This guidance covers both letter grading using the old regulations and percentage grading using the new regulations. For more information about which regulations apply to the module(s) you are grading, please see: Academic Registry Staff Update August 2024
• Guidance for staff marking using percentages (new regulations)
• Guidance for staff marking using letters (old regulations)
Marking using percentages (new regulations)
When using a rubric for grading you will want to ensure that you correctly set your rubric's percentage-range values to align with University's grade boundaries. In order to do this, we recommend using percentage-range rubrics in Blackboard and setting the values as follows:
Undergraduate percentage-range rubrics
| Criteria | Weighting | Distinction / 1st / A | Merit / 2:1 / B | Commended / 2:2 / C | Pass / 3rd / D | Fail |
| Learning Outcome 1 | % as appropriate | 70 - 100% | 60 - 69% | 50 - 59% | 40 - 49% | 0 - 39% |
| Learning Outcome 2 | % as appropriate | 70 - 100% | 60 - 69% | 50 - 59% | 40 - 49% | 0 - 39% |
| Learning Outcome n | % as appropriate | 70 - 100% | 60 - 69% | 50 - 59% | 40 - 49% | 0 - 39% |
Postgraduate percentage-range rubrics
| Criteria | Weighting | Distinction / A | Merit / B | Pass / C | Fail |
| Learning Outcome 1 | % as appropriate | 70 - 100% | 60 - 69% | 50 - 59% | 0 - 49% |
| Learning Outcome 2 | % as appropriate | 70 - 100% | 60 - 69% | 50 - 59% | 0 - 49% |
| Learning Outcome n | % as appropriate | 70 - 100% | 60 - 69% | 50 - 59% | 0 - 49% |
Advice on using percentage-range rubrics
While the University specifies that staff should mark to learning outcomes, how staff do this is a matter of academic judgement and may vary between academics and subject areas. When using rubrics to mark to learning outcomes, although each row will normally contain a learning outcome (or part of a learning outcome if staff have chosen to unpack a complex learning outcome into different sub-components), the weightings applied to each learning outcome, the column header naming convention used, and the rubric descriptions (i.e., the contents of each of the cells within the rubric) are all matters of academic judgement, as is the matter of whether the rubric runs left to right, or right to left in terms of its high and low values.
More information on how to create percentage-range rubrics
For technical advice and guidance about how to set up and deploy rubrics, see: Blackboard Help - Create Rubrics, or book a session with your learning technologist.
For support and guidance on what makes a good rubric, and how to design and write good rubric, contact the learning designers via email at: LD@northampton.ac.uk.
Marking using letters (old regulations)
When using a rubric for grading you will want to ensure that you correctly set the values to match either the UnderGrad or PostGrad Letter schemas. The most common way of doing this is to use Blackboard's point-range rubrics. When using a point-range rubric, please ensure that your rubric has a total maximum point value of 100. If this is not done, the rubric will not work properly with the letter grading schemas.
Please note that although the University uses letter grading, NILE has to use numbers to build grades within the rubrics. The rubric tool builds a grade from the criteria levels that you specify that the student achieves. This might end up being a numeric value that sits at the top, middle or bottom of a range (e.g. 80 to 100 is an A+). When manually entering a grade for A+ you would enter ‘90’. When a rubric is used, to assign an A+ any number between 80 and 100 would assign it. The criteria and your comments on the rubric will justify the grade.
Undergraduate point-range rubrics
|
Criteria Weighting |
Distinction |
Merit |
Commended |
Pass |
Fail |
No submission |
|
10 |
7 to 10 |
6 |
5 |
4 |
1 to 3 |
0 |
|
15 |
11 to 15 |
9 to 10 |
8 |
6 to 7 |
1 to 5 |
0 |
|
20 |
14 to 20 |
12 to 13 |
10 to 11 |
8 to 9 |
1 to 7 |
0 |
|
25 |
18 to 25 |
15 to 17 |
13 to 14 |
10 to 12 |
1 to 9 |
0 |
|
30 |
21 to 30 |
18 to 20 |
15 to 17 |
12 to 14 |
1 to 11 |
0 |
|
35 |
25 to 35 |
21 to 24 |
18 to 20 |
14 to 17 |
1 to 13 |
0 |
|
40 |
28 to 40 |
24 to 27 |
20 to 23 |
16 to 19 |
1 to 15 |
0 |
|
45 |
