diff --git a/mod/lesson/essay.php b/mod/lesson/essay.php
index 981a833c987d4..0e65bbe79b229 100644
--- a/mod/lesson/essay.php
+++ b/mod/lesson/essay.php
@@ -46,41 +46,59 @@
 }
 $PAGE->set_url($url);
 
+$attempt = new stdClass();	
+$user = new stdClass();
+$attemptid = optional_param('attemptid', 0, PARAM_INT);
+
+if ($attemptid > 0) {
+    $attempt = $DB->get_record('lesson_attempts', array('id' => $attemptid));
+    $answer = $DB->get_record('lesson_answers', array('lessonid' => $lesson->id, 'pageid' => $attempt->pageid));
+    $user = $DB->get_record('user', array('id' => $attempt->userid));
+    $scoreoptions = array();
+    if ($lesson->custom) {
+        $i = $answer->score;
+        while ($i >= 0) {
+            $scoreoptions[$i] = (string)$i;
+            $i--;
+        }
+    } else {
+        $scoreoptions[0] = get_string('nocredit', 'lesson');
+        $scoreoptions[1] = get_string('credit', 'lesson');
+    }
+}
+
 /// Handle any preprocessing before header is printed - based on $mode
 switch ($mode) {
     case 'grade':
         // Grading form - get the necessary data
         require_sesskey();
 
-        $attemptid = required_param('attemptid', PARAM_INT);
-
-        if (!$attempt = $DB->get_record('lesson_attempts', array('id' => $attemptid))) {
+        if (empty($attempt)) {
             print_error('cannotfindattempt', 'lesson');
         }
-        $page = $lesson->load_page($attempt->pageid);
-        if (!$user = $DB->get_record('user', array('id' => $attempt->userid))) {
+        if (empty($user)) {
             print_error('cannotfinduser', 'lesson');
         }
-        if (!$answer = $DB->get_record('lesson_answers', array('lessonid' => $lesson->id, 'pageid' => $page->id))) {
+        if (empty($answer)) {
             print_error('cannotfindanswer', 'lesson');
         }
         break;
 
     case 'update':
         require_sesskey();
-        $mform = new essay_grading_form();
-        if ($form = $mform->get_data()) {
 
-            if (optional_param('cancel', false, PARAM_RAW)) {
-                redirect("$CFG->wwwroot/mod/lesson/essay.php?id=$cm->id");
-            }
-
-            $attemptid = required_param('attemptid', PARAM_INT);
-            $score = optional_param('score', 0, PARAM_INT);
+        if (empty($attempt)) {
+            print_error('cannotfindattempt', 'lesson');
+        }
+        if (empty($user)) {
+            print_error('cannotfinduser', 'lesson');
+        }
 
-            if (!$attempt = $DB->get_record('lesson_attempts', array('id' => $attemptid))) {
-                print_error('cannotfindattempt', 'lesson');
-            }
+        $mform = new essay_grading_form(null, array('scoreoptions'=>$scoreoptions, 'user'=>$user));
+        if ($mform->is_cancelled()) {
+            redirect("$CFG->wwwroot/mod/lesson/essay.php?id=$cm->id");
+        }
+        if ($form = $mform->get_data()) {
             if (!$grades = $DB->get_records('lesson_grades', array("lessonid"=>$lesson->id, "userid"=>$attempt->userid), 'completed', '*', $attempt->retry, 1)) {
                 print_error('cannotfindgrade', 'lesson');
             }
@@ -89,7 +107,7 @@
             $essayinfo = unserialize($attempt->useranswer);
 
             $essayinfo->graded = 1;
-            $essayinfo->score = $score;
+            $essayinfo->score = $form->score;
             $essayinfo->response = clean_param($form->response, PARAM_RAW);
             $essayinfo->sent = 0;
             if (!$lesson->custom && $essayinfo->score == 1) {
@@ -368,22 +386,9 @@
     case 'grade':
         // Grading form
         // Expects the following to be set: $attemptid, $answer, $user, $page, $attempt
-
-
         $essayinfo = unserialize($attempt->useranswer);
-        $options = array();
-        if ($lesson->custom) {
-            $i = $answer->score;
-            while ($i >= 0) {
-                $options[$i] = (string)$i;
-                $i--;
-            }
-        } else {
-            $options[0] = get_string('nocredit', 'lesson');
-            $options[1] = get_string('credit', 'lesson');
-        }
-        $mform = new essay_grading_form(null, array('scoreoptions'=>$options, 'user'=>$user));
 
+        $mform = new essay_grading_form(null, array('scoreoptions'=>$scoreoptions, 'user'=>$user));
         $data = new stdClass;
         $data->id = $cm->id;
         $data->attemptid = $attemptid;