It is essential, when drawing up an examination paper, that you draw up Outline Solutions and Marking Schemes at the same time.

Your outline solutions should reflect the answers you expect the Learner to produce. Depending on the questions, outline solutions may have:

• one correct answer
• a range of acceptable answers
• a list of minimum acceptable key points

In devising a marking scheme and outline solutions for an examination paper Assessors should refer to:

• The assessment guidelines in the provider's validated programme module for the weighting of the examination, the format of the examination and the allocation of marks per question
• The Learner Marking Sheet at the back of the programme module for a break down of the marks allocated for each question

The marks allocated in the Learner Marking Sheet are overall marks. To ensure fair and consistent marking Assessors must devise a detailed breakdown on how the marks will be allocated to parts/elements of each question.