### Marking Scheme

A marking scheme is a description of how something, or a set of things (i.e. assignments), is to be marked. Each scheme is composed of a set of sections which are organized in a tree structure rooted at a root section. Marking schemes don't contain any data about how a particular thing is marked; only about how something should be marked.

As an example, suppose an instructor has to mark a number of Java assignments. The name of the assignment is "Assignment 1", and it has to do with `for` and `while` loops. There are several criteria on which to mark the assignment: 1) the `for` loop; 2) the `while` loop; 3) the comments in the code. Item number (3) has two more criteria that have to be marked: 1) Javadoc comments; 2) inline comments. A scheme for marking this assignment might look like this:

For more information about the different components of a marking scheme, see the following:

1. Sections
2. Root Section