Which term refers to the set of standards used to judge performance during an assessment?

• A. Grading policy
• B. Learning Outcomes (LO)
• C. Assessment Criteria (AC)
• D. Resit opportunities

Answer: (C)

Assessment Criteria are the standards that describe what a strong, complete response should include and how it should be demonstrated in an assessment. They act like a marking rubric, telling the marker exactly what features count toward each level of performance—items such as clear argument, relevant criminological evidence, application to the scenario, and coherence of structure. Because of this, they provide a consistent benchmark for judging how well a student has met the task requirements.

Learning Outcomes tell you what you should be able to do overall by the end of the course, not the specific judging standards for a given assessment. A Grading policy explains how marks map to final grades and any rules around grading. Resit opportunities describe whether and how a student can retake an assessment. When you align your work with the Assessment Criteria, you’re directly targeting the standard by which the task will be judged.