Although examination and coursework questions may be marked out of 100 and may be broken down into parts with marks allocated to each, examiners use assessment criteria to determine the quality of the answer, rather than marking on a points basis. The following often form part of the assessment criteria:

Knowledge and Understanding – Your answer must identify the relevant law and explain it clearly and accurately. You will be penalised for including irrelevant or out of date information, for omitting key information and for citing and explaining the law incorrectly. Although the facts of a case are often useful, the decision and the principle created by the case are more important.

Analysis, Evaluation and Application – In order to achieve a high mark you must analyse, evaluate and apply the law to the question set. An answer that merely describes the law will not score well. In problem questions this means identifying the issues, deconstructing the relevant law (i.e. breaking it down and properly explaining what it means) and applying it to the scenario that you have been given. In essay questions you also need to deconstruct the law, but will then formulate an argument, often for or against a proposition made in the question itself. In a coursework question, you would be expected to conduct independent research to find academic opinion etc. that you can use in support of the arguments you make in your answer.

Communication and Presentation – Your answer should be well written, logically structured and in the case of coursework, accurately referenced in accordance with the prescribed referencing system e.g. OSCOLA. Your sentences should be clear and comprehensible and should flow from one point to the next. You should start a new paragraph when introducing a new point and your conclusion should sum up the arguments you have made in your answer. If you have time, you should proofread your examination answers. You should always proofread coursework: you will not be forgiven for spelling mistakes etc.