For this reason, it is often inaccurate to compare two different papers from two different classes. It is equally inaccurate to compare your current grades to those you received in high school. The reason for this difference is that you are now among better writers. Many times, students prefer objective tests. However, to synthesize and apply concepts and skills, a student must be allowed to create something unique.
Some people believe that subjective grading is an unreliable form of assessment.
Contrary to what some people believe, subjective assessment is not based on a grader's personal taste or whim. An instructor who points out a weakness in a paper and makes suggestions is performing the same function as a physician who gives a medical opinion about various types of treatment. In both cases, empirical evidence is used to make subjective judgements, but those judgments are professional, not personal. An instructor's assessment, on the other hand, is a judgment derived from the instructor's knowledge of writing, and is based upon the empirical evidence in the paper. For example, a paper that is disorganized has a problem, regardless of whether the instructor agrees with the paper's argument.