32 to 45 |
27 to 31 |
23 to 26 |
18 to 22 |
1 to 17 |
0 |
|
50 |
35 to 50 |
30 to 34 |
25 to 29 |
20 to 24 |
1 to 19 |
0 |
|
55 |
39 to 55 |
33 to 38 |
28 to 32 |
22 to 27 |
1 to 21 |
0 |
|
60 |
42 to 60 |
36 to 41 |
30 to 35 |
24 to 29 |
1 to 23 |
0 |
|
65 |
46 to 65 |
39 to 45 |
33 to 38 |
26 to 32 |
1 to 25 |
0 |
|
70 |
49 to 70 |
42 to 48 |
35 to 41 |
28 to 34 |
1 to 27 |
0 |
Undergraduate point-range rubrics with equally weighted rubric rows
|
Number of rows |
Distinction |
Merit |
Commended |
Pass |
Fail |
No submission |
|
2 = 2 rows of: |
35 to 50 |
30 to 34 |
25 to 29 |
20 to 24 |
1 to 19 |
0 |
|
3 = 2 rows of: + 1 row of: |
23 to 33 |
20 to 22 |
17 to 19 |
13 to 16 |
1 to 12 |
0 |
|
24 to 34 |
20 to 23 | 17 to 19 | 14 to 16 | 1 to 13 | 0 | |
|
4 = 4 rows of: |
18 to 25 |
15 to 17 |
13 to 14 |
10 to 12 |
1 to 9 |
0 |
|
5 = 5 rows of: |
14 to 20 |
12 to 13 |
10 to 11 |
8 to 9 |
1 to 7 |
0 |
|
6 = 4 rows of: + 2 rows of: |
12 to 17 |
10 to 11 |
9 |
7 to 8 |
1 to 6 |
0 |
|
11 to 16 |
10 to 10 | 8 to 9 | 6 to 7 | 1 to 5 | 0 | |
|
7 = 5 rows of: + 2 rows of: |
10 to 14 |
8 to 9 |
7 |
6 |
1 to 5 |
0 |
|
11 to 15 |
9 to 10 | 8 | 6 to 7 | 1 to 5 | 0 | |
|
8 = 4 rows of: + 4 rows of: |
9 to 13 |
8 |
7 |
5 to 6 |
1 to 4 |
0 |
|
8 to 12 |
7 | 6 | 5 | 1 to 4 | 0 |
Postgraduate point-range rubrics
|
Criteria Weighting |
Distinction |
Merit |
Pass |
Fail |
No submission |
|
10 |
7 to 10 |
6 |
5 |
1 to 4 |
0 |
|
15 |
11 to 15 |
9 to 10 |
8 |
1 to 7 |
0 |
|
20 |
14 to 20 |
12 to 13 |
10 to 11 |
1 to 9 |
0 |
|
25 |
18 to 25 |
15 to 17 |
13 to 14 |
1 to 12 |
0 |
|
30 |
21 to 30 |
18 to 20 |
15 to 17 |
1 to 14 |
0 |
|
35 |
25 to 35 |
21 to 24 |
18 to 20 |
1 to 17 |
0 |
|
40 |
28 to 40 |
24 to 27 |
20 to 23 |
1 to 19 |
0 |
|
45 |
32 to 45 |
27 to 31 |
23 to 26 |
1 to 22 |
0 |
|
50 |
35 to 50 |
30 to 34 |
25 to 29 |
1 to 24 |
0 |
|
55 |
39 to 55 |
33 to 38 |
28 to 32 |
1 to 27 |
0 |
|
60 |
42 to 60 |
36 to 41 |
30 to 35 |
1 to 29 |
0 |
|
65 |
46 to 65 |
39 to 45 |
33 to 38 |
1 to 32 |
0 |
|
70 |
49 to 70 |
42 to 48 |
35 to 41 |
1 to 34 |
0 |
Postgraduate point-range rubrics with equally weighted rubric rows
|
Number of rows |
Distinction |
Merit |
Pass |
Fail |
No submission |
|
2 = 2 rows of: |
35 to 50 |
30 to 34 |
25 to 29 |
1 to 24 |
0 |
|
3 = 2 rows of: + 1 row of: |
23 to 33 |
20 to 22 |
17 to 19 |
1 to 16 |
0 |
|
24 to 34 |
20 to 23 | 17 to 19 | 1 to 16 | 0 | |
|
4 = 4 rows of: |
18 to 25 |
15 to 17 |
13 to 14 |
1 to 12 |
0 |
|
5 = 5 rows of: |
14 to 20 |
12 to 13 |
10 to 11 |
1 to 9 |
0 |
|
6 = 4 rows of: + 2 rows of: |
12 to 17 |
10 to 11 |
9 |
1 to 8 |
0 |
|
11 to 16 |
10 to 10 | 8 to 9 | 1 to 7 | 0 | |
|
7 = 5 rows of: + 2 rows of: |
10 to 14 |
8 to 9 |
7 |
1 to 6 |
0 |
|
11 to 15 |
9 to 10 | 8 | 1 to 7 | 0 | |
|
8 = 4 rows of: + 4 rows of: |
9 to 13 |
8 |
7 |
1 to 6 |
0 |
|
8 to 12 |
7 | 6 | 1 to 5 | 0 |
Advice on using point-range rubrics
While the University specifies that staff should mark to learning outcomes, how staff do this is a matter of academic judgement and may vary between academics and subject areas. When using rubrics to mark to learning outcomes, although each row will normally contain a learning outcome (or part of a learning outcome if staff have chosen to unpack a complex learning outcome into different sub-components), the weightings applied to each learning outcome, the column header naming convention used, and the rubric descriptions (i.e., the contents of each of the cells within the rubric) are all matters of academic judgement, as is the matter of whether the rubric runs left to right, or right to left in terms of its high and low values.
More information on how to create point-range rubrics
For technical advice and guidance about how to set up and deploy rubrics, see: Blackboard Help - Create Rubrics, or book a session with your learning technologist.
For support and guidance on what makes a good rubric, and how to design and write good rubric, contact the learning designers via email at: LD@northampton.ac.uk.
More information
For more information about setting up and marking assessments in NILE, please see the FAQ, How do I grade my assessments in NILE?, and the NILE Assessment Workflows on the Learning Technology Team website (links below).