Campus Times | Lucknow 

In a major academic reform, University of Lucknow has decided to implement a mandatory “step marking” system in the evaluation of all subjects for the first time. The move is expected to benefit lakhs of students by ensuring that marks are awarded not only for final answers but also for the correctness of the process and intermediate steps used in solving questions.

The decision was taken during a meeting chaired by Vice-Chancellor Prof. J.P. Saini with evaluation heads of various departments at the university’s second campus on Thursday.

According to the new system, subjective and descriptive answers will be assessed in a structured manner, where examiners will divide responses into key stages and concepts. Even if a student’s final answer is incorrect, marks will still be granted for every accurate step or logical explanation presented during the attempt.

Focus on transparency and uniformity in evaluation

University officials believe the reform will significantly reduce discrepancies in marking patterns that often arise when multiple examiners assess the same question paper. In many cases, differences in individual marking styles have led to inconsistencies in students’ scores.

To address this issue, the university will now appoint Head Examiners and Deputy Head Examiners for every subject. Their numbers will depend on the total volume of answer sheets received in each paper. Department heads will be responsible for selecting the chief evaluators for their respective subjects.

Before the commencement of evaluation work, Head Examiners will prepare an authorised model solution for every subjective paper. Important keywords and expected answer points for each question will also be identified in advance to maintain consistency among evaluators.

Random checking of answer sheets made mandatory

As part of the quality-control mechanism, every Head Examiner will be required to conduct random verification of at least five percent of the evaluated answer sheets from each bundle checked by examiners.

The university has also made it compulsory for every examiner to evaluate a minimum of 50 answer sheets during the assessment process.

Officials say the initiative has been introduced to ensure that students’ efforts are fairly recognised and that deserving candidates do not lose marks because of minor errors in final answers. The university expects the new system to strengthen confidence in the examination process and make assessment more student-friendly.