Mark scheme features associated with different levels of marker agreement

Abstract

This research looked for features of question papers and mark schemes associated with higher and lower levels of marker agreement at the level of the item rather than the whole paper. First, it aimed to identify relatively coarse features of question papers and mark schemes that could apply across a wide range of subjects and be objectively coded by someone without particular subject expertise or examining experience. It then aimed to discover which features were most strongly related to marker agreement, to discuss any possible implications for question paper (QP) and mark scheme (MS) design, and to relate the findings to the theoretical framework summarised in Suto and Nadas (2007).