Break the filter to get high grades by ACTUALLY understanding your assignment

Let’s be honest, mostly of us do not read the assignment questions but just scan through them, this is where we lose marks. The only problem is that we don’t understand the assignment “properly” which leads us to theway of loosing grades easily. But don’t loose your nerve because this blog will help you gain high grades by using simple tips. To achieve scores what we need to do is to know the meaning of “assignment brief” and “marking rubric”.
Actually assignment briefs and marking rubrics are the two secret keys to open the door of success for you all. In order to gain a FIRST which are UK’s top marks, here are the step btstep guidance for you all.

1. Firstly, discover What is rubric mark?
2. Use the university marking criteria in the UK for your assignment.
3. Check which section will help you achieve more marks in your writing.

Assignment breif is important but the question is why?

Take assignment brief as your guidebook, without it think of yourself in the middle of dessert where you have no idea where to go. Want to stay in dessert ? Obviously no…
With assignment breif you will know:

 How to write.
 What to write.
 What’s the last day of submission of your assignment.

STEP 1: Decoding your assignment questions

The most common problems of students is decoding the assignment questions. Universities really like to use such language which is way more complex than it needs to be. But there is always a way to overcome such problems.
Find commom words
Describe = to give details, to explain
Evaluate = to weigh , to make judgement based on evidences which should be reasonable.
Analyse = to breakdown the topic to understand it’s inner meaning.
Discuss = to debate by giving your point of view.
These words will help you to tell that what exactly your lecturer is demanding from you in assignment.
Find the topic
Example: Discuss the effects of climate change now a days in UK?
Now here the lecturer is demanding the “effects” of climate change “in UK now a days”.

Find the scope

Check the limits, like in the given example it is only restricted to climate of UK and it is highlighting the effects of climate change now a days which means it is emphasizing on recent researches not the old ones.Such things are easy to ignore but plays the major role in losing marks.
Here’s a tip, know the structure of the question. Split the question in small chunks and write it in your own words which will make it more easy for you to grasp it.
Now we know what is assigment brief and why is it important so our next step will be to understand marking rubric.

Step 2: What is Marking Ruric

Making it easy for you all, marking rubric is basically the marking strategy of your lecturer. This will work as a torch light in dark street, now you’ll be thinking How? Don’t worry ,that’s what I am here for to tell you that how a simple marking rubric can be a torch light for you which is achieving scores. Marking rubric shows that what is your lecturer expecting from you to see in assignment. A good rubric looks something like this:
70-100% = First ,high quality critical analysis
60-69% = Good, not that much use of critical analysis
40-49% = Pass, satisfactory

UK’s universities Marking Criteria

In UK mostly universites follow the similar marking criteria which have usually focus on the following:

• Knowledge and Understanding – that how much do you know
• Critical thinking and analysis – can you breakdown the topic to know the inner meaning
• Research – are you able to do reasearch with evidences withgood sources
•  Structure – can you logically organize your given task
• References – whether you used correct format (e.g; APA)
• Your own contribution – did you have your own contribution or you are just repeating the lecture points?
• If your target is FIRST then you need to focus on these points.

Step 3: Marks Division

Hope you have got the concept of marking rubric so our next focus will be on the marks division.

Like if you are allotted with the topic of assignment then your centre of the attention should be on the parts of assignment and how much each part weighs. Not all parts have the same scores , some will have more marks and some will have less marks which to some extent will be
ignorable but this is where you will NOT make this mistake of paying no attention to the fragments of assignment with less scores, as it is said and I quote “drop by drop, river is formed”. So pay equal attention to all questions of your assignment.

• For instance your marks are divided as:
• 40% for knowledge and understanding of the topic
• 30% for critical thinking and analysis
• 20% for structure
• 10% for references and evidences which are accurate.

Work on each fragment equally even the smaller amounts sometimes cover the gaps which are not filled.
Accomplish your targetted goal
After discussion of the basics which were assignment brief and marking rubric, take it as you have made the base of the building successfully. Now for the roof of the building you need to work on smaller parts because the major ones are done.

• Don’t ignore the brief and the rubric.
• Utilize online sources as well as books, journals etc.
• Write simple and clear.
• Stick to the topic, avoid irrelevant information by staying focused on the main subject.

Conclusion with final tips:

I know we all have heard about “working smarter, not harder”, this is what you have to concentrate on without getting exhausted and freaked. We have concept of brief and rubric so now doing the assignment is piece of cake for you. From now on whenever you will get assignment take a deep breath, focus on the topic your lecturer has assigned you, turn to rubric and assignment brief for guidelines and write with confidence.
The rest will be history and marks will be yours.