Setting and maintaining a grading standard

Setting and maintaining a grading standard Man delivering webinar
Date: 21 May 2024 Venue: Online
Time: 12:30 - 14:00
Type: Workshop Fee: £95 (Members - £85.50)

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Bookings close 20 May 2024 at 11am (UK time)

This workshop is accredited for continuing professional development (1.5 CPD hours), with certification post attendance.

Grading is the process of setting thresholds, boundaries or cut-off scores to recognise how well a candidate has performed in assessments for a particular syllabus. In order for these grades to be valid, we need to make sure that they are reliable and can be compared across subjects and years. In this interactive workshop, we will explore different approaches to grading and how these can be applied in your own context.

The workshop is aimed at those who are familiar with the processes involved in assessment, for example the use of question papers, marking and reporting outcomes to candidates.  This could be teachers with an interest in understanding how their candidates’ grades are determined or those working at awarding organisations who want to understand the different ways to approach this process.

If you are new to the grading process, or have limited experience, this workshop will give you everything you need to get going. Or if you are more experienced and want to refresh your skills this workshop will increase your understanding of the underpinning principles and boost confidence in your practice. 

Course outline

This workshop will explore the different ways to set a grading standard and how to maintain this standard. You will explore when these different approaches to setting a grading standard can be used, and some of the challenges each approach raises. 

By the end of the workshop you will have a greater understanding of the principles underpinning the grading process and have had an opportunity to apply these through practical exercises to support your understanding. You will also take away resources to support you in applying the learning to your own context.

Key learning outcomes

By the end of the workshop you will have:

  • An understanding about what grading is, and why it is used
  • Learned about the different approaches to setting and maintaining a grading standard, and explored how these might be applied to your own context
  • Engaged with the opportunities and challenges raised by the different approaches

Course trainer

Photograph of Ellen LeggateDr Ellen Leggate has been a Senior Assessment Advisor at Cambridge Assessment International Education for six years. Her role focuses on ensuring assessment standards and quality for a wide portfolio of international high-stakes qualifications. She has a particular interest in the technical aspects of assessment design and delivery and in Cambridge Checkpoint assessments. Ellen’s first role in Cambridge Assessment was as an Assessment Manager in the Sciences team, responsible for IGCSE and International A Level Chemistry. Prior to joining Cambridge Assessment, she worked for 10 years as a secondary science teacher, and also as an OCR examiner. She has a PhD in Biochemistry and an MA in Educational Assessment.

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Focusing on an important element of assessment design and practice, our assessment practitioner workshops are short, sharp sessions designed to fit seamlessly around your work commitments.

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