How does Atom’s marking work?

When you’re revising, you want feedback you can trust.

Atom's marking gives you even more detail than an examiner, so you get clear, structured guidance that helps you genuinely improve.

Here’s how we make sure every mark is accurate, fair and consistent.

1. Built on real exam-board mark schemes

Atom doesn’t “guess” what a good answer looks like.

Our AI learns directly from the same mark schemes used by AQA, Edexcel and OCR.

This means every scoring decision mirrors what examiners look for, helping you understand exactly how to earn marks in the real exam.

2. Checked by real subject experts

Before AI marking goes live, our subject specialists and former examiners step in to make sure everything aligns with real-world standards.

They:

• Review the AI’s marking behaviour
• Run human vs AI comparisons
• Adjust anything that looks too generous or too harsh

The result? Marking that reflects genuine examiner expectations, not generic automation.

3. Clear, examiner-style criteria

Atom’s AI uses a structured marking approach that rewards clear thinking and strong communication.

It looks for:

• Clear analysis
• Well-structured explanations
• Precise, accurate knowledge

And it flags vague or underdeveloped answers, helping you see not just what needs improving, but how to write exam-ready responses.

4. Proven accuracy (±1 mark)

Every subject’s AI marking is tested against real examiners before launch.

Atom’s AI scores within ±1 mark of expert markers on sample questions. This meets the reliability standards needed for real GCSE marking.

5. Always improving

We constantly refine and re-check AI marking using:

• Real student responses
• New insights from examiners
• Ongoing accuracy tests

This means your feedback gets clearer and more reliable over time.