> ## Documentation Index
> Fetch the complete documentation index at: https://support.lena.africa/llms.txt
> Use this file to discover all available pages before exploring further.
# Grading Assignments
> How to review student submissions, assign scores, write feedback, and manage late submissions on Lena.
When students submit assignments, you review their work, assign a score, and
provide feedback — all within the Lena Teacher App.
**Before you begin:** You need an assignment that students have submitted
work for. See [Creating Assignments](/teachers/creating-assignments).
***
## Viewing submissions
Navigate to your course → **Assignments** → tap the assignment you want to grade. You'll see the assignment details and submission summary.
You'll see a list of all student submissions with:
* Student name
* Submission date and time
* Whether the submission was **on time** or **late**
* Grading status (graded or ungraded)
Tap a student's submission to view their work. You'll see the student's text response and/or uploaded files.
***
## Reviewing student work
When you open a submission, you'll see:
* **Text response** — If the student submitted text, it's displayed with
formatting (markdown rendered for bold, lists, headings, etc.)
* **Uploaded file** — If the student uploaded a file, you can view or download
it
* **Submission timestamp** — When the work was submitted
* **Late indicator** — Whether the submission was after the due date
***
## Grading a submission
Read through the student's response or downloaded file carefully.
Enter the student's score out of the total marks (e.g., 18 out of 20).
Add written feedback for the student. This is your opportunity to:
* Highlight what the student did well
* Point out areas for improvement
* Provide specific suggestions
Specific feedback is more helpful than generic comments. "Your analysis of the causes was thorough, but the conclusion could be stronger" is more useful than "Good work."
Tap **Save** or **Submit Grade**. A confirmation appears, and the student will be notified that their assignment has been graded.
***
## Handling late submissions
Submissions made after the due date are automatically flagged as **late**. You
can see the late indicator in the submissions list.
How you handle late submissions is up to you:
* **Grade normally** — Give full marks if the work is good, regardless of timing
* **Reduce marks** — Apply a late penalty (e.g., -10% per day late)
* **Leave ungraded** — If your policy doesn't accept late submissions
Lena doesn't automatically apply late penalties. You decide how to handle
late work based on your course policy.
***
## Physical assignment grading
For **physical assignments** (work submitted in person), you enter grades
directly without an online submission:
1. Open the physical assignment
2. Find the student in the list
3. Enter their score and feedback
4. Save
This records the grade in Lena's grade system even though the physical work
wasn't submitted digitally.
***
## Tips for efficient grading
* **Use the submissions list** to track which students you've graded and which
are still pending
* **Grade in batches** — Set aside dedicated time to grade all submissions for
one assignment
* **Be consistent** — Use the same criteria for all students
* **Write actionable feedback** — Tell students what to improve, not just what
was wrong
***
## Troubleshooting
* Check that the student has actually submitted — look under the
**Submissions** tab - If the assignment allows multiple submission types,
check both text and file submissions - The student may not have submitted
yet — check the deadline
* Make sure the score doesn't exceed the **total marks** for the assignment
* Check your internet connection and try again - Try refreshing the page and
re-entering the grade
***
## Related guides
* [Creating Assignments](/teachers/creating-assignments) — create new
assignments
* [Grades Overview](/teachers/grades-overview) — view course-wide grades
* [Submitting Assignments (Student View)](/students/submitting-assignments) —
see how students submit their work