Study
AI marking repeatability
Repeatability: 264 of 264 school answers received the same mark on all 5 runs of the same engine version.
- Answers
- 264
- Papers
- 76
- Questions
- 185
- Teachers
- 48
- Marking runs
- 1,320
- Engine version
- 2026.11.04
- Tested
- 5 November 2026
By DeepMark Labs Limited. Last updated 8 November 2026.
The result
We marked 264 real school answers 5 times each with the same engine version: 1,320 marking runs in all. Every one of the 264 answers received the same mark on all 5 runs, and all 156 essays stayed in the same level.
That held across 7 subjects, short answers and long essays, and questions worth 2 to 40 marks.
| Subject | Answer type | Same mark on all 5 runs |
|---|---|---|
| English Language | Essays | 50 of 50 |
| Business | Essays | 36 of 36 |
| Business | Short answers | 37 of 37 |
| Religious Studies | Essays | 29 of 29 |
| Religious Studies | Short answers | 37 of 37 |
| English Literature | Essays | 20 of 20 |
| History | Essays | 12 of 12 |
| History | Short answers | 17 of 17 |
| Science | Essays | 9 of 9 |
| Science | Short answers | 12 of 12 |
| Other | Short answers | 5 of 5 |
By question size
Long essays are where a marker is most likely to drift. DeepMark gave the same mark every time on the largest questions as well as the smallest.
| Question worth | Answers | Same mark on all 5 runs |
|---|---|---|
| 2 to 4 marks | 84 | 84 of 84 |
| 5 to 9 marks | 82 | 82 of 82 |
| 10 to 16 marks | 48 | 48 of 48 |
| 20 to 40 marks | 50 | 50 of 50 |
How we tested it
- 1We took 264 answers that teachers had already marked with DeepMark, from 76 papers, 185 questions and 48 teachers.
- 2We chose them by fixed rules before marking anything: a spread of subjects, short answers and essays, and no more than a few answers from any one question, script or paper.
- 3We marked each answer 5 times with the same engine version and the same answer text, writing nothing back to any teacher's account.
- 4We compared the 5 marks, and for essays the 5 levels, for every answer.
Why it matters
A department needs the same answer to receive the same mark whoever presses the button and whenever they press it. Without that, marks cannot be compared across classes, moderated or trusted in a data drop.
DeepMark is built for this. Marking runs with randomness switched off, and every mark is a whole mark from a single run, the mark a teacher sees, not an average of several attempts.
What this study covers
- The same answer text, marked by the same engine version. Every figure on these pages carries a date and an engine version because marks can move when the engine is updated.
- Consistency, not accuracy. How close the marks are to the definitive mark is measured in the accuracy studies.
Questions teachers ask
Does DeepMark give the same mark if I mark an answer twice?
Yes. In our repeatability study, 264 of 264 school answers received the same mark on all 5 runs of the same engine version, and all 156 essays stayed in the same level.
Why does repeatability matter for a department?
If two teachers mark the same answer through DeepMark, they need the same mark back. Without that, marks cannot be compared across classes or moderated.
Does this cover every subject?
The study covers 7 subjects, including English Language, English Literature, Business, Religious Studies, History and Science, on questions worth 2 to 40 marks.
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