Exploring the nature of examiner thinking during the process of examination marking

Despite the abundant literature on educational measurement there has been relatively little work investigating the psychological processes underpinning marking. This research investigated the processes involved when examiners mark examination responses. Scripts from two geography A‐level examinations were used: one requiring short and medium length responses and one requiring essays. Six examiners marked 50 scripts from each of the two examinations and were later asked to think aloud whilst marking four to six scripts from each examination. Coding and analyses identified different types of reading behaviours, social, emotional and personal reactions and provided insight into the nature of evaluations. Some differences between examiners and between question types were identified. Analysis of associations between marker behaviours and marker agreement suggested that positive evaluations, comparisons and thorough reading were important to avoiding severity. Potential implications for marker training and for the impact of technological changes to assessment systems are discussed.