Jackie Greatorex

Jin, C., Constantinou, F., Majewska, D., & Greatorex, J. (2026). What influences curriculum developers’ decisions during the curriculum-making process? Cambridge University Press & Assessment.

Brady, J., Majewska, D., & Greatorex, J. (2025). Wanted dead or alive: Canonical authors for literature in English curricula. Research Matters: A Cambridge University Press & Assessment publication, 40, 7-27. https://doi.org/10.17863/CAM.121934

Our study explored 250 international teachers’ definitions of the English-language literary canon. Questionnaire respondents defined the literary canon, rated the aesthetic value of 22 prose texts, and gave the 22 texts a “canon rating” to indicate the extent to which they thought the text was canonical. We found that teachers find some value in the literary canon, as defined by them, whereas others called for the canon to be expanded or disbanded. We report that perceived aesthetic quality appears to be a dimension of canon, and that authors seem to be admitted to the canon posthumously. The work provides a rare insight into teachers’ definitions of canon – information that helps those who set curricula, and those in the wider education ecosystem, to understand the complex meanings underpinning requests for students to study more or fewer canonical texts.

• Foreword Gill Elliott
• Editorial Victoria Crisp
• Wanted dead or alive: Canonical authors for literature in English curriculaJude Brady, Dominika Majewska and Jackie Greatorex
• Comparing open-book and closed-book exams in international literature in English assessmentsEmma Walland
• Highlights from research on the progression of Key Stage 4 and 5 cohorts impacted by the COVID-19 pandemicCarmen L. Vidal Rodeiro and Carmen H.J. Lim
• The ethics of deploying Large Language Models in high-stakes automarkingFrank Morley and Emma Walland
• Filled with skills: An analysis of four International AS and A LevelsIrenka Suto, Sarah Nelson, Judith Roberts, Aman Sidhu and Lesley Spence
• Research NewsLisa Bowett

Kreijkes, P., & Greatorex, J. (2024). Differential effects of subject-based and integrated curriculum approaches on students' learning outcomes: A review of reviews. Review of Education, 12, e3465.

Greatorex, J., & Ireland, J. (2024, 28 Feb–1 Mar). Comparing curricula from different regions: a common practice revamped by using MAXQDA [Poster presentation]. MAXQDA International Conference, Berlin, Germany. https://www.maxqda.com/wp/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/JGJI_Indigenous-Knowledge.pdf

Mouthaan, M., Johnson, M., Greatorex, J., Coleman, V., and Fitzsimons, S. (2021). Early policy response to COVID-19 in education—A comparative case study of the UK countries. Research Matters: A Cambridge Assessment publication, 31, 51-67.

Inspired by the work of David Raffe and his co-authors who set out the positive benefits gained from comparing the policies of “the UK home nations” in an article published in 1999, researchers in the Education and Curriculum Team launched a project in early 2020 that we called Curriculum Watch. The aim of this project was to collate a literature and documents database of education and curriculum policies, research and analyses from across the four countries of the United Kingdom (UK).

In this article, we draw on our literature database to make sense of the rapid changes in education policy that occurred in the early stages of the COVID-19 pandemic in the four UK nations of England, Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland. We analyse some of the key areas of UK policy formation and content (in relation to curriculum, pedagogy and assessment) that we observed during the first six months of the unfolding pandemic. In addition, we reiterate the clear benefits of using comparative research methods in the UK context: our research findings support the idea that closeness of national contexts offers the opportunity for evidence exchange and policy learning in education.

• Foreword Tim Oates, CBE
• Editorial Tom Bramley
• Attitudes to fair assessment in the light of COVID-19 Stuart Shaw, Isabel Nisbet
• On using generosity to combat unreliability Tom Benton
• A guide to what happened with Vocational and Technical Qualifications in summer 2020 Sarah Mattey
• Early policy response to COVID-19 in education—A comparative case study of the UK countries Melissa Mouthaan, Martin Johnson, Jackie Greatorex, Tori Coleman, Sinead Fitzsimons
• Generation Covid and the impact of lockdown Gill Elliott
• Disruption to school examinations in our past Gillian Cooke, Gill Elliott
• Research News Anouk Peigne

Suto, I., Greatorex, J., Vitello, S., and Child, S. (2020). A way of using taxonomies to demonstrate that applied qualifications and curricula cover multiple domains of knowledge. Research Matters: A Cambridge Assessment publication, 30, 26-34.

