diff --git a/common/lib/xmodule/xmodule/combined_open_ended_module.py b/common/lib/xmodule/xmodule/combined_open_ended_module.py
index 14a59c9004..7ecca35107 100644
--- a/common/lib/xmodule/xmodule/combined_open_ended_module.py
+++ b/common/lib/xmodule/xmodule/combined_open_ended_module.py
@@ -165,15 +165,10 @@ class CombinedOpenEndedModule(XModule):
         # completion (doesn't matter if you self-assessed correct/incorrect).
         self._max_score = int(self.metadata.get('max_score', MAX_SCORE))
 
-        if self._max_score > MAX_SCORE_ALLOWED:
-            error_message = "Max score {0} is higher than max score allowed {1} for location {2}".format(self._max_score,
-                MAX_SCORE_ALLOWED, location)
-            log.error(error_message)
-            raise IncorrectMaxScoreError(error_message)
 
         rubric_renderer = CombinedOpenEndedRubric(system, True)
         rubric_string = stringify_children(definition['rubric'])
-        rubric_renderer.check_if_rubric_is_parseable(rubric_string, location, MAX_SCORE_ALLOWED)
+        rubric_renderer.check_if_rubric_is_parseable(rubric_string, location, MAX_SCORE_ALLOWED, self._max_score)
 
         #Static data is passed to the child modules to render
         self.static_data = {
@@ -700,4 +695,4 @@ class CombinedOpenEndedDescriptor(XmlDescriptor, EditingDescriptor):
         for child in ['task']:
             add_child(child)
 
-        return elt
\ No newline at end of file
+        return elt
diff --git a/common/lib/xmodule/xmodule/combined_open_ended_rubric.py b/common/lib/xmodule/xmodule/combined_open_ended_rubric.py
index 7c772c1596..dc08199511 100644
--- a/common/lib/xmodule/xmodule/combined_open_ended_rubric.py
+++ b/common/lib/xmodule/xmodule/combined_open_ended_rubric.py
@@ -39,7 +39,7 @@ class CombinedOpenEndedRubric(object):
             raise RubricParsingError("[render_rubric] Could not parse the rubric with xml: {0}".format(rubric_xml))
         return success, html
 
-    def check_if_rubric_is_parseable(self, rubric_string, location, max_score_allowed):
+    def check_if_rubric_is_parseable(self, rubric_string, location, max_score_allowed, max_score):
         success, rubric_feedback = self.render_rubric(rubric_string)
         if not success:
             error_message = "Could not parse rubric : {0} for location {1}".format(rubric_string, location.url())
@@ -47,13 +47,21 @@ class CombinedOpenEndedRubric(object):
             raise RubricParsingError(error_message)
 
         rubric_categories = self.extract_categories(rubric_string)
+        total = 0
         for category in rubric_categories:
+            total = total + len(category['options']) - 1
             if len(category['options']) > (max_score_allowed + 1):
                 error_message = "Number of score points in rubric {0} higher than the max allowed, which is {1}".format(
                     len(category['options']), max_score_allowed)
                 log.error(error_message)
                 raise RubricParsingError(error_message)
 
+        if total != max_score:
+            error_msg = "The max score {0} for problem {1} does not match the total number of points in the rubric {2}".format(
+                    max_score, location, total)
+            log.error(error_msg)
+            raise RubricParsingError(error_msg)
+
     def extract_categories(self, element):
         '''
         Contstruct a list of categories such that the structure looks like:
diff --git a/common/lib/xmodule/xmodule/css/combinedopenended/display.scss b/common/lib/xmodule/xmodule/css/combinedopenended/display.scss
index 5f7b46f7cf..eba2910144 100644
--- a/common/lib/xmodule/xmodule/css/combinedopenended/display.scss
+++ b/common/lib/xmodule/xmodule/css/combinedopenended/display.scss
@@ -405,8 +405,8 @@ section.open-ended-child {
           padding: 9px;
           background: #F6F6F6;
           border: 1px solid #ddd;
-          border-top: 0;
           margin-bottom: 20px;
+          min-height: 5em;
           @include clearfix;
      }
 
@@ -544,11 +544,6 @@ section.open-ended-child {
     }
 
     .submission_feedback {
-      // background: #F3F3F3;
-      // border: 1px solid #ddd;
-      // @include border-radius(3px);
-      // padding: 8px 12px;
-      // margin-top: 10px;
       @include inline-block;
       font-style: italic;
       margin: 8px 0 0 10px;