The Marking App

Manual grades

Attach a mark or grade label to any comment for quick reference while marking.

What manual grades are

A manual grade is a short label - up to six characters - that you attach to a comment to indicate what mark or grade level the comment typically goes with. It is for your reference only and is displayed on the comment row so you can see it at a glance while marking.

Any format works: a letter grade (A, B+), a descriptor (Merit, Pass), a numeric score (18/20), or a percentage (72%). The six-character limit keeps the label compact enough to fit in the comment row.

Setting a grade

Open the options menu on any comment and choose Grade. Type the label you want and save. The label appears on the right side of the comment row.

To remove a grade, open the same dialog and clear the field.

Tip: Grade labels work well when you organise comments by grade boundary. For example, a comment that only applies when a student scores in the Distinction range could be labelled Dist. When you're marking a borderline submission you can quickly scan which comments are relevant to the grade range you're considering.

Note: Manual grades are distinct from AI feedback grades. AI grades (Good / Needs work / Poor) assess comment quality. Manual grades are a label you choose to help you find the right comment quickly - they have no effect on AI scoring.

Last updated June 2026