Step 3 - Set up your first assignment

Set up your first assignment

You've created a workspace using the setup wizard and are ready to start grading essays. So what's next? You want the grading to meet your expectations and actually save you time. So let's invest just a little more time to make sure that both you and EssayGrader are set up for success.

Please note: At the end of this setup process you will be uploading essays to be graded. If you aren't ready to start grading, don't start this process quite yet.

The short video demo in our Video Tutorials section will get you grading quickly. If you need a more in-depth walkthrough, including the steps to create a rubric, add source material and writing prompts, and adjust grading settings, the content below and in the subsequent steps will give you much of the detail you need.

Selecting an assignment

Using the side panel, make your way to the chosen assignment (one will already be selected if you have just finished creating a manual workspace).

In your folder structure in the sidebar, the items that have no other folders nested inside them (with a stacked pages icon) are your assignments. You'll know you're in the right spot if you see the assignment you want selected in the sidebar and the Start Grading screen in the main window to the right.

Assignment selected in the sidebar

Selecting the assignment will bring up the start grading screen where you select a rubric as well as set other criteria related to the assignment, grading, and style of the feedback report.

Selecting a rubric

The first and, in some ways, most important step is choosing a grading rubric, which you accomplish with the Select Rubric button in the top right of this screen.

Rubric selection

Recent rubrics tab

The system will show you recently used rubrics by default. If you have rubrics in your personal library you may choose one of these. Otherwise, select the Platform rubrics tab to choose one of the more than 500 built-in rubric options.

Selecting a rubric by clicking Select to the right of the rubric will take you back to the previous screen and you will see that the title of your chosen rubric is now displayed in the first section. Some of the grading settings below will also have adjusted to match the rubric settings.

If you don't need to create a new rubric, you can now skip ahead to the Upload essays, add source materials, and choose grading settings article. However, if you haven't created any rubrics yet, and don't wish to use one as-is from the platform rubric library, you may create your own, which is described in the next two walkthrough steps.

Continue the walkthrough: Create a rubric (upload/import or build from a template) >>>

Updated on: 01/21/2026

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