Creating an assessment
An assessment in Marking.ai is the test, exam, or piece of work you want to mark. Once you’ve created one, you can upload your students’ submissions against it.
This article shows you how to create an assessment.
The main way: Start marking
The quickest way to create an assessment is from the Start marking button. You’ll find it in two places:
- On your home page — the blue Start marking button in the Marko hero or top-right corner
- On the Assessments page — the blue Start marking button at the top right
Clicking it opens the Start marking window, which walks you through three steps: Assessment, Submissions, and Review & Start.
Step 1: Pick “New assessment”
On the Assessment step, you’ll see two tabs: New assessment and Existing assessment.
Choose New assessment and give your assessment a name, like “Year 9 Biology Test 1” or “Easter Mocks — English Language”.
Step 2: Upload the assessment paper
Next, upload the PDF of the test or exam your students sat. This is the question paper itself — the document that contains the questions you want Marking.ai to mark.
Marking.ai reads through the paper and extracts each question so it knows what to mark against.
Step 3: Upload your marking guide
Upload your marking guide — the answer key, mark scheme, or rubric you want Marking.ai to mark against.
This is the single biggest factor in mark quality, so use the best one you have. For tips on what makes a good guide, see Adding a marking guide.
Step 4: Continue to submissions (or come back later)
Once both files are uploaded, click Continue. You can either:
- Upload student submissions now (recommended) — see Uploading submissions
- Or close the Start marking window and come back to add submissions later. Your assessment will be saved and ready when you return.
What happens after you create an assessment
Marking.ai processes the paper and extracts each question for you to review. The assessment passes through a few states:
- Processing — Marking.ai is reading the paper and pulling out the questions. Takes a minute or two.
- Needs review — questions have been extracted; please check them and click Confirm Questions.
- Ready — questions are confirmed; you can upload submissions and start marking.
For more on these states, see Assessment readiness — when can I start marking?.
Other ways to create an assessment
- Ask Marko — “create a new assessment for Year 9 Biology Test 1” and Marko will help you get started.
- Existing assessment tab — if you’d rather pick something you already have, switch to the Existing assessment tab on the Assessment step to search and pick one.
Need help?
Click the chat icon in the app or email us at connect@marking.ai.
FAQs
Do I need to upload submissions when I create the assessment?
No. You can create an assessment with just the paper and marking guide, then come back later to add submissions. The Start marking window can also be reopened any time to add more.
What file formats does the assessment paper accept?
PDFs are the most reliable. Common image formats work too, but PDFs give the best extraction results.
Can I create an assessment without a marking guide?
A marking guide is strongly recommended — it has the biggest impact on mark accuracy. If you genuinely don’t have one, you can still create an assessment, but expect more editing later.
Can I change the assessment name later?
Yes. Open the assessment, then use the ⋯ More actions menu to edit details. See Editing assessment details.