diff --git a/src/Processors/QtiV2/In/SharedPassageMapper.php b/src/Processors/QtiV2/In/SharedPassageMapper.php
index 0a1d131b..2c39d63b 100644
--- a/src/Processors/QtiV2/In/SharedPassageMapper.php
+++ b/src/Processors/QtiV2/In/SharedPassageMapper.php
@@ -114,9 +114,6 @@ public function parseWithRubricBlockComponent(RubricBlock $rubricBlock)
                 $dom          = $this->getDomForXml($xml);
                 $innerContent = $this->getInnerXmlFragmentFromDom($dom);
                 $results      = $this->parseXml($dom->saveXML($innerContent));
-                if (empty($results['features'])) {
-                    throw new \Exception("Could not process <rubricBlock> passage");
-                }
             } elseif ($this->isEmptyAllowed()) {
                 $results      = $this->parseXml($xml);
             } else {
@@ -124,6 +121,10 @@ public function parseWithRubricBlockComponent(RubricBlock $rubricBlock)
             }
         }
 
+        if (empty($results['features'])) {
+            throw new MappingException("Could not process <rubricBlock> passage");
+        }
+
         return $results;
     }