Educational taxonomies are classification schemes which provide the terminology that educationalists need to describe and work with different areas of knowledge. It is good practice to use taxonomies to formulate and review curricula, learning objectives, and associated assessments. Demonstrating sufficient coverage of each of an adequate range of knowledge domains is critical for authenticity, for assessment reliability, and for transparency surrounding what students are learning.

In this study we explored whether any educational taxonomies that were designed for general educational contexts (sometimes called ‘academic’ contexts) could be utilised in applied educational contexts (often called ‘vocationally-related’ in England) . To do this, we identified nine published taxonomies with sufficient potential, and selected and combined the most appropriate. This process led us to develop a new model of demand.  We then applied the selected taxonomies experimentally to existing curricula in a range of applied subjects which are taught at secondary and tertiary level in England. We also used the selected taxonomies to develop a tool for writing educational objectives. This article ends with suggestions for applying the selected taxonomies in other areas of assessment.

Fitzsimons, S., Coleman, V., Greatorex, J., Salem, H., and Johnson, M. (2020). Context matters—Adaptation guidance for developing a local curriculum from an international curriculum framework. Research Matters: A Cambridge Assessment publication, 30, 12-18.

The Learning Passport (LP) is a collaborative project between the University of Cambridge, UNICEF and Microsoft, which aims to support the UNICEF goal of providing quality education provision for children and youth whose education has been disrupted by crisis or disaster. A core component of this project is a curriculum framework for Mathematics, Science and Literacy which supports educators working in emergency contexts. This framework provides a broad outline of the essential content progressions that should be incorporated into a curriculum to support quality learning in each subject area, and is intended to act as a blueprint for localised curriculum development across a variety of contexts. To support educators in the development of this localised curriculum an LP Adaptation Guidance document was also created. This document provides guidance on several factors that local curriculum developers should consider before using the LP Curriculum Framework for their own curriculum development process. This article discusses how key areas within the LP Adaptation Guidance have broader relevance beyond education in emergencies, highlighting that the challenges that exist within some of the most deprived educational contexts have applicability in all contexts.

• Foreword Tim Oates, CBE
• Editorial Tom Bramley
• A New Cambridge Assessment Archive Collection Exploring Cambridge English Exams in Germany and England in JPLO Gillian Cooke
• Perspectives on curriculum design: comparing the spiral and the network models Jo Ireland, Melissa Mouthaan
• Context matters—Adaptation guidance for developing a local curriculum from an international curriculum framework Sinead Fitszimons, Victoria Coleman, Jackie Greatorex, Hiba Salem, Martin Johnson
• Setting and reviewing questions on-screen: issues and challenges Victoria Crisp, Stuart Shaw
• A way of using taxonomies to demonstrate that applied qualifcations and curricula cover multiple domains of knowledge Irenka Suto, Jackie Greatorex, Sylvia Vitello, Simon Child
• Research News Anouk Peigne

View the summary of the Learning Passport Research and Recommendations Report.

Greatorex, J., and Darlington, E. (2019). An international review of ways of involving employers in judging learners' performance in assessments. Presented at the Ofqual Educational Assessment Seminar, University of Warwick, UK, 4th April 2019.

Greatorex, J., Johnson, M. and Coleman, V. (2017). A review of instruments for assessing complex vocational competence. Research Matters: A Cambridge Assessment publication, 23, 35-42.

The aim of the research was to explore the measurement qualities of checklists and Global Rating Scales [GRS] in the context of assessing complex competence. Firstly, we reviewed the literature about the affordances of human judgement and the mechanical combination of human judgements. Secondly, we reviewed examples of checklists and GRS which are used to assess complex competence in highly regarded professions. These examples served to contextualise and elucidate assessment matters. Thirdly, we compiled research evidence from the outcomes of systematic reviews which compared advantages and disadvantages of checklists and GRS. Together the evidence provides a nuanced and firm basis for conclusions. Overall, literature shows that mechanical combination can outperform the human integration of evidence when assessing complex competence, and that therefore a good use of human judgements is in making decisions about individual traits, which are then mechanically combined. The weight of evidence suggests that GRS generally achieve better reliability and validity than checklists, but that a high quality checklist is better than a poor quality GRS. The review is a reminder that including assessors in designing assessment instruments processes can helps to maximise manageability.

Greatorex, J. (2014). Context in Mathematics questions. Research Matters: A Cambridge Assessment publication, 17, 18-23.

