Which term covers the criteria outlining performance levels for grades A, C, E?

• A. Grade Descriptors
• B. Applied Purpose
• C. Coherent Tasks
• D. Acceptable Forms of Evidence

Answer: (A)

Grade descriptors are the criteria that spell out what counts as different levels of achievement for each grade. They lay out exactly what work needs to show to reach a high grade, a middle grade, or a lower grade, giving the language and standards that markers use to judge performance. This makes marking consistent across tasks and components because everyone uses the same benchmarks to decide which grade fits the evidence.

Applied Purpose isn’t about how performance is graded; it’s more about why or how an assessment is used. Coherent Tasks describe the design and clarity of the assessment tasks themselves, not the levels of achievement. Acceptable Forms of Evidence concerns what evidence can be used to support a grade, rather than the specific criteria for those grades. So the term that fits the description of outlining performance levels for grades like A, C, and E is Grade Descriptors.