What is the role of double-marking? Evidence from an undergraduate medical course

Abstract

Double-marking has considerable resource implications, but its value and reliability are uncertain. This paper reports a study aiming to assess the reliability and value of double-marking in an essay assessment, by measuring the level of agreement between markers and the number of grades altered by the second marker. Essays were submitted by third-year medical undergraduates on the Community Course at the University of Aberdeen, Scotland, during 1998/99 and 1999/2000, and marked by general practitioners and university academics. Marks were awarded on a Common Assessment Scale, in five bands, with two markers for each essay. Agreement between these marks was compared, and measured using the w..