For at least two decades educationalists have debated whether Mathematics examination questions should be set in context. The aim of this article is to revisit the debate to answer the following questions: 1. What are the advantages and disadvantages of examining Mathematics in context? 2. What are the features of a high quality context? Initially several taxonomies (categories or classification systems) of context are reviewed and the research methods for evaluating the effects of context are considered. Subsequently, the advantages and disadvantages of using context in Mathematics examination questions are explored, focusing on research about public examinations in secondary school Mathematics in England. The literature is used to make recommendations about context in Mathematics questions.

Greatorex, J., Shaw, S., Hodson, P., Ireland, J. and Werno, M. (2013). Paper presented at British Education Studies Association conference, Swansea, 27-28 June 2013

Greatorex, J., Shaw, S., Hodson, P. and Ireland, J. (2013). Using scales of cognitive demand in a validation study of Cambridge International A and AS level Economics. Research Matters: A Cambridge Assessment publication, 15, 29-37.

The research aims to map the cognitive demand of examination questions in A and AS Level economics. To this end we used the CRAS (complexity, resources, abstractness, strategy) framework, an established way of analysing the cognitive demand of examination questions. Six subject experts applied the CRAS framework to selected question papers which included multiple choice, essay and data response items. That is each subject expert rated the level of cognitive demand of each question twice; without reference to the mark scheme and once with reference to the mark scheme. Ratings without the mark scheme indicate how demanding the questions appear.  Ratings with the mark scheme indicate the cognitive demands rewarded by the mark scheme. Analysis showed that the demands elicited by the question were similar to those rewarded by the mark scheme, which is evidence of validity. The findings are used to explore using CRAS with different types of items (multiple choice, essay and data response).

Greatorex, J. and Shaw, S. (2012). The validity of teacher assessed Independent Research Reports contributing to Cambridge Pre-U Global Perspectives and Research. Research Matters: A Cambridge Assessment publication, 14, 38-41.

This research considered the validity of tutor assessed, pre-university independent research reports. Evidence of construct relevance in tutors’ interpretations of the levels awarded to the candidates’ research process was investigated. This included designing, planning, managing and conducting their own research project using techniques and methods appropriate to the subject discipline. The research was conducted in the context of the Cambridge International Pre-U Global Perspectives and Independent Research qualification (the GPR), a pre-university qualification for 16-19 year olds which is designed to equip students with the skills required to make a success of their university studies.  Tutors’ justifications for the levels they gave candidates were considered.  In the first of two studies (Study 1), tutor justifications were qualitatively analysed for specific tutor behaviours that might highlight tutors interpreting levels in a construct irrelevant way.  In the second study (Study 2), external moderators (EMs) rated the justifications according to the extent to which they reflected the intended constructs.  Study 1 showed little evidence of construct irrelevance and Study 2 provided strong evidence of construct relevance in tutors’ interpretation of the levels they awarded candidates for the research process. 

Greatorex, J. and Shiell, H. (2012). Piloting a method for comparing the demand of vocational qualifications with general qualifications. Research Matters: A Cambridge Assessment publication, 14, 29-38.

Frequently, researchers are tasked with comparing the demand of vocational and general qualifications, and methods of comparison often rely on human judgement.  Therefore, the research aims to develop an instrument to compare vocational and general qualifications, pilot the instrument and explore how experts judge demand.  Reading a range of OCR (Oxford Cambridge and Royal Society of Arts Examinations) level 2 specifications illustrated that they included knowledge, skills and understanding from five domains; the affective, cognitive, interpersonal, metacognitive, and psychomotor domains. Therefore, these domains were included in the instrument. Four cognate units were included in the study. Four experts participated, each with familiarity with at least one unit. Each expert read pairs of unit specifications and judged which was more demanding in each domain (affective, cognitive, interpersonal, metacognitive and psychomotor).  Subsequently, they completed a questionnaire about their experience. The results are presented.  It was found that the demands instrument was suitable for comparing the demand of cognate units from vocational and general qualifications.

Greatorex, J. (2011). Comparing different types of qualifications: an alternative comparator. Research Matters: A Cambridge Assessment publication, Special Issue 2, 34-41. 

Returns to qualifications is a statistical measure of how much more is earned on average by people with a particular qualification compared to people with similar demographic characteristics who do not have the qualification. Awarding bodies and the national regulator do not generally use this research method in comparability studies, although they are prominent in government reviews of qualifications. 

This article considers what returns to qualifications comparability research can offer awarding bodies. This comparator enables researchers to make comparisons which cannot be achieved by other methods, for instance, comparisons between different types of qualifications, occupations, sectors and progression routes. It has the advantage that it is more independent than customary comparators used in many comparability studies.

