Fine-tuning Large Language Models for Automated Scoring: Classification, Regression, vs. Ordinal Regression

Jiyun Zu, Akshay Badola


Abstract
Fine-tuning large language models for automated scoring is often formulated as either a regression or a classification task. However, scores assigned by human raters are on an ordinal scale. We summarize different deep-learning ordinal regression methods and compare their performances with those from regression and classification using a real dataset.
Anthology ID:
2026.aimecon-main.55
Volume:
Proceedings of the Artificial Intelligence in Measurement and Education Conference (AIME-Con): Full Papers
Month:
October
Year:
2026
Address:
Wyndham Grand Pittsburgh Downtown, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, United States
Editors:
Joshua Wilson, Christopher Ormerod, Magdalen Beiting-Parrish
Venue:
AIME-Con
SIG:
Publisher:
National Council on Measurement in Education (NCME)
Note:
Pages:
490–496
Language:
URL:
https://aclanthology.org/2026.aimecon-main.55/
DOI:
Bibkey:
Cite (ACL):
Jiyun Zu and Akshay Badola. 2026. Fine-tuning Large Language Models for Automated Scoring: Classification, Regression, vs. Ordinal Regression. In Proceedings of the Artificial Intelligence in Measurement and Education Conference (AIME-Con): Full Papers, pages 490–496, Wyndham Grand Pittsburgh Downtown, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, United States. National Council on Measurement in Education (NCME).
Cite (Informal):
Fine-tuning Large Language Models for Automated Scoring: Classification, Regression, vs. Ordinal Regression (Zu & Badola, AIME-Con 2026)
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PDF:
https://aclanthology.org/2026.aimecon-main.55.pdf