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Essay rubric: the free template our grader scores with

Five criteria, clear score bands and a simple conversion to a grade. Copy the rubric for your class or your own drafts, or let the AI grader apply it to an essay.

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At a glance

This essay rubric scores five criteria from 1 to 10: thesis and focus, evidence and development, organization, style and voice, and conventions. The total is doubled to a score out of 100 (A from 90, B from 80, C from 70, D from 60). It is free to copy and is the rubric AI Essay Grader uses for argumentative, persuasive, narrative, expository and literary analysis essays at middle school, high school and college level. To grade with a different rubric, paste it above the essay on a "Rubric:" line; AI grading costs 1 purchased credit per word.

Criteria: Thesis and focus, evidence and development, organization, style and voice, conventions
Scale: 1 to 10 per criterion; total x 2 = score out of 100
Grade bands: A 90-100, B 80-89, C 70-79, D 60-69, F below 60
Template: Free to copy and adapt
Price: 1 credit per word, 300-credit minimum; $0.20 to $0.50 for a 1,000-word essay; packs from $4.99

Why this essay rubric works

01
Five criteria that cover an essay
What the essay argues, how it supports it, how it is built, how it sounds and how correct it is.
02
Clear score bands
Each score range has a description, so two readers can agree on what a 7 means.
03
Adapts to the essay type
The same five criteria, with a different meaning for a narrative, a literary analysis or an argument.
04
Your rubric works too
Paste your teacher's rubric on a "Rubric:" line and the grader scores its criteria and point values instead.

How to grade an essay with a rubric

01
Read the whole essay first
Get the overall argument before you score anything.
02
Score each criterion
Match the essay to the closest band description, criterion by criterion.
03
Add up and comment
Double the total for a score out of 100, then write the one change that would help most.

The five criteria

Each criterion is scored from 1 to 10 against what is expected at the writer's level:

Thesis and focus: a clear central claim or purpose that the whole essay serves
Evidence and development: reasons, examples, quotations, data or details that support each point, and an explanation of how they support it
Organization: an introduction that sets up the essay, paragraphs in a logical order with topic sentences, transitions and a conclusion that does more than repeat
Style and voice: precise word choice, varied sentences and a tone that fits the audience
Conventions: grammar, spelling, punctuation, capitalization, paragraphing and consistent citations

Score bands for every criterion

Pick the band whose description fits best, then the higher score in it if the essay meets that description fully, or the lower one if it only just does.

9-10 Excellent: exceeds the expectations for the level
7-8 Proficient: meets the expectations with minor gaps
5-6 Developing: partly meets them; problems a reader notices
3-4 Beginning: major problems that get in the way of the meaning
1-2 Missing: the criterion is absent or not yet attempted

Adjusting the rubric for each essay type

The criteria stay the same; what earns a high score changes:

Argumentative: an arguable claim, evidence with reasoning, and a counterargument answered
Persuasive: a clear position, appeals that fit the audience, and a call to action
Narrative: focus and purpose instead of a thesis; sensory detail, pacing and reflection
Expository: a controlling idea, accurate facts and explanations, a neutral tone
Literary analysis: an interpretive claim, quotations with close reading, present tense
College application: story, reflection, voice and a readiness band instead of a letter

Expectations by grade level

A middle school essay can earn a 9 or 10 with a clear main idea, paragraphs with topic sentences and relevant details; simple vocabulary is fine. A high school essay needs a specific, arguable thesis, explained evidence and smooth transitions. A college essay needs a nuanced thesis, analysed sources, counterarguments where relevant and consistent citations.

AI Essay Grader applies these expectations when you choose middle school, high school or college, so the same essay can score differently at different levels.

Use the rubric

Essay rubric at a glance

Copy this table as a one-page rubric. Scores are per criterion, out of 10.

	Excellent (9-10)	Proficient (7-8)	Developing (5-6)	Beginning or missing (1-4)
Thesis and focus	Specific, arguable claim that every paragraph serves	Clear claim; a paragraph drifts	Claim is vague or stated late	No clear claim or purpose
Evidence and development	Relevant evidence, fully explained	Good evidence, some unexplained	Thin or general evidence	Little or no support
Organization	Logical order, strong transitions	Clear structure, a few abrupt shifts	Paragraphs out of order or unfocused	No recognizable structure
Style and voice	Precise, varied, fits the audience	Clear with some wordiness	Repetitive or too informal	Hard to follow
Conventions	Almost no errors	A few errors that do not distract	Errors that distract	Errors that block meaning

Essay rubric FAQ

What should an essay rubric include?

The criteria that matter for the assignment, a scale for each, and a description of what each score looks like. Five criteria (thesis, evidence, organization, style and conventions) cover most school essays; add a criterion when the assignment needs one, such as research or a presentation.

How do I turn rubric scores into a grade?

With this rubric, add the five scores (out of 50) and double them for a score out of 100, then use the usual bands: A from 90, B from 80, C from 70, D from 60 and F below 60. Your school may use different bands.

Can I use this rubric in my class?

Yes. The rubric on this page is free to copy and adapt for teaching or for your own drafts. No account is needed to read or copy it.

Can the AI grader use my own rubric?

Yes. Paste the rubric above the essay on a line that starts with "Rubric:". The grader scores the criteria and point values it names and converts the total to a score out of 100. The rubric's words count toward the price.

Is there an AI rubric generator here?

No. The site grades essays; it does not create new rubrics. This page gives you a complete rubric to copy, and the grader can apply any rubric you paste.

See the rubric applied to your essay

Paste an essay and get every criterion scored, with the quoted lines behind each score and a revision plan.

Grade an essay with this rubric

Last updated October 29, 2026

Essay rubric: the free template our grader scores with

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At a glance

Why this essay rubric works

Five criteria that cover an essay

Clear score bands

Adapts to the essay type

Your rubric works too