What term is used for the official guide that explains how marks are awarded?

• A. Grade scale
• B. Resit policy
• C. Assessment Criteria (AC)
• D. Mark scheme

Answer: (D)

The mark scheme is the official guide that explains how marks are awarded. It lays out exactly what counts as a correct or partial answer, how many marks each part earns, and any rules for credit or penalties. This ensures marking is consistent and fair, since all examiners follow the same criteria. For instance, a criminology question might allocate one mark for identifying a concept and another for applying it to a scenario, with the mark scheme specifying what constitutes valid identification and valid application. The other options describe different ideas: a grade scale maps total marks to grades, a resit policy covers retakes, and assessment criteria describe performance standards but do not by themselves specify the scoring rules. The mark scheme is the definitive guide to scoring.