As with all research approaches, returns to qualifications has strengths and weaknesses, but provides some robust comparability evidence. The strongest comparability evidence is when there is a clear pattern in the results of several studies using different established research methods and independent data sets. Therefore results from returns to qualifications research combined with results from the customary comparators would provide a strong research evidence base.

Greatorex, J., Mehta, S., Rushton, N., Hopkin, R. and Shiell, H. (2011). Developing a research tool for comparing qualifications. Research Matters: A Cambridge Assessment publication, 12, 33-42.

Comparability studies about qualification standards generally use demand or candidates’ performance as comparators. However, these can be unrepresentative for vocational and new qualifications. Consequently, other comparators need to be used. This article details the process of devising and piloting a research instrument to compare the features of cognate units from diverse qualifications and subjects.

First, knowledge was elicited from twelve experts through Kelly’s repertory grid interviews where they were asked to compare different types of qualifications. This data was analysed thematically.  Four features and several sub-features were identified. These features were used to categorise the interview data and develop the research instrument. A pilot of the instrument indicated that salient features varied between units. Therefore, the instrument is suitable for use in future comparability studies about features. However, conventions still need to be agreed for how to analyse the data that is collected using the instrument.

Novakovic, N. and Greatorex, J. (2011). Comparing the demand of syllabus content in the context of vocational qualifications: literature, theory and method.  Research Matters: A Cambridge Assessment publication, 11, 25-32.

Our literature review considers the methods used in studies comparing the demands of vocational syllabus content in England. Generally, categories of demands are either derived from subject experts’ views or devised by researchers. Subsequently, subject experts rate each syllabus on each demand category and comparisons can be made. However, problems with the methods include: i) Some studies over-focus on the cognitive domain rather than the affective, interpersonal and psychomotor domains; ii) Experts vary in their interpretations of rating scales. Therefore, we suggest creating a framework of demands which includes all four domains, based on a variety of subject experts’ views of demands. The subject experts might rank each syllabus on each type of demand, thus avoiding the problem(s) of rating scales, and facilitating comparisons between syllabuses.

Greatorex, J. and Rushton, N. (2010). Is CRAS a suitable tool for comparing specification demands from vocational qualifications? Research Matters: A Cambridge Assessment publication, 10, 40-44.

The aim of the research was to ascertain whether a framework of cognitive demands, known as CRAS, is a suitable tool for comparing the demands of vocational qualifications.  CRAS was developed for use with academic examinations and may not tap into the variety of demands which vocational qualifications place on candidates.  Data were taken from a series of comparability studies by awarding bodies and the national regulator.  The data were the frameworks (often questionnaires) used to compare qualifications in these studies.  All frameworks were mapped to CRAS.  It was found that most aspects of the various frameworks mapped to an aspect of CRAS.  However, there were demands which did not map to CRAS; these were mostly affective and interpersonal demands, such as working in a team.  Affective and interpersonal domains are significant in vocational qualifications; therefore, using only CRAS to compare vocational qualifications is likely to omit key demands from the comparison.

Greatorex, J. (2010). How do examiners make judgements about standards? Some insights from a qualitative analysis. Research Matters: A Cambridge Assessment publication, 9, 24-32.

There is a good deal of research about how judgements are made in awarding when A level and GCSE grade boundaries are chosen. There is less research about how judgements are made in Thurstone paired comparisons and rank ordering (popular methods in comparability studies to compare grading standards). Therefore, the research question for the present study is ‘how do Principal Examiners (PEs) make judgements about standards in awarding, Thurstone paired comparisons and rank ordering?’ The present article draws from a wider project in which Principal Examiners thought aloud whilst making judgements about the quality of candidates’ work and grading standards in awarding, Thurstone paired comparisons and rank ordering situations analogous to how these methods are practised. For the present analysis a coding frame was developed to qualitatively analyse the think aloud data. The coding frame constituted codes grounded in the think aloud data and grade descriptors from the qualification specification. It was found that overall the Principal Examiners attended to valid factors such as where marks were gained, responses to key questions and characteristics of candidates’ work that were in the grade descriptors.When the importance of each factor was considered there were some similarities and some differences between the methods. Implications and recommendations are discussed.

Suto, I., Greatorex, J. and Nadas, R. (2009). Thinking about making the right mark: Using cognitive strategy research to explore examiner training. Research Matters: A Cambridge Assessment publication, 8, 23-32.

