On Wednesday, December 17, 2025, students looking to improve their essay grades may find themselves asking a common question: “If my lecturer graded this today, where would I lose marks – and why?” While many students have no shortage of ideas, they may lose marks due to unclear arguments, lack of adherence to the assignment brief, or inconsistent academic standards.
To address this issue, a guide has been created to help students grade their own essays step-by-step using academic proofreading principles, rubric-based evaluation, and ethical AI support. The ultimate goal is not just to receive a higher grade, but to develop clearer thinking and stronger academic writing skills.
But what does it actually mean to “grade” an essay in academia? In academic terms, grading an essay involves evaluating it against explicit criteria, rather than personal preference. When markers grade essays, they typically assess factors such as argument clarity and relevance, structure and logical flow, quality of evidence and analysis, academic tone and language accuracy, and referencing and formatting accuracy. Therefore, when students ask if they can grade their essay before submitting it, what they are truly seeking is pre-submission academic evaluation – the ability to view their work through the lens of a marker.
The first step in grading an essay is to take a holistic review of the work before conducting academic proofreading. This is often the most overlooked step, but also the most crucial. To do this, it is recommended to create some distance by taking a break of several hours or overnight before reading the essay aloud. This allows for a fresh perspective and can quickly reveal weak logic. During this review, students should also ask themselves important questions such as: What is the central argument of this essay? Does every paragraph clearly support that argument? Are there sections that repeat ideas instead of advancing analysis? Based on these questions, students can then clarify or rewrite their thesis statement, remove or merge unfocused paragraphs, and reorder sections to ensure logical progression of ideas.
Once the structure is solid, students can then move on to grading the essay using rubrics, peer review, and AI. It is recommended to use the marking rubric as a grading framework, listing the criteria and assigning a tentative score to each section. It is also helpful to focus on high-weight criteria first, as this reflects how academic markers allocate marks. Additionally, seeking peer review can expose blind spots and provide valuable perspectives. Finally, AI tools can assist in identifying unclear reasoning, weak analytical depth, and other issues related to academic quality.
Before submitting the essay, it is important to conduct a final academic proofreading check. This includes reviewing grammar, spelling, and tense consistency, as well as academic tone, formatting requirements, referencing accuracy, and word count. While academic proofreading tools can be helpful, the final responsibility always lies with the student. It is also encouraged for students to reflect on their essay by identifying one strength and one area for improvement, to strengthen their writing skills in the long-term.
In conclusion, grading one’s own essay is not about guessing a mark, but rather understanding how academic quality is judged. By following a reliable process of holistic review, rubric-based evaluation, peer feedback, and responsible AI-supported academic proofreading, students can identify weaknesses before they affect their grade. This method also allows for continual improvement of academic writing skills over time.
For those with questions about grading essays, academic proofreading, and rewriting, here are some frequently asked questions:
– Can AI accurately grade my essay?
AI tools can provide guidance by analyzing structure, clarity, and rubric alignment, but should not be used as the final authority.
– Is academic proofreading the same as rewriting my essay?
No, academic proofreading focuses on improving clarity and correctness, while rewriting should be selective and focused on learning rather than replacing original work.
– Is it allowed to use AI to rewrite my essay?
University policies may vary, but many allow the use of AI for editing and learning support if properly disclosed. It is important to always check with your institution’s guidelines.
