Detailed Marking Guide (NB: the notes listed are not prescriptive and are a guide only)
Category: Excellent
Category: Good
Category: Fair
Category: Poor
MARKS
9 – 10
6 – 8
3 – 5
0 – 2
Abstract
• The abstract clearly and succinctly
summarises the essay, providing an
excellent overview
• Includes a clear introduction,
summary of the main
points/discussion, and a short
conclusion
• Is within the word limit (250 words +
10% leeway)
• Spelling and grammar is correct
throughout
• The abstract provides a
good overview of the
essay
• Includes an introduction,
summary of the main
points/discussion, and a
short conclusion
• Is within the word limit
(250 words + 10% leeway)
• Minor errors with spelling
and grammar
• The abstract is on the same topic,
but does not summarise the essay
well
• Contains an introduction, summary
of the main points/discussion, and
a short conclusion, but these are
unclear and/or some sections are
missing
• Slightly exceeds the word limit
(250 words + 10% leeway)
• Regular spelling and grammar
errors
• The abstract is poorly
written/constructed, or is
unrelated to the essay content
and topic
• The abstract lacks structure and
does not have a clear
introduction, summary of the
main points/discussion, or short
conclusion
• Exceeds the word limit (250
words + 10% leeway)
• Spelling and grammar is
consistently poor throughout
Category: Excellent
Category: Good
Category: Fair
Category: Poor
MARKS
10 – 12
6 – 9
3 – 5
0 – 2
Criterion:
Overall content
• The topic is clearly & well introduced
• The progression of ideas is clear and
logical throughout
• The text is informative and would be
readily understood by an educated
audience
• All content is correct, relevant, and
current
• An excellent and thorough
understanding of the pathophysiology
and related pharmacology of the
disorder is demonstrated
• The introduction is clear
• The progression of ideas
is mostly logical
• The essay covers most of
the aspects required
• The content overall is
correct, relevant, and
current, with just a few
exceptions
• A good understanding of
the pathophysiology and
related pharmacology of
the disorder is apparent
• The topic is poorly introduced
• The progression of ideas is
generally good, but is disjointed
and/or confusing in places
• The essay covers most aspects
required but is missing important
sections
• The content is mostly relevant,
but contains some errors and/or
some is out-dated
• A reasonable understanding of
the disorder and related
pharmacology is demonstrated
• There is no clear introduction
• The progression of ideas is
haphazard and confusing
throughout
• The essay poorly covers the
topic
• The content is not relevant,
incorrect, and/or is out-dated
• A poor understanding of the
disorder and related
pharmacology is shown
Category: Excellent
Category: Good
Category: Fair
Category: Poor
MARKS
9 – 10
6 – 8
3 – 5
0 – 2
Criterion:
Normal
physiology
• A clear and concise overview of the
normal physiology is provided
• The normal physiology described is
clearly and directly relevant to the
disorder/disease being presented
• An overview of the normal
physiology is provided
• The normal physiology
described is relevant to the
disorder/disease being
presented
• The normal physiology is
provided, but is overly short or
excessively long
• The normal physiology described
is only broadly or indirectly related
to the disorder/disease being
presented
• A description of the normal
physiology is not provided,
• Any normal physiology
presented is not relevant to the
disorder/disease being presented
Category: Excellent
Category: Good
Category: Fair
Category: Poor
MARKS
16 – 20
11 – 15
6 – 10
0 – 5
Criterion:
Pathophys.
• The pathophysiology of the
disease/disorder presented is
comprehensive and is directly relevant
to the specific topic
• The underlying mechanisms responsible
for the disease/disorder are clearly
presented
• The pathophysiology of the
disease/disorder is described
and is relevant to the topic
• Underlying mechanisms
responsible for the
disease/disorder are briefly
presented
• The pathophysiology of the
disease/disorder is briefly
outlined but is lacking detail
and depth
• Any underlying mechanisms
are only briefly mentioned
and/or lack detail
• The pathophysiology of the
disease/disorder presented is not
related to the topic,
and/or
• The pathophysiology is poorly
described or is incorrect
• Underlying mechanisms responsible
for the disease/disorder are not
correct or are not presented
Category: Excellent
Category: Good
Category: Fair
Category: Poor
MARKS
13 – 16
9 – 12
5 – 8
0 – 4
Criterion:
Pharmacol.
