, 4, 3 and 2:
| Criterion | Marks | Level 4 | Level 3 | Level 2 | Level 1 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Idea and content | 5 | 5 | 4 | 3 | 2 |
| Evidence or example | 5 | 5 | 4 | 3 | 2 |
| Organisation and structure | 5 | 5 | 4 | 3 | 2 |
| Language and presentation | 5 | 5 | 4 | 3 | 2 |
| Total | 20 | 20 | 16 | 12 | 8 |
If you would rather the level's value were not fixed, let the description state the share: "the full mark", "three quarters", "half", "a quarter". What matters is that the rubric shows how the total is reached, and that the total matches the mark the students were told.
Give students the rubric before they write
A rubric nobody has seen works once: at marking. Handed out before the deadline, it becomes a set of instructions ordered by importance, and a chance for a student to ask before they make the mistake. For younger classes, write the student version: the criteria in their words, two or three levels rather than four, and one short example of each.
The mistakes that repeat
- Overlapping criteria: "accuracy" and "content" measuring the same thing and the same mark counted twice.
- Levels named as judgements: the student reads "weak" and still does not know what to do differently tomorrow.
- Two criteria in one box: "language and organisation" means a student who structures well and punctuates badly is marked as neither.
- A total that does not match the printed mark: the fault students notice first.
The template, ready to print
One page: the task, class and total mark; the four criteria with their levels and numbers; a box for the mark and a line for a written comment to the student; and a line for the signature and date. Print it, write on it, then copy it for the next task of the same kind.
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And a full rubric in one quick task
In EdSmartly, describe the task the students will do and add any criteria you must include, and the Rubric quick task drafts criteria with four levels plus the student-friendly version — the two versions this page has just argued for. Read it, change it, approve it; until you approve it the draft stays marked "not yet reviewed".
A teacher can try EdSmartly free for 15 days on their own account, with no card. After that it is $7 a month, and you can cancel at any time. If you do not subscribe, quick tasks stay free: 10 a month. To see everything else, read what you can do in EdSmartly.
For school leaders
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