Detecting Invalid Responses in Automated Essay Scoring with Fine-Tuned Large Language Models

YoungKoung Kim, Christopher Ormerod


Abstract
This study compares generative models Gemma and Qwen with ModernBERT and Mahalanobis-LOF for invalid-response detection in automated essay scoring. Qwen maintained high recall while reducing false invalid flags on a representative test set and detected some fluent off-topic responses in a matched diagnostic set. Fluent off-topic detection remained difficult.
Anthology ID:
2026.aimecon-sessions.4
Volume:
Proceedings of the Artificial Intelligence in Measurement and Education Conference (AIME-Con): Coordinated Session 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:
31–38
Language:
URL:
https://aclanthology.org/2026.aimecon-sessions.4/
DOI:
Bibkey:
Cite (ACL):
YoungKoung Kim and Christopher Ormerod. 2026. Detecting Invalid Responses in Automated Essay Scoring with Fine-Tuned Large Language Models. In Proceedings of the Artificial Intelligence in Measurement and Education Conference (AIME-Con): Coordinated Session Papers, pages 31–38, Wyndham Grand Pittsburgh Downtown, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, United States. National Council on Measurement in Education (NCME).
Cite (Informal):
Detecting Invalid Responses in Automated Essay Scoring with Fine-Tuned Large Language Models (Kim & Ormerod, AIME-Con 2026)
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PDF:
https://aclanthology.org/2026.aimecon-sessions.4.pdf