• Home
• Syllabus
• In Brief
• Course Goals
• Lessons
• Exam Evaluation Criteria

Examination Evaluation Criteria

Criteria for Evaluating Examinations in African History

Children in Chimoio, Mozambique. Photo by Liz MacGonagle.

Characteristics to strive for in your work:

1. Accuracy. Provide correct facts, data, details and definitions.
   
   
2. Understanding. Demonstrate basic understanding, insightfulness, and sound judgment.
   
   
3. Relevance. Discern meaningful patterns in facts and details. Try to interpret facts correctly. Weigh and assess the validity of various interpretations of the facts. Demonstrate evidence of good judgment by selecting the significant and discarding the insignificant.
   
   
4. Originality. Provide your own thoughts. Integrate the course ideas and concepts instead of merely repeating lecture notes or texts. Attempt to “digest” material rather than “regurgitate” it.
   
   
5. Argumentation. Argue and prove your position rather than just stating your opinion. Aim for a logical, correct, and valid interpretation of the facts. Supply the evidence, just as a courtroom lawyer would.
   
   
6. Organization. Present your ideas clearly and cover all essential points. Check to make sure that nothing essential is omitted. Develop all major themes raised and see that one idea flows clearly from another.
   
   
7. Clarity. Express yourself without confusion or ambiguity to communicate clearly what you intend to say. Correct grammar, syntax, and spelling are an important part of the package that you present to the evaluator.

An artist in Chimoio, Mozambique works on a wood carving. Photo by Liz MacGonagle.

Characteristics to avoid:

1. Wrong or missing information. Avoid incorrect facts, wrong information, and lack of basic definitions. For example, if you are asked about early African civilizations, define “civilization.”
   
   
2. Lack of originality. Repeating crammed information without showing your thoughts about the material fails to demonstrate a real understanding of the subject.
   
   
3. Poor argumentation. An illogical, contradictory, or inconclusive essay is unconvincing.
   
   
4. Lack of relevance and clarity. Avoid vagueness, excessive generality, absence of evidence, or unwarranted generalizations. Do not select inappropriate examples or bad examples to prove a point.
   
   
5. Poor organization. Avoid a rambling, desultory, and aimless essay that lacks a guiding theme.
   
   

back to top