Grading Rubric Essay Exam

Goals and objectives are measured by a performance assessment in the courses required for the Philosophy major.

Specifically, student performance in writing essays, and essay exam questions, will be measured using the follwing standardized grading rubrics.

Students often ask, "Couldn't you figure out what I meant? Your writing must be unambiguous: Although this is closely related to clarity, it is so important that it deserves separate mention.

Your writing should not be open to multiple interpretations.

There are four general standards which must all be observed:1.

Your writing must be clear: Be sure to say exactly what you mean.The "C" essay demonstrates you did the reading, understand the issues involved and grasp the authors' positions on those issues.It explains the supporting reasons and arguments for the positions on both sides of each issue.But you should be aware that content and writing technique are closely linked.You may know* the material, but if you cannot convince the reader that you know, your grades will disappoint you.To get full credit, you must answer the entire question, not just a part of it, and certainly not some other question (like the one you studied for).Multiple-part questions require multiple-part answers. Giving a complete answer to the specific question asked demonstrates your mastery of the material.4.The "A" essay achieves all the goals of "C" and "B" essays, plus it relates the issues and arguments to your own personal experience.It states your views on the issues and how they apply in your own life.Your answers must be accurate: Being clear, complete, and unambiguous doesn't count for much unless you are also accurate.Silly mistakes or oversights can rob essays of their accuracy.