Grading & Feedback

Evaly automatically grades objective questions, but some question types require your review and manual scoring. This guide covers the grading workflow, scoring modes, and providing effective feedback.

Automatic vs Manual Grading

Understanding which questions are automatically graded helps you plan your grading workload.

Auto-Graded Question Types

These questions are graded instantly when participants submit:

Multiple Choice

Compares selected options to correct answers. Supports single or multiple selection.

Yes or No

Simple binary choice with predefined correct answer.

Image Choice

Multiple choice with images, same scoring logic.

Audio Choice

Multiple choice with audio, same scoring logic.

Fill in the Blank

Exact text matching (case-insensitive) for each blank.

Ranking (Exact)

Full credit only if entire order matches exactly.

Special Case: Ranking (Per-Position)

Automatically graded with partial credit
Each item in correct position earns proportional points
Example: 3/5 correct positions = 60% of points

Manually Graded Question Types

These questions require educator review:

Text Field

Short or long text responses. Requires reading and judgment.

File Upload

Documents, images, code, presentations. Requires content review.

Audio Response

Voice recordings. Requires listening and evaluation.

Video Response

Video submissions. Requires watching and assessment.

Matching Pairs

Complex matching logic. Requires review (for now).

Slider Scale

Subjective ratings. Typically used for surveys.

Likert Scale

Opinion scales. Typically used for feedback.

Tests with manually graded questions cannot show full results to participants until you complete grading. Participants see a “Grading in Progress” message.

Grading Workflow

Follow this workflow to efficiently grade participant submissions.

Step 1: Navigate to Results

Open Your Test

Go to the Tests page and select the test to grade

Go to Results Tab

Click the Results tab to see all participants

View Grading Progress

See grading progress indicator:

Total answers: X
Graded: Y
Pending: Z
Progress: Y/X %

Step 2: Select a Participant

Results View Shows:

Participant name and email
Completion status
Current score (for auto-graded questions)
Pending manual reviews
Submission time

Sort Options:

By submission time (newest first)
By name (alphabetical)
By score (if partially graded)
By grading status (needs review first)

Click on a participant to open their detailed submission.

Step 3: Review Submission

The submission view displays:

Section by Section
Question View

Navigate through test sections:

Section Title displayed at top
All questions in that section
Auto-graded results shown with checkmarks/x’s
Manual review questions highlighted
Section score calculated as you grade

Step 4: Grade Manual Questions

For questions requiring manual review:

Review Answer

Read/view/listen to the participant’s submission:

Text: Read response in rich text viewer
Files: Download and review files
Audio: Play audio with playback controls
Video: Watch video with playback controls

Assign Score

Enter the score based on your rubric:

Percentage mode: Enter 0 or 1 (0% or 100%)
Point-based mode: Enter 0 to max points for question
Partial credit: Decimal values allowed (e.g., 7.5/10)

Add Feedback (Optional)

Provide comments to help the participant:

Explain score
Highlight strengths
Suggest improvements
Clarify misconceptions

Flag for Review (Optional)

Mark question for follow-up:

Unclear answer
Possible plagiarism
Technical issue
Needs second opinion

Save Grade

Click Save to record the grade and move to next question

Grading Interface:

┌────────────────────────────────────┐
│ Question: Explain photosynthesis        │
│ Type: Text Field                       │
│                                        │
│ Student Answer:                        │
│ [Photosynthesis is the process...]     │
│                                        │
│ Score: [8] / 10 points                 │
│                                        │
│ Feedback:                              │
│ [Good explanation of the process...    │
│  but missing details about...]         │
│                                        │
│ [ ] Flag for review                    │
│                                        │
│ [Cancel] [Save Grade]                  │
└────────────────────────────────────┘

Step 5: Complete All Questions

Grade all manual questions for the participant
Review auto-graded results (can override if needed)
Ensure all questions have final scores
Progress indicator updates in real-time

Step 6: Move to Next Participant

Click Next Participant or return to results list
Repeat grading workflow
Track overall grading progress

Scoring Modes

How scores are calculated depends on the section’s scoring mode.

