Time Saving Tips for Marking: Teacher Guide

A big part of my growth and development as a teacher has been how I mark my work. With inexperience and a touch of insecurity, you may find yourself marking books and assignments for hours, in and out of work. Sometimes, we let perfect be the enemy of good, and do too much, leaving us without time for planning, assessment, and even just a bit of downtime and rest. 

These tips will not only improve your actual marking, for you and your students, but give you your time back. It’s not about how hard we work, it’s about how well we work, and this article will help you find efficient strategies to turn the worst part of your day to something oddly satisfying. 

Why Marking Takes So Much Time

There is so much more to marking student work than just ticks, flicks and quick comments. The marking process offers teachers a point of assessment, helping you gain a picture of their progress, their understanding, and what aspects of your planned teaching could use more attention in next steps and future planning. 

This is why it can take so long, because teachers need to:

• Interpret their students work

• Give feedback aligned with their learning objectives

• Log progress, both of individuals and the class as a whole

• Meet the expectations outlined in marking policies and the expectations of SLT

• Even prepare for potential Ofsted scrutiny

Whilst all of this is well-meaning, these expectations can add to the pressure and burden that teachers are under.

The good news? You can still fulfil all your obligations and meet expectations without marking every single word. There are faster and more efficient methods, and we’re here to show you them.

10 Time-Saving Marking Strategies for Teachers

1. Use a Marking Code System

A marking code system is a simple set of shorthand symbols that allows you to communicate common feedback points in a quick fashion. For example:

• SP = spelling

• ^ = missing word

• // = new paragraph

• VF = verbal feedback given

By implementing a system like this, it saves you wasted time writing full sentences or crafting creative feedback to say the same thing again and again. Not only that, but a consistent approach like this makes reading your feedback much easier for your students, who will soon recognise each symbol and know what it means. This way, you can save yourself time and make your feedback more accessible for your students.

2. Give Whole-Class Feedback

Not all marking needs to be specific to each individual. In your marking, you may notice common misconceptions across the group. Implement a whole-class feedback template to address these concerns:

1. Skim books as a first read-through, noting common strengths and misconceptions

2. Create a feedback sheet that addresses these areas

3. Share this with the class, re-teaching key concepts. Make sure to highlight examples of success, using examples from different students to celebrate success

4. Make note of individuals who may need a follow-up, for praise and for guidance

You can do this simply by copying the assessment criteria, methods and examples, and then questions into a sheet or grid to extend their learning, delivering your input with the methods and examples for them to follow.

The bonus of this method is that it gives you an easy way to address concerns and misconceptions without having to go from individual to individual. It is also a great way to show SLT you are incorporating formative assessment into your planning and tracking the progress of your class.

3. Limit Written Comments

Long comments may look like more detailed marking, but they are not always better for your students, or an efficient use of your time. You could try:

• Use symbols, ticks and shorthand code systems

• Write only when it leads to improvement, even if it is explaining why an aspect is so impressive

• Use verbal feedback, noting as “VF” in books, and address students in class

If a misconception is common across the class, revisit teaching at the start of a lesson. With a smaller group, you can bring them together and address the mistakes, or visit students across the lesson and go over misconceptions one-to-one. All it takes is a simple conversation, starting along the lines of “let’s take a look at your conclusion structure again.”

4. Mark with a Timer

Perfect can be the enemy of good, and perfectionism can be a trap that leaves you wasting valuable time. Get yourself a timer, and try:

• A time-limit per book: e.g., 3 minutes per book

• Time-blocking: mark in 20-25-minute bursts, then take a break, allowing you to refresh and refocus

• Focus on learning intent and goals, not small errors

By improving your efficiency, you can also improve your accuracy and focus, ensuring the important aspects are what you are marking.

5. Use Self and Peer Assessment

Peer assessment and self assessment can give children a chance to recognise what has been done well. Train students to assess each other using clear success criteria or model answers. This can:

• Reinforce learning
  

• Develop metacognition
  

• Reduce your workload

Tip: Always do a quick scan to ensure quality. You can tick work that’s been peer assessed to show a teacher has checked the work. 

6. Mark for the Objective, Not Everything

Keep your focus on the lesson objectives. What matters most in the work you’re marking is how it reflects what you have taught. For example:

• In an English lesson on paragraph structure, focus your marking on that

• In Maths, focus on the methods you’re working on, and make any next steps about that

It is important you align with your school’s marking policy, but your time should go on advancing the learning from your lesson.

