Which of the following is NOT a characteristic of a rubric?

A rubric is a tool that outlines specific criteria for evaluating performance or products, often used in educational settings. The primary purpose of a rubric is to provide clarity and consistency in assessing work by detailing the expectations and standards.

The correct answer highlights that a rubric does not give absolute grades without room for discretion. Instead, it offers guidelines and criteria that allow evaluators to make informed judgments based on the demonstrated performance. This inherent flexibility in a rubric recognizes that performance can vary widely, and factors such as creativity, effort, and complexity may influence the final assessment, rather than adhering strictly to fixed grading categories.

In contrast, a rubric provides a detailed evaluation criteria, allowing for a comprehensive understanding of what is expected. It also promotes consistency in scoring across different evaluators, as it sets standardized criteria that all evaluators can reference. Furthermore, rubrics can weigh different aspects of performance differently, tailoring the assessment to prioritize certain skills or competencies over others, depending on the objectives of the evaluation. This adaptability further demonstrates the rubric's function to foster nuanced assessments rather than rigid, absolute grading.