Marking Guidelines

Marking Guidelines inform the examiner that a student, due to the nature of their disability, has a particular difficulty with spelling, grammar and written expression, and provide a framework for marking the scripts of such students. Marking Guidelines can be recommended for students as a reasonable accommodation, due to impact of disability, and apply to timed examinations only.

If a core component of assessment is that of competence in spelling, grammar and written expression, it is not possible to disregard these elements (for example, languages, journalism).

Below are the links to the relevant marking guidelines:

SLD Marking Guidelines for Examiners - English and Irish

Hearing Impairment Marking Guidelines for Examiners - English and Irish.

Important update: Communication of this accommodation

Please note that the Exams office is piloting a new answer book designed to clearly indicate to examiners those students that have marking guidelines recommended as a reasonable accommodation.

The new answer books will have the marking guideline accommodation identified using a coloured border around the student ID box. This coloured border will replace the previous sticker system used to signal the relevant marking guidelines.

The new design will help ensure that the appropriate marking guideline is easily identifiable during both the examination and marking processes.

The implemented changes and corresponding colour indicators are as follows:

• Navy Border: Identifies the requirement for the Hearing-impaired (HI) marking guidelines.
• Maroon Border: Identifies the requirement for the Specific Learning Difficulty (SLD) marking guidelines.