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Enrolment based marking

Enrolment-based marking lets markers start on a test-taker's responses while other test-takers are still sitting the test. Each result is released on its own once that test-taker's marking is done, so early finishers don't wait for the rest of the cohort. This page explains how a test-taker moves from submitting to getting their result, and how this marking mode compares with the other two.

Marking modes

Every assessment event has one Event marking mode, chosen in the event's Event Marking Settings panel. You can change it only while the event is in Draft, so choose before the event goes into delivery.

  • Standard marking project — results are released once every test-taker has finished and all marking is finalised. Supports standardisation, blind quality monitoring, double marking and sampling. See Standard marking.
  • Enrolment based marking project — marking and results can happen while the event is in Delivery. Supports seed scripts. The guides in this section cover this mode.
  • Quick marked event — no marking project, marking team or quality controls. A marker works through a single list of responses. Best for low-stakes assessments with simple scoring. See Quick marking.

To set the mode on an event, see Event marking settings.

An enrolment-based project checks marking quality with seed scripts. An administrator can also give these projects standardisation, blind quality monitoring, sampling and other sections, which are off by default (see Settings).

When to use enrolment-based marking

Choose enrolment-based marking when:

  • test-takers sit the test at different times, or the test window stays open for days or weeks
  • you want each test-taker's result released without waiting for the rest of the cohort.

How it works

Each test-taker's enrolment moves through these stages. The status names are the ones the project's Enrolments section shows.

  1. The test-taker submits their last test. Their enrolment moves to Pending Marking, and Insights scores any automatically marked items. If no item needs a marker, the enrolment goes straight to Finalised.
  2. A marker picks it up. Insights gives each marker the next test-taker in the queue, oldest submission first. The enrolment moves to Marking and stays with that marker.
  3. The marker submits the last score. The enrolment moves to Pending Release. The test-taker can't see the result yet.
  4. The result is released. The enrolment moves to Finalised and the test-taker is told their results are ready. See When results are released.

A senior marker can take an enrolment out of this flow by moving it to In Review, from Marking or Pending Release. From Pending Release they can also return it for marking. See Chief marker tasks.

Markers and chief markers work from the Marking Dashboard. Its tiles count the test-takers waiting to be marked, those overdue, and those due today and tomorrow. Senior and chief markers also see their marking team and the scores escalated to them.

Helen Marsh's Marking Dashboard as chief marker: tiles showing 1 test-taker to mark and 1 overdue, the Start Marking Now button, the My marking team list with Kate Hill online and marking, and the My scores list open on the Escalated tab with a score Kate Hill escalated on item Y9-WRIT-01

When results are released

A result at Pending Release is released in one of two ways:

  • By you. Release it from the marking screen or the project's Enrolments section. See Release marker results.
  • Automatically. If nobody releases it, Insights releases it 4 days after the test-taker submitted their last test.

The 4 days count from the test-taker's submission, not from marking. A result marked more than 4 days after submission is released soon after the marker submits the last score. An enrolment at In Review isn't released automatically, so move it there if you need to check a result first.

Release moves the enrolment to Finalised, or to Partially Finalised if the test-taker didn't complete every test in the enrolment. When a result is released:

  • the test-taker is emailed that their results are available, if they have an email address
  • the result appears on their candidate dashboard, if the event has Enable Results and Feedback ticked.

Until then, the candidate dashboard shows that marking isn't complete.

Set up a project

The guides in this section follow the order you set up a project. Create the marking project, add the marking team and check the questions. Then set the quality controls and project settings, and transition the project so markers can start.

Enrolment-based marking video

This video introduces enrolment-based marking.

Settings

Administrators can configure these settings at Marking > Marking Extended Settings, in the Marking Project Settings section.

Enable Enrolment Based Marking — turns enrolment-based marking on for your site and adds Add Marking Project (enrolment based) to the Marking Projects screen. Off by default.

Require email to release results — stops a result being released for a test-taker with no email address. Off by default.

Enrolment Based Marking Project Section Settings — chooses which sections an enrolment-based marking project shows. The question, enrolments, schedule, marking team, seed script and annotation sections are on by default. The rest, including standardisation, blind quality monitoring and sampling, stay off until you switch them on.

At Settings > Assessment Event Settings:

Default event marking mode — the Event marking mode new events start with. In the Event Marking Settings expandable.

On each assessment event:

Event marking mode — choose Enrolment based marking project to mark and release results while the event is in Delivery. You can change it only while the event is in Draft.

Enable Results and Feedback — lets test-takers see their released results on the candidate dashboard.

The automatic release 4 days after submission is built in and applies to every enrolment-based project.