Although model answers, marking schedules, and rubrics are often used together, they each play a different role in assessment and marking.
- A model answer shows what an ideal response might look like.
- A marking schedule identifies the points that earn marks.
- A rubric describes different levels of performance against a set of criteria.
Let’s look at a simple example.
Question (5 marks)
Describe a duck to someone who has never seen one.
Model Answer
A duck is a waterbird with a broad bill, webbed feet, and waterproof feathers. Ducks are commonly found near ponds, lakes, rivers, and wetlands. Most ducks can swim, fly, and walk on land.
A model answer shows what an ideal response might look like.
Marking Schedule
- Identifies a duck as a bird (1 mark)
- Mentions a broad bill (1 mark)
- Mentions webbed feet (1 mark)
- Mentions waterproof feathers (1 mark)
- Describes a habitat or behaviour such as swimming or living near water (1 mark)
A marking schedule identifies the key points that earn marks.
Rubric
| Criteria | Strong | Satisfactory | Limited |
| Understanding | Demonstrates a clear understanding of what a duck is | Demonstrates a basic understanding | Demonstrates limited understanding |
| Description | Includes accurate features and characteristics | Includes some relevant characteristics | Includes few or inaccurate characteristics |
| Communication | Information is clear and well organised | Information is mostly clear | Information is unclear or incomplete |
A rubric describes different levels of performance against a set of criteria.
Key Difference
A model answer shows what a good answer looks like.
A marking schedule shows where the marks come from.
A rubric shows how the quality of the response is judged.