Add a rubric to my site

From EdTech Help

Go to the Rubrics tool

Please note that Rubrics is locked and hidden from students by default. Changing any settings to the tool (e.g. unhiding it or unlocking it) results in Rubrics instability and potential loss of data.

Students can still see previews of the rubric and their specific rubric evaluations when the rubric is attached to an Assignment, Test/Quiz, or Gradebook item. Please do NOT unlock the tool. It is also recommended to avoid the setting "Hide Rubric from Students". Use instead the release to students feature specific to each tool.

Further recommendations for Rubrics: Best Practices for Rubrics

Rubrics tool icon.jpg

Select the Rubrics tool from the Tool Menu of your site.

Select Add Rubric

Select Add Rubric.png

Enter a Rubric Title

Enter a Rubric Title.png

Edit the existing criteria

Edit the existing criteria.png

Select Edit Criterion to rename the default criteria.


Select Edit Criterion to rename the default criteria.png


  1. Edit the Criterion Title.
  2. Optionally, you may enter a Criterion Description.
  3. Select Save when done.

Edit the Rating Titles and Points

When you create a Rubric you must select at least one rating box in order for it to save as a Rubric. Only having one rating box per criterion is possible but not the way the tool was originally designed and can lead to confusion. If you are interested in how structuring a single rating rubric might work with Sakai's Rubrics please contact edtech@brocku.ca.

Remember that the total points on your Rubric need to add up to the same total points you have assigned for this assessment. For example if the assignment or test/quiz that you are associating the Rubric with is out of 25 points than the rubric points should also add up to 25.

Edit the Rating Titles and Points.png

Select the pencil icon next to the rating item you wish to edit.


Select the pencil icon next to the rating item you wish to edit.png


  1. Enter the Rating Title. This is the performance level, such as "Does not meet expectations," "Meets expectations," or "Exceeds expectations."
  2. Enter the Points. Only whole numbers can be used, no decimal points or the functionality of the rubric will be compromised.
  3. Optionally, enter the Rating Description.
  4. Select Save when finished.


To add another rating level to a criterion.png

To add another rating level to a criterion, mouse over the line separating one rating from the next and click on the + icon [Add rating to Criterion] to insert a new rating level at that location.

Add as many new criteria as needed

Add as many new criteria as needed.png

Select Add Criterion to add a new row.

Or, copy an existing criterion

Or, copy an existing criterion.png

Select the Copy icon [Clone Criterion] to copy an existing criterion.

Tip: Sometimes it is easier to copy an existing criterion and edit the copy, than to add a new one.

Drag and drop to reorder

Drag and drop to reorder.png

You can change the order of both criteria and ratings by clicking on the Reorder icon in each cell and dragging the selected item to its new location.

Delete any criteria you don't need

Delete any criteria you don't need.png


Select the X icon [Remove Criterion] to delete an unnecessary criterion.


Select the Remove button when prompted to confirm the deletion.png

Select the Remove button when prompted to confirm the deletion.

Once you've created your Rubric you can associate it with an assignment, test/quiz, and/or Gradebook item. The grades for this assessment can then be auto-calculated through the grading of the Rubric.

More questions about the Rubrics tool?


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This page is adapted from an equivalent Sakai Community help article.

The original Sakai Community help article, unedited, is available at https://sakai.screenstepslive.com/s/sakai_help