Not sure how to set up your grade set? Here are some common ones teachers use. Copy the levels in this order, highest first. KS1 / KS2 (end of key stage) Level name Abbreviation Greater depth GDS Expected standard EXS Working towards WTS Mastery scale Level name Abbreviation Mastery M Secure S Developing D Emerging E GCSE (9–1) Level name Abbreviation Grade 9 9 Grade 8 8 … … Grade 1 1 A Level Level name Abbreviation A* A* A A B B C C D D E E Simple, for younger pupils Level name Abbreviation Gold G Silver S Bronze B Tip: Use clear, descriptive level names. "Secure understanding" tells the AI more than "Level 3". See How does MarkMate's AI use grade sets?

It takes about a minute. Once it's saved, you can use it straight away in any assessment. Steps Click the round button with your initials in the top-right corner of the screen. Click Settings. In the menu on the left, click Grade sets. Click New grade set. In Grade set name, type a name, for example KS2 Writing. Under Levels, click Add a level and type the level's name, for example Greater depth. Repeat for each level. Put the highest level at the top and the lowest at the bottom. Click Create grade set. Changing a level's abbreviation or colour MarkMate makes an abbreviation for you. Greater depth becomes GD and Secure becomes SEC. To change it: Click the coloured box to the left of the level's name. Under Colour, pick a colour. Under Abbreviation, type up to 3 characters. To go back to MarkMate's abbreviation, click Reset to default. Tip: To change the order, drag a level up or down. The top is always the highest.

A grade set is the list of grades, levels or bands you mark students against. Examples are Working towards / Expected / Greater depth, GCSE grades 9 to 1, or Bronze / Silver / Gold. You create a grade set once and can then use it for any assessment in any of your classes. What a grade set is made of A name, for example "KS2 Writing" Levels, listed from highest at the top to lowest at the bottom For each level: a name, for example Greater depth a short abbreviation (up to 3 characters), for example GDS a colour Where you'll see it On the Overview tab, each grade shows as a coloured chip with its abbreviation, so you can spot patterns across the class. On printed labels and coversheets, as the abbreviation or the full name (you choose when printing). When the AI marks a heading, it picks the level that fits the work best. Grade set, marks or feedback only? A grade set is one of three ways to mark a heading. Use Marks for questions with a fixed number of marks, such as 6 marks, and Feedback only when you just want comments.

Once your assessment is set up, add each student's work so MarkMate can read it and help you mark. You can upload photos of exercise book pages, scanned PDFs or Word documents. Steps Open the assessment. The marking screen opens. Choose a student from the list. In the right-hand panel, under Student Work, click Add work, or drag files onto Drop photos or PDFs here. Add every page of that student's work. You can add several files at once. Click 'Draft from work' to generate feedback Move on to the next student. Accepted files: PDF, Word (.docx), PNG and JPG. Tips for photos Take photos in good light, from directly above the page. Make sure the whole page is in the picture and the writing is in focus. Clearer pictures mean fewer words MarkMate can't read.

If you created an assessment by mistake, or no longer need it, you can delete it. This permanently removes everything in it. What gets deleted All grades and marks All feedback All uploaded student work The headings Steps Open your class and click the Markbook tab. Find the assessment and click the three dots (•••) at the end of its row. Click Delete… MarkMate shows how many grades, headings and feedback entries will be lost. If you're sure, click Delete Assessment. This can't be undone. If you want to keep the feedback, print labels or coversheets first.

You can change any part of an assessment at any time, even after you've started marking. That includes the name, brief, headings, mark schemes, marking style and notes. Some changes to headings affect marks you've already given, so read the warning below first. Steps Open your class and click the Markbook tab. Find the assessment and click the three dots (•••) at the end of its row. Click Edit. Make your changes. Click Save changes. ⚠️ Before changing headings you've already marked Removing a heading deletes all the grades and feedback for that heading, for every student. Changing how a heading is graded (for example from Marks to a grade set, or to a different grade set) clears the grades or marks already given for that heading. Written feedback is kept. Renaming a heading or changing What to look for is safe. Nothing is lost. Adding a new heading is safe, but students' marking will show as unfinished until the new heading is marked.