7. Batch Mark Similar Tasks Together

Marking all of Question 1 across the class before moving to Question 2 helps with:

• Consistency: You stay in the same frame of reference.

• Focus: You give sharper, more specific feedback.

This saves you from marking the same misconceptions over and over again in books, whilst ensuring you address and improve on areas that have caused difficulties across many students. More time for you, better understanding for your class.

8. Use Technology and AI Tools

Nowadays, there are some excellent tools that support quick, high-quality feedback, and support you at work:

• Google Forms/Quizizz for automatic quiz marking

• Save My Exams' SmartMark tool to help improve exam answers and find feedback and next steps

• AI-based feedback assistants to suggest next steps

Be cautious with generative AI – always review outputs and remember they are a tool, not a solution – but don’t overlook the power of tech to cut time.

9. Make Feedback Feed Forward

Long comments are not effective in engaging students with feedback. Always aim to keep your marking concise, with a quick explanation of what can be done to improve. Give short, actionable next steps, and revisit them in lessons.

Example: “Next time, use one piece of evidence per paragraph.” You can follow that up with a starter task next lesson to practise this.

This ensures feedback leads to learning, not just box-ticking, which is better for you and better for your students.

10. Use Rubrics or Checklists

You can save yourself plenty of time by marking to rubrics and checklists. Instead of long sentences and feedback, you can tick off criteria and show students what they have achieved and maintain consistent expectations. 

Rubrics are also a good way to show your students how their work will be assessed by examiners and assessors. 

You could even incorporate rubrics into your marking code system, using objective codes like these (opens in a new tab) to highlight when students meet these objectives in their work. By making these available to students, they also get to understand the assessment objectives that they are working towards.

How to Meet Marking Policy Without Burning Out

It’s possible to meet policy expectations without marking every page.

Tips:

• Rotate detailed marking: e.g., Week 1 = Class A, Week 2 = Class B

• Use codes and whole-class feedback as evidence

• Mark in lessons, giving feedback children can work on that lesson

• Keep a simple marking log for SLT/Ofsted

• Plan "marking light" weeks into your term

Sample routine:

• Monday: Mark one set for 45 mins

• Tuesday: Whole-class feedback and re-teach

• Friday: Peer/self-assessment in class

Subject-Specific Marking Tips

English

• Mark paragraph structure, clarity, and use of evidence, not every comma.

• Use comment banks like:

  • “Try to link back to your thesis in the conclusion.”

  • “Add more textual evidence to support your point.”

• Focus feedback on 1–2 learning goals per assignment.

Maths

• Use codes: M (miscalculation), F (formula error), U (units missing)

• Mark for method and misconception, not every answer

• Batch similar types of questions and correct common misconceptions in class

Science

• Mark for outcome accuracy and key misconceptions

• Use comment banks like:

  • “Check the difference between…” 

  • “Units missing from your answer.”

• Avoid marking every part of multistep answers unless required

Frequently Asked Questions

What’s the fastest way to mark work and still give useful feedback?

Use a combination of whole-class feedback, marking codes, and next steps. Avoid marking every point and instead focus on the learning intention. Use technology when appropriate. The important thing is to find a strategy that relieves your workload, and then use that with consistency. 

Can I use AI to help with marking?

Yes, but do so responsibly. Tools like Save My Exams’ SmartMark can generate suggested comments. AI tools can also help with quiz marking and feedback drafting, but always double-check the work of AI for accuracy.

Work smarter, not longer

Marking can be suffocating, but it doesn’t have to be. Marking doesn’t have to steal your evenings and weekends. By adopting even 1–2 of these time saving tips for marking, you can significantly reduce workload without compromising on quality.

• Use codes

• Limit written feedback

• Embrace whole-class strategies and correct common misconceptions with teaching

• Leverage tech and AI

• Stay aligned with your school’s marking policy

Need help with planning or revision tasks to further reduce marking? Explore Save My Exams for ready-to-use resources and tools to save you time in the classroom. 

The old adage of ‘work smarter, not harder’ applies well to marking. If you can make your marking more efficient, it won’t just save you time and peace of mind, but it will likely benefit your students. Not only will they have feedback that is easier to understand and respond to, they will also have a fresher, more energised teacher. 

Improving my marking transformed me as a teacher. I found time, I found rest, removing hours of time wasted and making my marking not only faster, but more purposeful and rewarding. These techniques can do the same for you.