Compare the marking: Using comparative judgement to assess student progress at secondary school level

Case Study

Published on: July 9, 2017

6 min read

Comparative judgement is not a new method of assessment. It was first proposed by LL Thurstone (1927) as a means of describing 'the processes of human judgement that are not visible to the observer'. Thurstone suggested comparative judgement could be used to quantify the quality of things that are sometimes hard to measure holistically, such as writing or drawing. More recently, Alastair Pollitt's work on adaptive comparative judgement (2012), together with high-profile championing by Daisy Christodoulou and David Didau, has helped bring comparative judgement to a wider audience. In comparative judgement, overall quality is assessed through direct comparison. Comparisons might be of individual items, longer written responses or even performances. Technology such as the No More Marking website set up by Dr Chris Wheadon has made widespread use of comparative judgement viable. On the site, scanned pieces of work are uploaded, judgements are analysed and a scale is produced. Unlike the

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This article was published in July 2017 and reflects the terminology and understanding of research and evidence in use at the time. Some terms and conclusions may no longer align with current standards. We encourage readers to approach the content with an understanding of this context.

Pollitt A (2012) The method of adaptive comparative judgement. Assessment in Education: Principles, Policy & Practice 19:3, 281-300.
Thurstone LL (1927) A law of comparative judgment. Psychology Review 34: 273-286.