ABSTRACT
In the assessment of General Certificate of Secondary Education1 (GCSE) coursework and other similar assessments, the teacher becomes the examiner. The judgement processes by which they determine the marks to award student work are central to such assessments. Yet, the judgement processes involved, both in assessment by teachers and (to a lesser extent) in the marking of traditional exams by examiners, are under-researched relative to other aspects of assessment. A fuller understanding of the judgements involved in marking should provide a sound basis for decisions regarding assessment training and for evaluating the validity of assessment by teachers. This is particularly pertinent given the recent change from coursework to controlled assessments in GCSEs (see Qualifications and Curriculum Authority [QCA] 2007, for information on the nature of controlled assessments).
