Academic Writing Tips: How to Grade Your Own Essay and Improve Your Academic Writing Skills
As the end of the semester approaches, many students are looking for ways to improve their grades on their final essays. One common search term is “grade my essay”, but what does this actually mean in an academic context?
According to academic standards, grading an essay involves evaluating it against specific criteria, rather than personal preference. These criteria typically include elements such as argument clarity and relevance, structure and logical flow, evidence and analysis, academic tone and language accuracy, and referencing and formatting accuracy. By asking to “grade my essay”, students are essentially seeking a pre-submission evaluation of their work through the eyes of a marker.
To help students better understand this process and improve their academic writing skills, we have put together a step-by-step guide on how to grade your own essay. This guide will use a combination of academic proofreading principles, rubric-based evaluation, and ethical AI support to help students identify weaknesses in their work and improve their grades.
Step 1: Do a Holistic Review Before Academic Proofreading
Before jumping into detailed proofreading, it is important to take a step back and review your essay as a whole. This is a commonly overlooked step, but it can be the most important in improving your grade.
To conduct a holistic review, it is recommended to create some distance from your essay first. This could involve taking a break for a few hours or even overnight. This will allow you to approach your work with fresh eyes, making it easier to spot weak logic or unclear arguments.
Another helpful tip is to read your essay aloud. If a sentence sounds confusing when spoken, it is likely to be unclear on the page as well.
During this step, it is important to ask yourself the following questions, which academic markers implicitly ask when grading essays:
– What is the central argument of my essay?
– Do all of my paragraphs clearly support this argument?
– Are there any sections that repeat ideas instead of advancing analysis?
Based on your answers to these questions, you can then make necessary revisions such as clarifying or rewriting your thesis statement, removing or merging unfocused paragraphs, or reordering sections to build a more logical flow. Only after these changes have been made should you move on to detailed academic proofreading.
Step 2: Grade Your Essay Using Rubrics, Peer Review, and AI
Once the structure of your essay is solid, you can begin grading it more precisely by using the following methods:
1. Use the marking rubric as your grading framework
Rubrics are used by academic markers to assess student work and assign grades. To accurately grade your essay, it is recommended to list the rubric criteria (such as argument, evidence, analysis, and style) and assign a tentative score to each section. It is also helpful to focus on high-weight criteria first, as this mirrors how academic markers allocate marks.
2. Use peer review to expose blind spots
Peer review can be a useful tool in identifying weaknesses in your essay. Ask your classmates to provide feedback on your work, including one clear strength, one major weakness, and a short explanation linked to the rubric. If multiple reviewers flag the same issue, it is likely to affect your grade and should be addressed.
3. Apply AI-assisted academic proofreading responsibly
AI tools, such as PagePeek, can support academic proofreading by identifying unclear reasoning, weak analytical depth, paragraphs that do not align with the assignment question, and abrupt transitions or repetitive phrasing. However, it is important to use these tools ethically and not rely solely on their suggestions. AI should be seen as guidance, not a final authority.
Step 3: Final Academic Proofreading Before Submission
The final stage of grading your essay involves a final academic proofreading check before submission. This is a crucial step to ensure that you have not overlooked any mistakes that could cost you marks.
During this stage, it is important to check for grammar, spelling, and tense consistency, as well as academic tone, formatting requirements, referencing accuracy, and word count and submission instructions. While academic proofreading tools can be helpful in catching inconsistencies, the final responsibility always lies with the student.
A brief reflection on your essay at this stage can also be beneficial in strengthening your long-term writing skills. Ask yourself, “What is one strength of this essay?” and “What would I improve next time?” This will help you continue to develop your academic writing abilities.
Conclusion: How to Grade Your Essay with Confidence
Grading your own essay is not about guessing a mark, but rather understanding how academic quality is judged. By following a reliable process, which includes a holistic review, rubric-based evaluation, peer feedback, and responsible AI-supported academic proofreading, students can identify weaknesses in their work before they affect their grade.
If you often think “I wish I could grade my essay before submitting it”, this method offers a practical, ethical way
Derick is an experienced reporter having held multiple senior roles for large publishers across Europe. Specialist subjects include small business and financial emerging markets.