Articles on: Rubrics

What is the difference between a Simple and an Advanced rubric?

A simple rubric provides general feedback with fewer grading levels, while an advanced rubric offers detailed feedback with specific descriptors and multiple grading levels. The advanced rubric allows for more nuanced assessment, helping students understand their performance more clearly and receive targeted guidance for improvement.

Advanced rubrics are available for users with a Pro or Premium plan.

The video below outlines the differences between these two and provides additional detail on each rubric type. A detailed summary can be found below the video.



The distinction between simple and advanced rubrics lies in their specificity and feedback.

Simple rubrics provide general feedback with fewer grading criteria, making them easier for quick assessments but less informative for students' improvement. They typically use broad categories.

Advanced rubrics offer detailed criteria and descriptors for grading, enhancing student understanding. dvanced rubrics break down grading into levels with specific descriptors, offering more nuanced feedback on student performance. This helps students understand their strengths and areas for improvement.

Using an Advanced rubric is beneficial for educators aiming to provide tailored feedback. It ensures that students receive a clear understanding of their performance levels.

Simple rubrics



The main components of a simple rubric typically include:

Grading Criteria: This outlines the aspects being evaluated, such as: Focus and Claim, Organization, Evidence, and Clarity

Feedback Level: It often specifies a single top-level score that a student can achieve, usually on a scale (like 1 to 4), but without detailed descriptors for each level.

General Feedback: The feedback provided tends to be more general compared to advanced rubrics, offering less specificity about performance levels.

Overall, a simple rubric is straightforward and is designed for ease of use, making it useful for quick assessments.

Advanced rubrics



The main components of an advanced rubric include:

Grading Criteria: Like a simple rubric, advanced rubrics outline the criteria being evaluated, such as: Focus and Claim, Organization, Evidence, and Clarity

Multiple Grading Levels: Advanced rubrics specify several scoring levels, usually from 1 to 5, with each level indicating a different degree of proficiency: 5 - Advanced, 4 - Proficient, 3 - Approaching, 2 - Inadequate, 1 - Unacceptable

Descriptive Feedback: Each grading level comes with specific descriptors that detail what performance looks like at that score, helping students understand where they excel and where they need improvement. Examples are provided below.

Detailed Feedback: The advanced rubric provides more tailored, nuanced feedback compared to a simple rubric, guiding students in their learning and improvement strategies.

Descriptive Feedback


Here is an example of descriptive feedback mentioned above:

Advanced: Insightfully addresses all aspects of the prompt.
Proficient: Competently addresses all aspects.
Approaching: Partially addresses aspects.
Inadequate: Inadequately addresses aspects.
Unacceptable: Fails to address aspects.

Updated on: 09/04/2025

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