Percentage Mode

Each question is worth 1 point, regardless of complexity. Calculation:

score = correctQuestions / totalQuestions * 100

// Example:
// 10 questions in section
// 7 correct
// Score: 7/10 = 70%

When Grading:

Assign 0 or 1 for each question
Partial credit: 0.5 = half credit
Final score is percentage

Point-Based Mode

Questions have custom point values based on importance/difficulty. Calculation:

score = earnedPoints / totalPossiblePoints * 100

// Example:
// Question 1: 2 points (earned 2)
// Question 2: 5 points (earned 3)
// Question 3: 3 points (earned 3)
// Total: 8/10 = 80%

When Grading:

Each question shows its point value
Enter score from 0 to max points
Decimals allowed (e.g., 3.5/5)
System calculates percentage

Setting Point Values:

Edit question in Questions page
Find “Point Value” field
Enter custom value (default: 1)
Save question

Example Point Distribution

Quiz: "Chemistry Midterm"
Scoring Mode: Point-Based

Easy Questions (1-2 points each):
  Q1: Define atom (1 pt)
  Q2: Name three elements (1 pt)
  Q3: Multiple choice (2 pts)

Medium Questions (3-5 points each):
  Q4: Balance equation (3 pts)
  Q5: Explain bonding (5 pts)

Hard Questions (8-10 points each):
  Q6: Multi-step problem (8 pts)
  Q7: Lab analysis essay (10 pts)

Total Possible: 30 points

Overriding Auto-Grades

You can manually change auto-graded results if needed.

When to Override

Answer is technically correct but marked wrong
Multiple interpretations are valid
Spelling/formatting issue in fill-in-blank
Want to award partial credit
Technical glitch affected grading

How to Override

Find Question

Navigate to participant’s submission, find the auto-graded question

Click Override

Click “Override Grade” or edit button next to auto-grade result

Enter New Score

Enter manual score:

0 to max score for question
Replaces auto-grade completely

Add Explanation

Explain why you’re overriding:

Helps you remember later
Useful for grade appeals
Maintains transparency

Save Override

Manual score replaces auto-score immediately

Grade Record Shows:

Question 5: Multiple Choice
Auto Score: 0/1 (incorrect)
Manual Override: 1/1 (correct)
Graded By: Dr. Johnson
Reason: "Answer was technically correct, 
         accepting alternative interpretation"
Overridden: Yes

Overriding marks the grade as manually scored, so it won’t be affected by auto-regrading if question is edited.

Regrading After Question Changes

If you modify a question’s correct answer after participants have submitted, you can regrade affected submissions.

Triggering Regrade

When you change correct answers on a question:

System detects existing grades
Shows affected submissions count
Prompts: “Regrade X affected answers?”
Choose to regrade or skip

Regrade Process

Edit Question

Change correct answer, options, or scoring

Regrade Prompt

Dialog appears:

Regrade Required

Changing the correct answer will affect 47 existing grades.
Do you want to regrade all affected answers?

[Cancel] [Skip Regrade] [Regrade All]

Choose Action

Regrade All: Applies new scoring to all submissions
Skip: Keeps old scores, only affects new submissions
Cancel: Don’t save question changes

Automatic Regrading

If you choose “Regrade All”:

System recalculates all affected answers
Updates participant scores
Preserves manual overrides
Logs the regrade action

What Gets Regraded:

All submissions for that question
Uses new correct answer
Recalculates scores automatically

What Doesn’t Change:

Manual overrides (preserved)
Questions you manually graded already
Other questions in the test

Regrading can significantly change participant scores. Use carefully, especially after releasing results. Consider the impact on fairness.

Providing Effective Feedback

Feedback helps participants learn from their mistakes and improves future performance.

Feedback Best Practices

Be Specific

Good: “Your explanation of mitosis was accurate, but you forgot to mention cytokinesis.”Poor: “Good job” or “Needs work”

Be Constructive

Good: “Consider organizing your essay with clear topic sentences for each paragraph.”Poor: “Your writing is messy.”

Highlight Strengths

Acknowledge what they did well:

“Excellent analysis of the data”
“Your introduction was compelling”
“Great use of examples”

Guide Improvement

Give actionable advice:

“Review pages 45-48 in the textbook”
“Practice similar problems in chapter 3”
“See me during office hours to discuss”

Feedback Templates

Create reusable feedback for common situations:

Missing Key Concept

Your answer demonstrates understanding of [concept A],
but doesn't address [concept B], which is essential to
fully answering the question. Review [resource] and
focus on how [concept A] and [concept B] interact.

Incomplete Answer

You've made a good start, but this question requires
more depth. Consider expanding on:
- [Point 1]
- [Point 2]
- [Point 3]

Aim for at least [X words/minutes] on questions like this.

Excellent Work

Outstanding response! You demonstrated:
✅ Clear understanding of [concept]
✅ Strong analytical skills
✅ Effective communication
✅ Good use of examples

This is exactly the level of detail I'm looking for.

Off Topic

Your response discusses [topic X], but the question
asks about [topic Y]. While your information is
accurate, it doesn't address what was asked.

Make sure to read questions carefully and stay focused
on what's being asked.

