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Exemplars

Real examples of work at different quality levels that learners compare and discuss to understand what success looks like before they begin their own task.

Assessment for learning
Exemplars diagram

What is exemplars?

  • Show learners two or more examples of work at different quality levels
  • Ask them to identify what makes the better one stronger
  • Use the comparison to generate or refine success criteria
  • Refer back to the exemplars throughout the task

How it works

Exemplars answer the question every learner should be asking: "What does a good one look like?" Before learners start a task, show them actual examples of completed work at different quality levels. This is more effective than describing success criteria in abstract terms because learners can see quality rather than just hearing about it.

The technique works best when learners are given two pieces to compare. One should be competent but not outstanding. The other should clearly demonstrate higher quality. Ask: "Which is better? Why? What specific things make the difference?" The answers to these questions become the success criteria for the task.

As learners become more skilful at making judgements, you can narrow the difference between the two exemplars. This sharpens their ability to distinguish between "good" and "excellent" and develops increasingly sophisticated success criteria.

Exemplars can be collaborative and involve peer work. When learners' own work has been peer assessed using comments only, they can read the comments, make improvements, and then use the improved work as an exemplar for future tasks. This creates a virtuous cycle of quality improvement.

Classroom example

A Year 7 Expressive Arts class in a Caerphilly school is about to design a poster for a community event. The teacher shows two posters from a previous year (with names removed). Both are competent, but one uses a clear visual hierarchy with a bold headline, while the other crams too much text into a small space. Learners discuss in pairs what makes the first poster more effective. They generate four success criteria including "clear headline visible from a distance" and "no more than three font sizes." These criteria guide their own designs.

Curriculum for Wales connection

Exemplars develop both the "Plan" strand (determining success criteria) and the "Reflect" strand (reviewing outcomes against criteria). They build cross-curricular literacy through the precise language of evaluation and work across all six AoLEs wherever learners need to understand quality standards.

Rainbow Curriculum's Thinking Tools lens helps you ensure that exemplars are used consistently across your curriculum, so learners always know what they are aiming for before they begin.

Tips

  • Use anonymised work from previous years so learners can be honest in their analysis.
  • Always use at least two exemplars at different quality levels. A single example does not support comparison.
  • A common pitfall: showing only perfect exemplars. Learners need to see the gap between good and excellent to understand where to push their own work.
  • Save strong examples (with permission) to build a bank of exemplars for each task.
  • Combine with peer marking: after learners assess each other's work, the best pieces become exemplars for the next class.

Source: Adapted from "How to develop thinking and assessment for learning in the classroom", Welsh Assembly Government, Guidance 044/2010.