---
title: "Use a marking guide"
slug: "use-a-marking-guide"
tags: ["Totara Learn", "Content Creator", "How-to"]
updated: 2026-08-13T16:01:25Z
published: 2026-08-13T16:01:25Z
canonical: "totara.help/use-a-marking-guide"
---

> ## Documentation Index
> Fetch the complete documentation index at: https://totara.help/llms.txt
> Use this file to discover all available pages before exploring further.

# Use a marking guide

If you wish to use a marking guide then you need to make sure that **Grading method** is set to **Marking guide**. You can then [create a marking guide from scratch or add an existing one](/totara-20/docs/create-a-marking-guide) from a template (it will need to have been [published as a template](/totara-20/docs/share-a-marking-guide)).

Then when you go to the table of submission, simply follow these steps:

1. Click **Grade** alongside the submission you wish to start marking.
2. Use the marking guide to help you grade, by considering each criterion and then giving a mark and leaving a comment that is appropriate for that criterion. If you have set up frequently used comments then you may find these help to speed up the marking process.
3. Once you have finished marking a learner you can use the arrows in the top right to change users and mark another learner.
4. If you are finished marking entirely click **Save changes** before exiting to save your marks and comments.

## Next steps

- [Share a marking guide](/totara-20/docs/share-a-marking-guide)
- [Manage marking guides](/totara-20/docs/manage-marking-guides)

![Course badge](https://cdn.document360.io/a007399b-031e-436b-999a-528240e16f58/Images/Documentation/course-badge_grading-completion-and-certificates.svg?sv=2026-02-06&spr=https&st=2026-11-06T06%3A35%3A59Z&se=2026-11-06T07%3A35%3A59Z&sr=c&sp=r&sig=7pLu1ZpExEWPka5UA95KsS%2BXPf97UbRkrHQgkrHGJjA%3D)The Totara Academy has a whole course dedicated to using [Grading, completion, and certificates](https://totara.community/course/view.php?id=646) in Totara Learn. Here you can learn more on how to use these tools, see best practice, and give it a go yourself.

Join the [Totara Community](https://totara.community/) for more resources to help you get the most out of Totara.

© Copyright 2025 Totara Learning Solutions. All rights reserved. Some content originally obtained via [GPLv3 license](https://www.gnu.org/licenses/licenses.html#GPL) and continues to be available under GPLv3. All other content is the sole copyright of Totara Learning Solutions.