In this article, we draw together research on examiner training and on the nature of the judgements entailed in the marking process. We report new analyses of data from two recent empirical studies, Greatorex and Bell (2008) and Suto and Nadas (2008a), exploring possible relationships between the efficacy of training and the complexity of the cognitive marking strategies apparently needed to mark the examination questions under consideration. In the first study reported in this article, we considered the benefits of three different training procedures for experienced examiners marking AS-level biology questions. In the second study reported here, we explored the effects of a single training procedure on experienced and inexperienced (graduate) examiners marking GCSE mathematics and physics questions. In both studies, it was found that: (i) marking accuracy was better after training than beforehand; and (ii) the effect of training on change in marking accuracy varied across all individual questions. Our hypothesis that training would be more beneficial for apparently more complex cognitive marking strategy questions than for apparently simple cognitive marking strategy questions was upheld for both subjects in Study 2, but not in Study 1.

Sykes, E., Novakovic, N., Greatorex, J., Bell, J., Nadas, R. and Gill, T. (2009). How effective is fast and automated feedback to examiners in tackling the size of marking errors? Research Matters: A Cambridge Assessment publication, 8, 8-15.

Reliability is important in national assessment systems. Therefore, there is a good deal of research about examiners’ marking reliability. However, some questions remain unanswered due to the changing context of e-marking, particularly the opportunity for fast and automated feedback to examiners on their marking. Some of these questions are:

•    will iterative feedback result in greater marking accuracy than only one feedback session?
•    will encouraging examiners to be consistent (rather than more accurate) result in greater marking accuracy?
•    will encouraging examiners to be more accurate (rather than more consistent) result in greater marking accuracy?

Thirty three examiners were matched into four experimental groups based on severity of their marking. All examiners marked the same 100 candidate responses, in the same short time scale. Group 1 received one session of feedback about their accuracy. Group 2 received three iterative sessions of feedback about the accuracy of their marking. Group 3 received one session of feedback about their consistency. Group 4 received three iterative sessions of feedback about the consistency of their marking. Absolute differences between examiners’ marking and a reference mark were analysed using a general linear model. The results of the present analysis pointed towards the answer to all the research questions being “no”. The results presented in this article are not intended to be used to evaluate current marking practices. Rather the article is intended to contribute to answering the research questions, and developing an evidence base for the principles that should be used to design and improve marking practices.

Greatorex, J. and Nádas, R. (2009). Using ‘thinking aloud’ to investigate judgements about A-level standards: Does verbalising thoughts result in different decisions? Research Matters: A Cambridge Assessment publication, 7, 8-16.

The ‘think aloud’ method entails people verbalising their thoughts while they do tasks, resulting in ‘verbal protocols’. The verbal protocols are analysed by researchers to identify the cognitive strategies and processes as well as the factors that affect decision making. Verbal protocols have been widely used to study decisions in educational assessment. The main methodological concern about using verbal protocols is whether thinking aloud compromises ecological validity (the authenticity of the thought processes) and thus the decision outcomes. Researchers have investigated to what extent verbalising affected the thinking processes under investigation in a variety of settings. Currently, the research literature generally is inconclusive; most results show just longer performance times and no alternative task outcome.

Previous research on marking collected decision outcomes from two conditions:
1. marking silently;
2. marking whilst thinking aloud.
The mark to re-mark differences were the same in the two conditions. However, it is important to confirm whether verbalising affects decisions about grading standards. Therefore, our main aim was to compare the outcomes of senior examiners making decisions about grading standards silently as opposed to whilst thinking aloud. Our article draws from a wider project taking three approaches to grading.

In experimental conditions, senior examiners made decisions about A-level grading standards for a science examination both silently and whilst thinking aloud. Three approaches to grading were used in the experiment. All scripts included in the research had achieved a grade A or B in the live examination. The decisions from the silent and verbalising conditions were statistically compared.

Our interim findings suggest that verbalising made little difference to the participants’ decisions; this is in line with previous research in other contexts. The findings reassure us that the verbal protocols are a useful method for research about decision making in both marking and grading.

Suto, I., Crisp, V. and Greatorex, J. (2008). Investigating the judgemental marking process: an overview of our recent research. Research Matters: A Cambridge Assessment publication, 5, 6-9.

