---
title: "Creating and Using Rubrics"
canonical: "https://helpcentre.macewan.ca/space/ETS/2531004359/Creating%20and%20Using%20Rubrics"
format: markdown
---
**AUDIENCE: ****FACULTY**** | ****STAFF**
**Rubrics **are an advanced grading method used for criteria-based assessment. The rubric consists of a set of criteria plotted against levels of achievement. A numeric grade is assigned to each level. For each criterion, the assessor chooses the level they judge the work to have reached. The raw rubric score is calculated as the sum of all criteria grades. Rubrics are used in instances where there’s definitive standards for criteria, and as such are less subjective than marking guides, which offer a range of performance per criterion.
## Enabling rubrics in the course > Macro (anchor)
1. Go to the assignment to which you wish to add the **Rubric**, and open the edit settings from the stacked three-dot menu on the far right.
2. On the edit assignment page, scroll down to the **Grade** section. From the **Grading method** menu, select **Rubric**. If “points” are selected, go under the **Type** menu. Whatever value is assigned, the criteria levels will be a proportion of the value entered into the **Maximum grade **setting. The **Maximum grade **setting is what the assignment is “out of”.
3. Select **Save and Display **at the bottom of the screen**. **
## How to create a rubric
Once **Rubrics are enabled,** create a rubric by selecting **Define a new grading form from scratch **or **Create a new grading form from a template. **
### **Defining a new grading form from scratch**
1. Select **Define a new grading form from scratch.**
2. This will open the **rubric** editor. Type a title in the **Name **box. Adding a **Description **of the rubric is optional. Additional criteria can be inserted by clicking the +**Add criterion** on the bottom left of the rubric editor. **Criterion** titles describe the criteria being assessed. Describe and set the value for the criterion **Levels** in the boxes to the right of the **Criterion.** Add more by selecting **Add level** on the right-hand side of the editor.
> ℹ️ **Remember**: the total points at the highest level of achievement in the rubric need to match the value set for the **Maximum grade **in step 2 **[Enabling rubrics in the course.](#enable-rubrics)**
3. The criterion can be moved up and down the list by using the arrows in the criterion editor, deleting the criterion by selecting the X, or copying the paper stack icon.
4. Level values can be set to appear from highest to lowest (**Descending by number of points**), or from lowest to highest (**Ascending by number of points**). Several other display options are also available. Select the options needed, and when finished, click **Save rubric and make it ready**. To edit it and review later, select **Save as draft**.
### **Create a new grading form from a template**
Once the first rubric is created, it can be reused and edited in multiple courses. First, **Rubrics** must be enabled as detailed in **[Enabling rubrics in the course section.](#enable-rubrics)**
1. With editing turned on, navigate to the assignment to which you want to add the rubric. From the actions menu, select **Advanced grading.**
2. Select **Create new grading form from template**.
3. Select the box **include my own forms** and select **Search. **
4. Any rubrics previously created will populate here. We cannot proceed with no rubrics created, and we will have to create one from scratch. Select the rubric to use from the list, scroll to the bottom, and select **Use this form as a template. **
5. Select **Continue** to confirm the selected rubric as a** template for the new grading form. **
6. Select **Edit the current form definition**.
7. On the next page, customize the rubric parameters to suit assignment needs in the areas indicated by the arrows in the image below, or leave the template as is. (Details on editing rubrics are outlined in the **Defining a new grading form from scratch **section.
8. When finished, scroll to the bottom of the rubric editor and select **save**.
> Macro (details)
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