• The related pharmacology used to
treat the disease/disorder is as
specified in the topic and is
comprehensively outlined
• At least one specific drug example is
presented, and the pharmacodynamic
and pharmacokinetic properties are all
well and thoroughly discussed
• All other aspects of the pharmacology
of at least one drug example are
clearly and thoroughly noted (class,
naming, indications, contraindications,
precautions and side-effects)
• The related pharmacology
used to treat the
disease/disorder is as
specified in the topic and is
generally well presented
• At least one specific drug
example is presented, and the
pharmacodynamic and
pharmacokinetic properties are
generally well discussed
• Most other aspects of the
pharmacology of the example
are noted (class, naming,
indications, contraindications,
precautions and side-effects)
• The related pharmacology
used to treat the
disease/disorder is presented,
but is limited in detail
• An example drug is provided,
but the pharmacodynamic and
pharmacokinetic properties
only have limited detail
• Only a few of the other
pharmacological aspects of the
example are mentioned
(class, naming, indications,
contraindications, precautions
and side-effects)
• The pharmacology used to treat the
disease/disorder is poorly covered
• There is no drug example provided
• The pharmacodynamics,
pharmacokinetic, and other
pharmacological properties are
poorly covered (if at all)
Category: Excellent
Category: Good
Category: Fair
Category: Poor
MARKS
10 – 12
6 – 9
3 – 5
0 – 2
Criterion:
Relevance
to practice
• Clearly and thoughtfully considers and
describes the relevance of the
topic/disorder in a discrete practical
setting
• Clearly and thoroughly considers the
relevance of the related pharmacology
in this setting
• Considers and describes some
aspects of the topic/disorder in
a practical setting
• Outlines some details of the
relevance of the related
pharmacology in this setting
• Only briefly considers the
relevance of the topic/disorder
in a practical setting and/or
considers this too broadly
• The related pharmacology in
this setting are only briefly
mentioned
• Does not consider or describe the
relevance of the topic/disorder in a
practical setting
• Does not consider the related
pharmacology in this setting
Category: Excellent
Category: Good
Category: Fair
Category: Poor
MARKS
9 – 10
6 – 8
3 – 5
0 – 2
Criterion:
Literacy and
Format
• The essay is well structed and clear.
• Text is clear and well written
throughout.
• Subheadings (if used) are clear, not
excessive, and aid in delineating
discrete sections of the essay
• The essay is within the word-limit
(1500 words + 10% leeway)
• Spelling and grammar are correct
throughout
• Figures and images (if used) are
relevant and well used to support the
text. Where used, figures and images
are referred to in the text.
• The essay is well structured,
clear and mostly well written
• Subheadings (if used) are clear,
not excessive, and help to
separate sections of the essay
• The essay is within the word
limit (1500 words + 10%
leeway)
• Spelling and grammar are
correct throughout, with only a
few exceptions
• Figures and images (if used)
are appropriate and support the
text, but these may not be
referred to in the text.
• The essay is mostly clear but is
lacking structure
• Subheadings (if used) are
either unclear or are used
excessively.
• The essay is in excess of the
word-limit (1500 words + 10%
leeway)
• Spelling and grammar are poor
throughout
• Figures and images (if used)
are unclear, or are of
questionable relevance.
Figures/images are mostly not
referred to within the text.
• The essay is unclear and is poorly
written. Structure is poor and the
text is difficult to follow.
• Subheadings (if used) are unclear
and/or are used excessively. These
do not help to identify specific
sections of the essay
• The essay is significantly in excess
of the word-limit (1500 words +
10% leeway)
• Spelling and grammar are poor
throughout with multiple consistent
errors
• Figures and images (if used) are
unclear, irrelevant, and do not
support the text. Figures/images are
not referred to within the text.
Category: Excellent
Category: Good
Category: Fair
Category: Poor
MARKS
9 – 10
6 – 8
3 – 5
0 – 2
Referencing
(intext and
reference
list)
• All references are appropriate and
relevant to the presented material
• Most references used are recent and
current (from within the past 5 years)
• A good number of references are
provided (minimum 5)
• All references are consistently in the
correct style and format (APA or
Harvard AGPS). Reference formatting
is consistently correct throughout
• Most of the references are
appropriate and relevant
• At least half of the references
used are recent and current
(from within the past 5 years)
• A good number of references
are provided (minimum 3)
• All references are in the correct
format (APA or Harvard AGPS).
Reference formatting is mostly
correct throughout
• Some of the references are
appropriate and relevant to the
presented material
• The majority of references used
are old/dated
• A small number of references
are provided (minimum 2)
• All references are in the correct
format (APA or Harvard AGPS).
Reference formatting contains
frequent errors
• Appropriate references are not
provided or the articles are not
related to the topic
• Few or no references are provided
(maximum 1)
• References are not in the correct
format (APA or Harvard AGPS) and
is very poorly formatted