A full, honest side-by-side comparison is coming as our accuracy data publishes. We won't put a comparison out before we can stand behind the numbers behind it.
In the meantime, here's the short version of where we differ — and where we'd rather show you, not just tell you.
We don't compete on cell-value matching — that's a solved problem. We grade the assessments that actually matter in an analytics course, and we accept the many valid ways students reach the answer.
| The task | Most graders today | GridGrade |
|---|---|---|
| Pivot tables | Checks only that a pivot exists | Full structure: placement, aggregation, filters, Show Values As, stale source |
| Power Query | Can't grade it | Grades the query a student built — joins, grouping, step order — and checks it against the expected result |
| Multiple valid methods | One rigid right answer | Credits every valid method — a formula, a pivot, or Power Query — that reaches the right answer |
| Answer moved or sheet renamed | Breaks on fixed cells | Finds the answer even if a student moved it or renamed the sheet |
| Partial credit | Limited carry-through | Dependency-aware: a correct step on a wrong upstream value isn't double-penalized |
| Feedback | “Cell B7: Incorrect” | Evidence + reason + a fix suggestion on every deduction |
Comparison coming as our accuracy data publishes. We roll out each capability behind a measured quality gate and publish accuracy data as it clears — and the full, sourced comparison lands with it. Want to see GridGrade on a real exam first? Ask for a demo.
“Most graders today” reflects publicly documented capabilities of common spreadsheet auto-graders.
If it's a correct path to the answer, it earns credit. Three differences do most of the work — and each one is a capability, not a claim.
Power Query is the hardest thing to grade by hand — and the one thing other graders skip. GridGrade grades it the way you would: the joins a student set up, how they grouped and combined data, and the order of their steps — then checks it against the result you expected. (For the technically curious: yes, we parse the underlying query.)
field: power query
SUMIFS, SUMPRODUCT, or a pivot can all land on the same answer — and GridGrade credits whichever one a student used. Same for VLOOKUP, XLOOKUP, and INDEX/MATCH. We grade what the work computes, not how it's typed — so a correct method isn't marked wrong.
field: method
Every deduction carries what the student did, why points came off, and how to fix it — not “Cell B7: Incorrect.” A regrade request becomes a quick conversation instead of a re-grade from scratch.
field: evidence
We'd rather show you, not just tell you. Until the full comparison publishes, here's how to see GridGrade on your own assessments.
GridGrade is review-recommended by design. It does the heavy lifting; you confirm the calls that matter and stay the grader of record. We won't claim a number we haven't proven — so the fuller, sourced comparison ships alongside the accuracy data it cites.
Here are two real lines from our sample assignment — actual engine output, not a mockup:
We're running an invitation-only pilot with a small, selectively chosen group of analytics instructors. Tell us about your course and we'll be in touch.
No commitment. We'll never share your information. One human reads every message.