What is anonymous marking – and why use it?

The principle behind it

Students trust that their grade reflects what they wrote – not who they are. Anonymous marking is one of the most widely used ways of supporting that trust. In practice, names and other identifying details are replaced by a candidate number, and the link between number and name is held by the exam administration, not the marker. The practice is also known as blind marking.

The idea has broad support. In the UK, the National Union of Students campaigned for anonymous marking under the slogan “Mark my words, not my name”, and it is now standard for written exams at most universities. In the Nordic countries, anonymous written exams with candidate numbers have long been common practice.

How does it work?

The details vary between institutions and systems, but anonymous marking usually involves the following:

• Candidate numbers replace names and student IDs on everything the marker sees.
• Students are told not to identify themselves in their answers, file names or headers.
• The key is held separately, usually by exam administrators, so markers cannot look up identities.
• Anonymity holds at least until marks are confirmed, and often the marker never learns who the student was – only the student sees their own result.
• Exceptions are defined for assessments where anonymity is impractical, such as oral exams, presentations, placements and many dissertations.

Anonymous marking is often confused with related terms. Double-blind marking means that two markers grade the same work without seeing each other’s marks. Assessor anonymity means that students do not see who marked their work. Both can be combined with anonymous marking, but they are not the same thing.

Why do institutions use anonymous marking?

The main reason is fairness – and the confidence that marking is fair. Markers are human, and knowing a student’s name, background or previous performance can influence judgement, even unconsciously. Anonymity removes that information from the decision.

It also protects markers. When a grade is questioned, an institution that marks anonymously can show that the student’s identity played no part. And it supports student trust: students who believe they are being judged on their work alone are more likely to accept the outcome.

What anonymous marking cannot do

Anonymous marking removes names, not all bias. A marker may still recognise a student from their writing style, their topic or a draft discussed in supervision. Research has also found that anonymity on its own does little to close attainment gaps between groups of students.

There is also a trade-off with feedback. Some educators argue that anonymity weakens the relationship between teacher and student, making feedback less personal and harder to act on. This is why many institutions use anonymity for exams but not for formative work or supervised projects.

How does WISEflow approach it?

In WISEflow, anonymity is part of how an assessment is set up rather than something students or staff have to manage by hand. Our understanding of anonymous marking goes a little further than hiding names:

• Institutions decide when to use it. Anonymity is configured per assessment, so it can follow the institution’s own rules and exceptions.
• Students do not have to manage their own anonymity. WISEflow links each submission to the student’s participant number automatically, so markers only see the number.
• It holds throughout the marking process. Marking, double marking, moderation and similarity checking can all take place without revealing who the student is.
• Markers can be anonymous too. Institutions can choose whether students see who marked their work.
• Anonymity and fairness go together. Clear marking criteria, rubrics and second marking all help ensure that grades reflect the work – with or without a name attached.

What should institutions consider?

• Policy and exceptions: which assessments should be anonymous by default, and where does personal knowledge of the student add value?
• Feedback: how will students still receive feedback that feels personal and useful after the anonymity is lifted?
• Practicalities: make sure students know not to identify themselves, and decide how group work and appendices are handled.

Anonymous marking is not a solution to fairness on its own. Used well, as part of a considered approach to marking and moderation, it helps ensure that every student is judged on what they have written – and nothing else.