Samuel, Great. I agree about "no surprises". Evaluation should measure the degree to which a student has (or hasn't) learned the needed information up to that point. The process should be fair, accurate, consistent with what was taught, and aligned with the course objectives. Essays that provide for critical thinking can be assessed by rubrics, but even these have some subjectivity. Practice helps students learn how a teacher is likely to grade. So, although it seems conterintuitive, more frequent quizzes, homework, tests (practice and real), and similar evaluation activities help teach students how to prepare. Pre-tests, or exam preparation are great activities too. Barry Westling