Rubric-Based Grading

Use consistent criteria for manual grading:

Essay Question Rubric (10 points total):

Content (5 points):
  - Addresses all parts of question
  - Demonstrates understanding
  - Uses accurate information
  - Provides relevant examples

Organization (3 points):
  - Clear structure
  - Logical flow
  - Effective transitions

Writing Quality (2 points):
  - Grammar and spelling
  - Clear expression
  - Professional tone

Provide feedback based on rubric categories:

Score: 7/10

Content (3/5): You addressed two of the three main
points but didn't discuss [missing concept].

Organization (3/3): Excellent structure with clear
introduction, body paragraphs, and conclusion.

Writing (1/2): Several grammar errors and typos.
Consider proofreading more carefully.

Grading Progress Tracking

Monitor your grading workload: Progress Dashboard:

Test: Midterm Exam
Participants: 85

Auto-Graded Questions: 15 (100% complete)
Manual Review Questions: 5

Grading Progress:
  Total Answers: 425
  Graded: 312 (73%)
  Pending: 113 (27%)

Estimated Time Remaining: 2.5 hours
  (based on your average grading speed)

Participant Status:

✅ Fully Graded: 52 participants
🟡 Partially Graded: 18 participants
🔴 Not Started: 15 participants

Bulk Operations

Apply Same Feedback

For common errors across participants:

Grade first occurrence with detailed feedback
Copy feedback text
Paste and modify for similar cases
Maintains consistency

Export for External Grading

If grading offline:

Export participant responses
Grade in spreadsheet or grading software
Import scores back to Evaly
(Feature availability depends on plan)

Releasing Results

Once grading is complete:

Complete All Manual Grading

Ensure all questions needing review are graded

Review Final Scores

Check participant scores for:

Accuracy
Fairness
Consistency

Release Results

Toggle “Results Released” in test settings:

Participants can now see their scores
Detailed feedback is visible
Correct answers shown

Communicate Release

Notify participants:

“Results are now available”
How to view their scores
Grade appeal process (if applicable)

You can release results before completing all grading, but participants with ungraded questions will see “Grading in Progress” for those items.

Best Practices

Grade Consistently: Use the same rubric for all participants
Grade by Question: Grade all participants’ answers to Question 1, then Question 2, etc. for consistency
Take Breaks: Grading fatigue affects consistency and fairness
Blind Grading: Consider hiding names to reduce bias
Second Opinions: For borderline cases, get colleague input
Document Criteria: Write down your grading standards
Be Timely: Return grades promptly while content is fresh

Next Steps

Analytics

Analyze test performance and question difficulty

Results Management

Export and manage participant results

Question Types

Learn about auto-grading for each question type

Test Settings

Configure scoring modes

Overview

For Educators

For Students

Organizations

​Automatic vs Manual Grading

​Auto-Graded Question Types

Multiple Choice

Yes or No

Image Choice

Audio Choice

Fill in the Blank

Ranking (Exact)

​Manually Graded Question Types

Text Field

File Upload

Audio Response

Video Response

Matching Pairs

Slider Scale

Likert Scale

​Grading Workflow

​Step 1: Navigate to Results

​Step 2: Select a Participant

​Step 3: Review Submission

​Step 4: Grade Manual Questions

​Step 5: Complete All Questions

​Step 6: Move to Next Participant

​Scoring Modes

​Percentage Mode

​Point-Based Mode

​Overriding Auto-Grades

​When to Override

​How to Override

​Regrading After Question Changes

​Triggering Regrade

​Regrade Process

​Providing Effective Feedback

​Feedback Best Practices

Be Specific

Be Constructive

Highlight Strengths

Guide Improvement

​Feedback Templates

​Rubric-Based Grading

​Grading Progress Tracking

​Bulk Operations

​Apply Same Feedback

​Export for External Grading

​Releasing Results

​Best Practices

​Next Steps

Analytics

Results Management

Question Types

Test Settings

Build docs developers (and LLMs) love

Automatic vs Manual Grading

Auto-Graded Question Types

Manually Graded Question Types

Grading Workflow

Step 1: Navigate to Results

Step 2: Select a Participant

Step 3: Review Submission

Step 4: Grade Manual Questions

Step 5: Complete All Questions

Step 6: Move to Next Participant

Scoring Modes

Percentage Mode

Point-Based Mode

Overriding Auto-Grades

When to Override

How to Override

Regrading After Question Changes

Triggering Regrade

Regrade Process

Providing Effective Feedback

Feedback Best Practices

Feedback Templates

Rubric-Based Grading

Grading Progress Tracking

Bulk Operations

Apply Same Feedback

Export for External Grading

Releasing Results

Best Practices

Next Steps