Grading Hints for Free-Response Questions

• Start early in the year writing a free response (over a simple topic) in class and going over the rubric for it. Teaching the skill early on makes grading easier later and saves a lot of tutorial time.
• Create a rubric with positive points when you write the question.
• Highlight or check off correct parts of free-response answers as you grade them; this makes it easier to add up the points.
• Grade all free-response answers at one sitting to develop a flow/pattern (this will also be fairer to the students).
• On mathematics problems, give partial credit for
  • set up of problem;
  • correct labels;
  • correct answer with correct label and work shown clearly earns full credit; and
  • hint: look for final answer; if correct, just scan that work is present.
• Encourage students to separate and label each section (a, b, c or i, ii, iii); this helps them organize their work and makes your grading easier and faster.
• Go over the free-response question and rubric after grading with the entire class; this will eliminate the need to write comments on every individual paper (and save a lot of time over all).
• Use the College Board's rubrics if you use an AP* Free Response verbatim; there is no need to 'reinvent the wheel.'