Index: lams_tool_assessment/src/java/org/lamsfoundation/lams/tool/assessment/web/controller/AuthoringController.java
===================================================================
diff -u -r69448cd1b22b367f5221efed0730303edc27404c -rf46547f428248b90283a77617357314fb0767cba
--- lams_tool_assessment/src/java/org/lamsfoundation/lams/tool/assessment/web/controller/AuthoringController.java	(.../AuthoringController.java)	(revision 69448cd1b22b367f5221efed0730303edc27404c)
+++ lams_tool_assessment/src/java/org/lamsfoundation/lams/tool/assessment/web/controller/AuthoringController.java	(.../AuthoringController.java)	(revision f46547f428248b90283a77617357314fb0767cba)
@@ -327,6 +327,18 @@
 		    newQuestions, oldReferences, newReferences);
 	}
 
+	// Handle question references
+	assessmentPO.setQuestionReferences(newReferences);
+
+	// ************************* Handle assessment overall feedbacks *******************
+	TreeSet<AssessmentOverallFeedback> overallFeedbackList = getOverallFeedbacksFromForm(request, true);
+	assessmentPO.setOverallFeedbacks(overallFeedbackList);
+
+	// **********************************************
+	// finally persist assessmentPO again
+	service.saveOrUpdateAssessment(assessmentPO);
+	assessmentForm.setAssessment(assessmentPO);
+
 	// delete References from database
 	List<QuestionReference> deletedReferences = getDeletedQuestionReferences(sessionMap);
 	Iterator<QuestionReference> iterRef = deletedReferences.iterator();
@@ -349,19 +361,6 @@
 	    }
 	}
 
-	// Handle question references
-	assessmentPO.setQuestionReferences(newReferences);
-
-	// ************************* Handle assessment overall feedbacks *******************
-	TreeSet<AssessmentOverallFeedback> overallFeedbackList = getOverallFeedbacksFromForm(request, true);
-	assessmentPO.setOverallFeedbacks(overallFeedbackList);
-
-	// **********************************************
-	// finally persist assessmentPO again
-	service.saveOrUpdateAssessment(assessmentPO);
-
-	assessmentForm.setAssessment(assessmentPO);
-
 	request.setAttribute(CommonConstants.LAMS_AUTHORING_SUCCESS_FLAG, Boolean.TRUE);
 	request.setAttribute(AssessmentConstants.ATTR_SESSION_MAP_ID, sessionMap.getSessionID());
 	return "pages/authoring/authoring";
Index: lams_tool_scratchie/src/java/org/lamsfoundation/lams/tool/scratchie/web/controller/AuthoringController.java
===================================================================
diff -u -r23980a8cbd4e0d8d4e0b7ac4ad02e510d5653b75 -rf46547f428248b90283a77617357314fb0767cba
--- lams_tool_scratchie/src/java/org/lamsfoundation/lams/tool/scratchie/web/controller/AuthoringController.java	(.../AuthoringController.java)	(revision 23980a8cbd4e0d8d4e0b7ac4ad02e510d5653b75)
+++ lams_tool_scratchie/src/java/org/lamsfoundation/lams/tool/scratchie/web/controller/AuthoringController.java	(.../AuthoringController.java)	(revision f46547f428248b90283a77617357314fb0767cba)
@@ -241,17 +241,14 @@
 	// get back sessionMAP
 	SessionMap<String, Object> sessionMap = (SessionMap<String, Object>) request.getSession()
 		.getAttribute(authoringForm.getSessionMapID());
-
 	ToolAccessMode mode = WebUtil.readToolAccessModeAuthorDefaulted(request);
-
 	Scratchie scratchie = authoringForm.getScratchie();
 
 	// **********************************Get Scratchie PO*********************
 	Scratchie scratchiePO = scratchieService.getScratchieByContentId(authoringForm.getScratchie().getContentId());
 
-	Set<ScratchieItem> oldItems = null;
-
 	//allow using old and modified questions and references altogether
+	Set<ScratchieItem> oldItems = null;
 	if (mode.isTeacher()) {
 	    oldItems = (scratchiePO == null) ? new HashSet<>() : scratchiePO.getScratchieItems();
 	}
@@ -316,6 +313,11 @@
 	}
 	scratchiePO.setScratchieItems(items);
 
+	// **********************************************
+	// finally persist scratchiePO again
+	scratchieService.saveOrUpdateScratchie(scratchiePO);
+	authoringForm.setScratchie(scratchiePO);
+
 	//recalculate results in case content is edited from monitoring
 	List<ScratchieItem> deletedItems = getDeletedItemList(sessionMap);
 	if (mode.isTeacher()) {
@@ -332,12 +334,6 @@
 	    }
 	}
 
-	// **********************************************
-	// finally persist scratchiePO again
-	scratchieService.saveOrUpdateScratchie(scratchiePO);
-
-	authoringForm.setScratchie(scratchiePO);
-
 	request.setAttribute(CommonConstants.LAMS_AUTHORING_SUCCESS_FLAG, Boolean.TRUE);
 	request.setAttribute(AttributeNames.ATTR_MODE, mode.toString());