Criteria for evaluation of essay exam answers:
The following are general criteria used for evaluating essay exam answers. This list is intended
to give a general understanding of the factors taken into consideration in grading exam essays,
but it is not considered definitive or all-inclusive. Various combinations of the criteria outlined
may affect the final evaluation of the grade assigned. For more information, see the handout
“Writing Essay Examinations.”
Note: within each category, the degree to which these criteria are met will determine whether
the essay receives a “+” or “-“.
A: An “A” essay will show a thorough understanding of all of the appropriate thematic and
factual elements of the question. Drawing on lectures, assigned readings, and other
course-related materials, it will develop an interpretative thesis clearly and logically, with
a sufficient number of specific examples to support the generalizations of that thesis. It
will also establish a clear chronological framework by using specific dates wherever
possible. (In some cases, that chronological framework may be fairly general, but an A
essay will be as specific as possible.) It should present the information in such a way that
the person reading it would be able to understand the key issues of the question without
having to see the actual question. Similarly, the reader should be able to understand it
clearly without any prior knowledge of the subject or any related ideas that may have
been covered in class. An “A” essay assumes no knowledge of the subject on the part of
the reader
B: A “B” essay will meet most of the criteria of an “A,” essay, but will not be as fully developed
in all areas. For example, rather than specific dates, chronological references will be to
broader time periods (such as “nineteenth century,” “early twentieth century,” etc.) In
some cases, all of the necessary factual material may be contained in a “B” essay, but it is
not presented in a clear, logical manner.
C: A “C” essay will usually represent a students’ general grasp of the key elements of the
question, but does not develop them fully or clearly. Rather than chronological
references, they usually have only broad references to historical categories (“the Roman
Republic” (or “Roman Empire”) “the Enlightenment,” “the Napoleonic Era,” “the Age of
the Vikings,” etc.), without any indication of the time frame for those eras. In some
cases, there may be a great deal of factual information (the “shotgun approach”), but the
interpretative elements are weak. Or there is not adequate indication of how the facts
relate to the question. In other cases, the essay may contain only broad generalizations
with few, if any, specific examples.
D: A “D” essay will usually be poorly organized, without sufficient thematic or factual elements
to answer the question adequately. It will, however, show at least a basic understanding
of the concepts or issues addressed in the question.
F: An “F” essay shows neither sufficient relevance to the question asked nor an understanding
of the issues it addresses.