Manual Grading (Essays)
Manual grading is required for essay questions, complex subjective responses, and any question type that cannot be auto-graded. BeamEdUp provides a streamlined grading interface where instructors review answers one at a time, assign marks, and provide feedback.
Grading Process
1
Open a Submission
From the Grading Dashboard or Submissions list, click "Grade" on a pending submission. The grading interface opens showing the learner name, exam title, and a progress bar.
2
Run Auto-Grade (Optional)
Click the "Auto Grade" button to automatically score all objective questions (MCQ, True/False, Fill-in-Blanks). This saves time by handling questions with definitive answers first.
3
Review Each Question
Navigate through questions using Previous/Next buttons. Each question card shows the question text, the learner's answer, the question type, and available marks.
4
Assign Marks & Feedback
For each essay or subjective question, enter the marks obtained and optional feedback. Click "Grade" to save the grade for that question. The progress bar updates automatically.
5
Submit Final Grades
Once all questions are graded (progress bar reaches 100%), a completion panel appears with a "Submit Grades" button. Click it to finalize all grades for this submission.
Grading Form
For each question, the grading form includes:
| Field | Required | Type | Description |
|---|---|---|---|
Marks Obtained | Required | number | The score awarded for this question. Must be between 0 and the maximum marks for the question. |
Feedback | Optional | text | Written feedback for the learner explaining the grade. Helpful for essays and subjective questions. |
Is Correct | Required | boolean | Automatically calculated: if marks obtained are at least 50% of the maximum, the answer is marked correct. |
Grading Interface Layout
The grading page has a clear layout:
- Header — Shows "Grade Submission" title, learner name, exam title, Auto Grade button, and a back button
- Progress Bar — Shows
gradedQuestions / totalQuestionswith a visual progress indicator - Question Card — Displays the question text, learner's answer, question number, type, and available marks
- Grading Form — Marks input, feedback textarea, and a Grade button
- Navigation — Previous and Next buttons to move between questions
Essay Grading Tips
When grading essays, consider the following:
- Review the rubric or sample answer provided in the question data for grading criteria
- Check if word count limits (min/max) were respected by the learner
- Provide constructive feedback that helps the learner understand their score
- Be consistent across submissions — grade all submissions for one exam before moving to another
Completing the Grading
When all questions are graded, the interface transitions to a completion view with a summary and a "Submit Grades" button. Clicking it finalizes the grades, updates the submission status, and makes results available to the learner (if result publishing is enabled).