At university, assignment feedback is often based on clear marking criteria. A follow-up discussion with your marker (the person marking your work) is not automatic. If you request one, come prepared with specific questions.

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Essential guidance

 

Read the comments, not the grade

Focus on the comments rather than the grade — they tell you far more about how to improve. Give yourself time to read everything carefully. Your first reaction may be frustration or disappointment. Give yourself time to process and read it more objectively.

Feedback typically includes comments on:

  • strengths
  • areas for improvement
  • suggestions for developing ideas
  • structure or clarity
  • referencing or formatting
  • missing elements

 

Look for patterns. Similar comments across different assignments show you where to focus.

Markers assess your work against criteria, which are provided with the assignment. Revisit these to see where your work met the criteria and where it did not. This connects comments to grades.

 

 

Focus on the most important improvements

Not all feedback carries equal weight. Low-impact issues are still worth fixing, but start with the changes that will most improve your next assignment.

Area of feedback Impact on your work
Comments that suggest a misunderstanding of the subject or assignment brief High — affects the quality of your whole assignment
Comments on something the brief specifically required, for example: a particular structure, word count, or referencing style High — may result in significant penalties even for minor issues
Comments about occasional formatting errors or spelling mistakes Low — worth correcting but not a fundamental problem

 

 

Turn feedback into an action plan

Organise your comments into an action plan. The table below shows how this works in practice.

What feedback says High, medium, or low impact? Action I will take
'Your argument is not always clear — make sure each paragraph connects to your main point.' High — affects the whole assignment

Review paragraph structure

 

Check each paragraph links to the overall argument you are building
'Heading sizes are inconsistent throughout.' Low — minor formatting issue Check heading formatting during your final proofread

 

 

Clarify unclear feedback

If a comment is unclear:

Begin by trying to clarify it yourself. Read again the marking criteria and any earlier feedback from other assignments. Also, think about the purpose behind the comment. If a marker asks a question in their feedback — for example, 'What does this mean?' or 'How does this link to the question?' — they are not asking because they don't know the answer. They are pointing out a gap in that piece of work, which you should be careful of in future assignments.

 

If you still need help, prepare for the conversation. Do the following before you go, and bring specific questions to a seminar tutor, lecturer, or support service:

  • identify the specific section or sentence the comment relates to, so you can focus the discussion around it
  • have your own attempt at what a stronger version would have looked like, so the conversation can build on your thinking rather than replace it
  • be ready to discuss your work in relation to the marking criteria, since that's likely how any advice will be framed

 

For example: 'You said I needed to develop my analysis in the second section. I tried to do this at the end of the last two paragraphs — could you help me understand why that didn't work?'

 

 

Apply feedback to your next assignment

Before starting a new assignment, review your past feedback for repeating issues. When drafting, this may include:

 

Check your final draft against your action plan before submission. Remember, improvement is gradual. Acting on feedback consistently is the most reliable way to improve.

 

 

Advanced guidance

The guidance below builds on the essential guidance and introduces ways to interpret and use feedback more strategically.

 

Understand what feedback really means

The essential guidance explains how to read feedback and identify high- and low-impact comments. At an advanced level, consider not just what a comment says but what it means.

 

Ask yourself…

  • What is the marker's comment really about?
  • Does this comment point to a single issue, or something wider?
  • Does this comment relate to my writing style, or to my understanding of the subject?

For example, 'develop your argument' may mean you aren't analysing your evidence. 'Needs more clarity' may relate to sentence structure, paragraphing, or logic.

This helps you identify the root cause of an issue, why it occurred, not just what it is.

 

 

Connect feedback to the marking criteria

Marking criteria set out what markers are looking for. Learning outcomes describe the skills and knowledge you must demonstrate by the end of a module. Markers assess your work against both.

Compare your work with the criteria and look for where you met, partially met, or didn't meet expectations. Check whether the feedback points to gaps between your work and the required outcomes. This helps you convert comments into specific actions.

 

 

Choose what to improve first

The essential guidance introduces high-, medium-, and low-impact as categories. Here's what might go into each:

 

 

Use feedback while you write

Apply past feedback actively as you write. You don't have to wait until your draft is complete. This may include:

  • checking common issues before writing, for example, argument clarity or structure
  • applying previous feedback to new paragraphs as you write
  • reviewing analysis depth early, not just at the end
  • checking past feedback against the marking criteria for the new task
  • using your action plan as a checklist when revising your draft

 

 

Reflect on your progress

Reflection helps you understand not just what to change, but why it matters and whether it's working.

 

Reflect issue by issue

Take a specific piece of feedback and work through it like this:

Feedback comment Root cause - why did it occur? What improvement looks like
'Your argument is not always clear — make sure each paragraph connects to your main point.' I found evidence but didn't explain what it meant for my argument. Each paragraph has a clear link between the evidence and my main point.

 

You'll know it's improved when the marker doesn't repeat the comment, or you can see the connection yourself when you re-read your work.

 

Reflect assignment by assignment

After completing a new assignment, review it against your action plan.

 

Ask yourself…

  • Where have I built my argument to be clearer or more precise?
  • How has my paragraph structure improved?
  • Where have I made stronger use of evidence?
  • How has my referencing developed?

Reflect across modules

Keeping a record of your feedback across modules helps you spot patterns in your development. Take notes about:

  • the types of comments you receive
  • improvements you've made
  • areas that still need work
  • examples of stronger writing

 

Reflecting at issue-, assignment- and module-level develops more than just your writing. Over time, it shapes your academic voice: the way you approach your subject and express ideas within it.

 

 

Page last edited: 26 August 2026
Next review due: 5 August 2029