Context
Lifetime Training, one of the UK’s largest apprenticeship providers, worked with Graide to streamline their assessment process. By using AI-assisted marking, they significantly reduced marking time, delivered more consistent and detailed feedback, and gave tutors more capacity to focus on supporting learners and improving outcomes.
The Challenges
One of the big things noticed was that there wasn't so much a problem with the marking as with the time spent providing feedback.
Slow and inefficient marking processes were limiting the speed at which assessments could be returned to learners.
Inconsistent and time-consuming feedback makes it difficult to maintain quality and standardisation across multiple submissions.
Heavy marking workloads left tutors with limited time for learner support and negatively impacted their overall well-being.
The Results
Marking was dramatically faster—some assessments were turned around in just under a minute! Even the more complex ones saw a big reduction in marking time, which meant learners got their feedback much sooner.
One Level 2 math section (non-calculator) had a median marking time of just 0.76 minutes. Graide system reports turnaround times as low as sub-one minute in some instances, with an average of 7.94 minutes for Level 1 calculator assessments.
Feedback became more consistent and detailed—tutors could reuse high-quality comments across multiple students, saving time while still giving learners the depth they needed.
