> ## Documentation Index
> Fetch the complete documentation index at: https://docs.gradingpal.com/llms.txt
> Use this file to discover all available pages before exploring further.

# A submission failed to grade

> Tell me which failure I have, or why it has been grading for so long, and the one thing to do about it.

export const updated_0 = "19 September 2026"

export const page_0 = "/teachers/fix/grading-failed"

Two badges, two problems. **AI failed** means something on our side hiccuped and **Retry** can win. **Can't grade** means the file is the problem and only a new file fixes it. The row tells you which you have and offers the matching button.

## Check these first

1. Read the badge and the reason line under it. Select the reason to see what usually causes it and what to try.
2. Use the button the row offers. That's the fix.
3. **Don't delete and re-upload.** It usually hits the same problem and loses that submission's history.

## The button the row offers

| What you see                              | What it usually means                                                                                                            | What to do                                                                                                   |
| ----------------------------------------- | -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- | ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ |
| **AI failed** with **Retry**              | A temporary failure: a timeout, a busy AI service, a download or conversion that didn't finish                                   | Select **Retry**. Most clear within a try or two. To retry many, tick the rows and select **Retry grading**  |
| **Can't grade** with **Replace file**     | The file itself: "Couldn't read the file", "File too large", "File is empty", "Couldn't play the video", "File type not allowed" | Select **Replace file** and upload a clean one for that student                                              |
| **Can't grade** with **Ask to resubmit**  | The same file problems, on work a student submitted                                                                              | Select **Ask to resubmit**. The student gets an email; the button reads **Resubmit asked**                   |
| **Can't grade** with **Reconnect Google** | "Google account disconnected": the file lives in Drive and the connection expired                                                | Select **Reconnect Google** and choose every permission. If the file still won't open, it needs resubmitting |
| **Can't grade** with **Contact support**  | "No rubric to grade against", "Assignment setup problem", "Something went wrong on our side", or a failure that kept repeating   | Select **Contact support**. The chat opens with the details attached                                         |

## It has been grading for a long time

| Where you are                     | What you see                                                            | What to do                                                                                                                                                                                           |
| --------------------------------- | ----------------------------------------------------------------------- | ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- |
| Instant setup                     | **Setting up your assignment** with "This is taking longer than usual." | Select **Refresh**. Leaving the page is safe once setup has started. If it changes to **We couldn't finish setup**, select **Retry**                                                                 |
| Guided, after uploading a handout | **Reading your assignment…**                                            | Short worksheets take a minute or two, long exams five or six. If nothing has changed after that, refresh the page. The wizard picks up where it was                                                 |
| Guided, the Answer keys step      | **Generating rubrics…** on the Continue button                          | Wait for every question's key to appear, then continue. Refresh if it hasn't moved in a few minutes                                                                                                  |
| The Submissions tab               | A row still on **AI grading** long after the rest finished              | Grading that stops responding is ended automatically, usually within half an hour. The row changes to **AI failed** with "Grading stopped responding", and **Retry** runs it again                   |
| The rubric or questions editor    | **Save changes** fails                                                  | Look for **Review changes** on the Ask GradingPal button: a proposal must be accepted or rejected first. Then fix any field ringed in red. If it still fails, contact support with the exact message |

Don't delete a stuck submission to start it again. Retry does that without losing its history.

## Work that will never grade

If a submission can't be fixed, open its menu and select **Won't grade — remove from list**. It leaves the list without counting against you.

## The wrong instinct

Deleting the row and uploading the file again. The same file meets the same problem, and you lose the record of what happened.

## Still need help?

Open the **Support** tab on the edge of any GradingPal screen, or email [support@gradingpal.com](mailto:support@gradingpal.com). To get a fast answer, include:

* the class name and the assignment name
* roughly when it happened
* what you saw on screen, or the exact message

Students don't have support chat. If you're a student, ask your teacher.

## Related tasks

* [A file will not upload](/teachers/fix/upload-problems)
* [A scan or handout was not read](/teachers/fix/scans-and-handwriting)
* [Get help](/teachers/account/get-help)

<hr />

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