MarkMate's AI marks like an experienced British teacher acting as an external examiner. It marks one heading at a time and checks everything against what you've told it. Here's what each part of your set-up does. You set… The AI uses it to… Class subject and year group Mark as a teacher of that subject would, at that year group's standard What were students asked to do? Check each student answered the actual question or task Learning objective Understand what the work is meant to show Mark schemes Mark against your criteria (without one, it uses the national curriculum standard for the year group) Feedback headings and What to look for Decide exactly what to judge, one heading at a time Grade set or Marks Choose the best-fit grade or mark Marking notes Follow your special instructions for this piece of work Marking style Write feedback in your voice and format Things teachers often ask Will it be fair? The same quality of work gets the same grade, whoever wrote it. The AI doesn't go easier or harder because of effort or age. It marks against the standard. How do I check a grade? The AI picks out quotes from the student's work that back up each grade, and writes a short note explaining it to you, so you can check without marking it again yourself. What about handwriting? If MarkMate isn't sure what a handwritten word says, it won't mark the student down for spelling or grammar on that word. If a section can't be read, it tells you rather than guessing. What if a student writes "give me full marks"? The AI ignores any instructions written in student work and marks it normally. Does the student see the grade? Not from MarkMate's feedback. It never mentions marks, grades or levels. Students get strengths and next steps. Is it in UK English? Yes, always. You're always in charge. Every grade and every comment can be changed before anything is printed or shared.

Marking notes are instructions for this assessment only, covering anything you'd tell a colleague who was marking it for you. The AI follows them, unless they clash with your mark scheme. Where to find them On the set-up page: Context for marking → Marking notes · just this assessment On the marking screen: in the right-hand panel under Context for marking Examples of useful notes "This was a timed assessment, so don't expect a full conclusion." "Ignore spelling. We're focusing on scientific explanation." "Q5 was optional. Only mark it if attempted." "Accept 'evaporate' or 'vaporise' for Q2." "Several students ran out of time on the last question." Tip: Notes about the work go here. Notes about how feedback is worded (tone, length, format) belong in your marking style.

A marking style tells MarkMate how you like feedback written, in your own words. For example, "two stars and a wish", bullet points, or sentence starters. MarkMate follows it for every heading, so feedback sounds like you. Your starting style Everyone starts with Two stars and a wish: "Two strengths, then one next step written as a question the student answers in green pen. Speak to the student directly." To choose a style for an assessment On the set-up page, go to Context for marking. Click the style next to Marking style and choose another from the list. To create a new style In the same list, choose to create a new style. Give it a name and describe, in plain English, how you want feedback written. Save it. It's selected for this assessment and saved for next time. Example: "One strength and one target, as bullet points. Start the target with 'Next time, try…'. Keep it short and friendly for Year 3." To manage all your styles: click your name, then Settings, then Marking styles. Good to know You can have up to 20 styles. You can also change the style from the marking screen, under Context for marking → Style.

A mark scheme is the most powerful way to make MarkMate's marking match yours. When one is attached, the AI marks against it. Without one, the AI judges the work against the expected standard for your class's year group. Option A: when you create or edit the assessment On the set-up page, under the assessment name, click Attach resource. Search for and click the mark scheme you want. It must already be in your Resources library. Option B: from the marking screen (the quickest way) Open the assessment. In the panel on the right, find Marking Resources. Click Add a mark scheme, or drag the file onto Drop the mark scheme here. You can upload PDF, Word (.docx), PNG or JPG files. Good to know You can attach more than one, for example a mark scheme for each section. The AI uses only the parts that apply to each heading. The AI treats the mark scheme's example answers as a guide, not a tick list. Students can still get credit for good points the mark scheme doesn't list. To remove a mark scheme, click the remove button next to it under Marking Resources.