The use of rubrics for performance assessment as opposed to holistic methods is widely accepted as current enlightened practice and continues to receive considerable attention particularly in the current drive for increased accountability for student achievement. This has resulted in extensive discussion regarding their appropriateness, use and misuse, particularly in the assessment of writing. In order to understand the basis of the conflicting viewpoints that have characterised the rubrics debate in assessment of writing over the last decade, its historical roots and philosophical underpinnings are considered. A critical analysis of the scholarly literature on the role of rubrics and their relationship with writing exemplars provides the context for a discussion of current trends in assessment for learning and increased emphasis on student peer and self-assessment.