This article gives an overview of a number of linked studies which explored the process of marking GCSE and A-level examination questions from a number of different angles. Key aims of these studies were to provide insights into how examiner training and marking accuracy could be improved, as well as reasoned justifications for how item types could be assigned to different groups of examiners in the future. The research studies combined several approaches, exploring both the information that people attend to when marking items and the sequences of mental operations involved. Examples include studies that used the think-aloud method to identify the cognitive marking strategies entailed in marking student responses, or to explore the broader socio-cognitive influences on the marking process. Other examples explored the relationship between cognitive marking strategy complexity and marking accuracy.

This article brings together the findings from these various related studies to summarise the influences and processes that have been identified as important to the marking process from the research conducted so far.

Greatorex, J. (2007). Did examiners' marking strategies change as they marked more scripts? Research Matters: A Cambridge Assessment publication, 4, 6-13.

Prior research used cognitive psychological theories to predict that examiners might begin marking a question using particular cognitive strategies but later in the marking session they might use different cognitive strategies. Specifically, it was predicted that when examiners are familiar with the question paper, mark scheme and candidates’ responses they:

•    use less ‘evaluating’ and ‘scrutinising’
•    more ‘matching’

This research tests these predictions.  All Principal Examiners (n=5), Team Leaders (n=5) and Assistant Examiners (n=59) who marked in the winter 2005 session were sent a questionnaire. The questionnaire asked about different occasions in the marking session.  It was found that sometimes examiners’ marking strategies changed as the examiners marked more scripts.  When there were considerable changes in cognitive strategies these were mostly in the predicted direction.

Greatorex, J. (2006). Judging learners' work on screen: Issues of validity. Research Matters: A Cambridge Assessment publication, 2, 14-17.

Current developments in Cambridge Assessment and elsewhere include assessors marking digital images of examination scripts on computer, rather than the original scripts on paper, and judges marking and moderating digitally produced coursework on computer, rather than on paper. One question such innovations raise is whether marks from judgements made about the same work presented on computer and on paper are comparable. Generally the literature concerning the on-screen marking of tests and examinations suggests that on-paper and on-screen scores are indeed comparable (e.g., Bennett, 2003; Greatorex, 2004), although Fowles and Adams (2005) report that differences have been found in studies by Whetton and Newton (2002), Sturman and Kispal (2003) and Royal-Dawson (2003). Our concern in this discussion article is that even when double marking studies find high levels of agreement between marks for the same work judged in different modes, issues of validity might be masked. We are thinking of validity in terms of the cognitive processes of the assessor when reaching a judgement, and how well these reflect the judgements that were intended when the assessment was devised.

Suto, I. and Greatorex, J. (2006). A cognitive psychological exploration of the GCSE marking process. Research Matters: A Cambridge Assessment publication, 2, 7-11.

GCSEs play a crucial role in secondary education throughout England and Wales, and the process of marking them, which entails extensive human judgement, is a key determinant in the futures of many sixteen-year-olds. The aims of our study were to investigate the cognitive strategies used when marking GCSEs and to interpret them within the context of psychological theories of human judgement.

Two GCSE examinations were considered: an intermediate tier Mathematics paper, which used a ‘points-based’ marking scheme, and a foundation tier Business Studies paper, which used a ‘levels-based’ scheme. For each subject, a group of six experienced examiners marked four identical script samples each. The first three of these samples were marked silently. Whilst marking the fourth sample, the examiners were asked to ‘think aloud’ concurrently. Using a semi-structured interview schedule, the examiners were later questioned about their marking experiences retrospectively.

A qualitative analysis of the verbal protocol data enabled us to propose a tentative model of marking, which includes five distinct cognitive marking strategies: matching, scanning, evaluating, scrutinising, and no response. These strategies were broadly validated not only in the retrospective interviews with the participating examiners, but also by other senior mathematics and business studies examiners.

Greatorex, J. (2005). A review of research about writing and using grade descriptors in GCSEs and A levels. Research Matters: A Cambridge Assessment publication, 1, 9-11.

This article describes current awarding practice and reviews literature about writing and using grade descriptors for GCSEs and A levels. Grade descriptors are descriptions of the qualities anticipated at various levels of a candidates’ performance in an assessment. It is concluded that it is good practice to write grade descriptors based on empirical evidence. Grade descriptors for different domains and types of questions can be written by:

1) identifying questions where there is a statistically significant difference between the performance of students who achieve adjacent grades (e.g. A and B);
2) using Kelly’s Repertory Grid to interview examiners about the qualities which distinguish performance at these grades;
3) including these distinguishing qualities in grade descriptors.

Furthermore, there is little research about how grade descriptors are used, or could be used, in preparing pupils for assessments, and there is room for further research in this area.