In this case study: Skills4Group has become the first independent training provider to conduct a formal side‑by‑side trial of Bud Mark against traditional manual marking, putting our flagship AI-assisted tool to the test in a live environment. | 5 minute read.
Bud Mark Cuts Marking Time by 50% in Skills4Group Trial
Skills4Group started using Bud Mark at the beginning of May 2025. Driven by a desire to increase efficiency and reduce workload, they decided to compare traditional tutor marking with Bud's AI-powered assessment tool, Bud Mark.
We spoke to Rob Crofts, Curriculum Manager at Skills4Group, about the group’s structured evaluation and how the results of their trial were used to inform a broader rollout across the organisation.
Tackling Modern Challenges in Apprenticeships
As highlighted in a recent article, nearly 45% of apprentices don’t complete their programmes, a figure that rises to 60% in sectors like hospitality and care. While there are many contributing factors, tutor workload remains a significant challenge.
Marking written submissions alone can take up to 1.5 days per week, creating delays, inconsistency, and barriers to learner engagement. Bud Mark, our AI-powered marking tool, was developed to help tackle this pressure, streamlining feedback without compromising quality and supporting providers in delivering timely, consistent, and engaging assessment experiences.
Bud Mark empowers programme managers to create custom rubrics, which are used as the marking framework for learner submissions. Trainers review and refine the AI output before sharing, ensuring complete control over grading quality. With turnaround times as fast as 20 seconds per assessment, it turns marking from a bottleneck into a fast, scalable process.
You can read more about building rubrics here.
Who are Skills4Group?
Skills4Group includes Skills4Pharmacy, Skills4Science, and Skills4Dental and is a leading UK apprenticeship and Skills Bootcamp provider focused on the healthcare, life sciences, and dental sectors. Since 2015, they’ve delivered nationally recognised apprenticeship programmes for Pharmacy Technicians, Laboratory Technicians, Science Manufacturing Operatives, and Dental Nurses.
With a learner-first approach, small class sizes, and flexible delivery models, Skills4Group maintains high learner and employer satisfaction, boasting completion rates of around 90% and strong progression into professional roles within NHS Trusts, community pharmacies, and other healthcare settings.
In June 2025, Skills4Group became the first independent training provider to run a formal, structured evaluation of Bud Mark, embedding the tool into real marking workflows and using their experience to inform a broader rollout decision across their organisation.
The Skills4Group Trial: Real-World Testing For Bud Mark
Trial Design
The trial involved two groups of five tutors: One group using Bud Mark and the other continuing with manual marking. The focus was solely on written assignments, selected for their clearly defined assessment outcomes and the greater time typically required to mark them. Tutors recorded their feedback using electronic forms, which captured both the time taken to mark each submission and qualitative observations about the process.
Evaluation Criteria
To assess Bud Mark’s performance, Skills4Group looked at several key factors:
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Time efficiency (speed of marking)
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Feedback structure and clarity
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Accuracy (alignment with tutor expectations)
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Continuity (consistency across repeated runs)
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Quality and specificity of strength and development points
Key Findings
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Halved Marking Time - Skills4Group observed that Bud Mark reduced the time taken per activity by approximately 50%, translating into major workload relief for tutors.
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Quality That Consistently Delivers - Tutors were impressed by how accurately and consistently Bud Mark delivered feedback, even across multiple runs of the same learner submission. It didn’t feel like generic machine output; instead, comments were specific, well‑structured, and aligned with tutor judgement.
Final Thought
Products are only as strong as they perform in the real world. Skills4Group’s systematic trial delivers real, measurable evidence that Bud Mark lives up to its promise - delivering rapid, reliable feedback that complements tutor expertise, while reducing administrative burden.
Does your organisation need Bud Mark?
If your organisation is exploring ways to free up tutor time, improve feedback turnaround, or support more personalised learning, check out our recent Bud Mark article or get in touch to discover how Bud Mark could power your marking strategy.
