The marking criteria: why you should care

Now, neither the word ‘marking’ nor ‘criteria’ sound particularly awe-inspiring. Together, they all but redefine ‘dry’. But, the marking criteria is one of the most valuable pieces of guidance the HSC dishes out.

While you can pander to your teacher’s love of the word ‘however’ for months, once your responses are set free into the abyss of the marking centre, there’s no telling whose desk they’ll land on. But one thing’s for certain; the marking criteria will be there waiting for them.

So, without further ado, here’s 3 sure-fire ways to make the marking criteria your new best friend:

1. Eliminate the guesswork

Now, you could write an absolutely fire essay, but if it doesn’t answer the question, it’s not gonna get you far. The exact same logic applies to fulfilling the marking criteria. If you’re not hitting those marks, it simply doesn’t matter how amazing it is.

The marking criteria is meant to lay down the path to success for you. It’s the dots on a dot-to-dot painting. And yet, some of us ignore it all entirely. I can tell you now, free-handing that painting isn’t going to have the same effect as if you just stuck to the dots.

The problem arises when people can’t even see where the dots are. Understanding the marking criteria is the first, and most important, step to nailing a task. Read it carefully, read it a few times, look up words you don’t understand. Try to put every sentence of the Band 6 box (yep, it doesn’t matter where you sit in the pack – everyone should be using the Band 6 box for guidance) into your own words.

If all this is at a loss, sit down with your teacher and nut it out bit by bit, until you’ve got a really solid grasp. If you can’t understand the criteria, how are you meant to understand the assignment?

2. Get familiarised

If you’re catering a hand-in assignment to a marking criteria, you should be catering an exam response to one too, so obviously this means getting pretty cosy with the ins and outs of that golden sheet of paper sitting on the marker’s desk.

But, when I say get familiarised, I’m talking on a subject-level.

While a quick skim read of the criteria for English and Modern History may suggest they’re basically the same thing, with the words ‘sophisticated’ and ‘succinct’ jumping all over the place, it’s really important to understand the differences. Not all marking sheets are created equally, and they’re all going to be geared toward the subject in some really specific ways, once you look closely.

For English, that sophistication is directed toward your use of language. For History, it’s more likely they’re talking about your ability to assess sources. Being able to understand and apply these differences is where you’ll find those hidden marks.

3. Practice, practice, practice

Now, all of your proper assessments should have a marking criteria slapped on the back, but that doesn’t mean you should only be looking at them when it really counts. Practice makes perfect, and you should be practicing applying the skills on the criteria whenever you’re attempting a response, not just for the real deal.

So, if you’re attempting a past paper, or been given an essay for homework, don’t do it without knowing what marking criteria applies there. Look on the Board of Studies website for standardised exam criteria, or chuck your teacher an email and ask what criteria she’s going to use to mark that homework.

Even try reviewing your own practice responses next to the criteria and see where you might not be hitting the mark. Going just that half a mile further to make sure you’re walking down the right path can make all the difference.

So, there you have it. It may not be the most exciting thing ever, but start thinking of the marking criteria as a kind of backwards cheat sheet, and things can suddenly become a lot clearer. No more teacher mind-reading needed.