101 terms to support you in your educational assessment journey and develop your assessment literacy.
Aggregation: The process of combining individual assessment results or components to calculate an overall score or grade for a qualification or certification.
Answer Key: A document or guide, typically a mark scheme, used by markers to award student responses. An answer key is most often associated with multiple choice questions and provides the correct answer.
Apprentice: An individual who is undergoing training and gaining practical experience in a specific trade, occupation, or profession through a structured apprenticeship program.
Apprenticeship: A structured training program that combines on-the-job learning with classroom instruction or formal training, typically leading to a recognised qualification or certification in a specific trade or profession.
Apprenticeship Standards: Frameworks outlining the knowledge, skills, and behaviours required for specific occupations or industries, often used as the basis for apprenticeship training and assessment.
Assessment Administration: The process of planning, organising, and overseeing the logistics of assessment delivery, including scheduling, distribution of materials, and implementation of assessment protocols.
Assessment Criterion: Specific guidelines or standards used to evaluate student performance on an assessment. Criteria may be based on learning objectives, content standards, or other predetermined benchmarks.
Assessment Literacy: The knowledge and skills needed by educators to develop, administer, and interpret assessments effectively.
Assessment Objectives: Clear, measurable statements that describe the specific goals or purposes of an assessment. Assessment objectives help guide the design and administration of assessments to ensure they align with instructional objectives and learning outcomes.
Assessment Specification: A detailed document that outlines the content, format, and requirements of an assessment. It provides assessment developers a specific blueprint to ensure assessments remain comparable over time.
Assessment Strategy: A plan or approach outlining how assessments will be designed, implemented, and evaluated to measure student learning effectively. It should provide regulators with a detailed account & rational for an approach, to ensure fit-for-purpose qualifications and assessments and include considerations for qualification & assessment design, administration, standard setting and maintenance and validation.
Assessment Weightings: The relative importance or contribution of different assessment tasks or components to the overall assessment score or grade.
Authentic Assessment: Assessment tasks that reflect real-world contexts and require students to apply their knowledge and skills to solve complex problems.
Automated Marking: The process of using computer algorithms or software to automatically score or evaluate student responses on assessments, reducing the need for manual grading by human markers
Awarding: The process of conferring qualifications, certifications, or grades to students based on their performance in assessments.
Awarding Organisation: An entity responsible for developing, accrediting, and awarding qualifications or certifications. These organisations set standards for assessments and ensure their validity and reliability.
Benchmark Assessment: Periodic assessments used to measure student progress against specific benchmarks or performance targets.
Bias: Intentional or unintentional Systematic errors or inaccuracies in assessment results due to the introduction of bias during the assessment design, administration or marking processes that disproportionately favour or disadvantage certain groups of students based on factors such as gender, ethnicity, or socioeconomic status.
Centre: An organisation or institution where assessments are conducted, such as a school, examination centre, or training provider.
Command Verbs: Action words used in assessment tasks or questions to indicate the type of response expected from students, such as "describe," "explain," "analyse," or "evaluate."
Concurrent Validity: The extent to which the results of an assessment are similar to those of another assessment administered at the same time.
Construct Validity: The extent to which an assessment accurately measures the theoretical construct or trait it intends to measure.
Content Coverage: The extent to which an assessment adequately represents the full range of content or topics specified in the learning objectives or curriculum.
Content Domain: The specific subject matter or knowledge area covered by an assessment, typically defined by the learning objectives or curriculum standards.
Construct Irrelevant Variance: Variability in an assessment that is not related to the construct or skill being measured. This variance may arise from factors such as test-taking conditions, question wording, or irrelevant characteristics of the test-taker. Minimising construct irrelevant variance is important for ensuring the validity and reliability of assessment scores.
Construct Underrepresentation: A situation where an assessment fails to adequately measure certain aspects of the intended construct or skill domain, resulting in an incomplete or biased assessment of student abilities.
Control Conditions: Conditions or parameters established to ensure the validity and reliability of assessments, including factors such as timing, materials, and supervision.
Criterion Validity: The extent to which an assessment is related to a specific criterion or outcome.
Criterion-Referenced Assessment: Assessment designed to measure student performance against a predetermined set of criteria or learning standards.
DI (Discrimination Index): A statistical measure used in item analysis to evaluate the ability of test items to discriminate between high-performing and low-performing students.
Differentiating Learner Attainment: The process of distinguishing between students' levels of achievement or performance, often through the use of varied assessment methods, tasks, or criteria.
Discussion: An assessment format where students engage in verbal exchange or dialogue with their peers or instructors to demonstrate understanding, critical thinking, and communication skills.
Distractors: Incorrect options or choices provided in multiple-choice questions or other assessment formats, designed to challenge students and differentiate between levels of understanding.
EDI (Equality, Diversity, and Inclusion): Principles and practices aimed at ensuring fairness, equity, and inclusivity in assessments and educational settings, regardless of individuals' backgrounds or characteristics.
End Point Assessment: A final assessment conducted at the end of an apprenticeship program to evaluate whether apprentices have met the required standards and are ready to receive their qualifications or certifications.
Examiner: An individual responsible for administering and scoring assessments, typically trained in assessment procedures and criteria.
Examination: A formal assessment method that typically involves written, oral, or practical assessments administered under controlled conditions, often used to evaluate student knowledge, understanding, and skills.
Extended Response Question (ERQ): An assessment item that requires students to provide detailed and comprehensive written responses to questions or prompts. Responses often involve synthesising information, analysing data, and constructing arguments or explanations.
External Quality Assurance: Quality assurance processes conducted by external agencies or organisations to review and evaluate the quality and standards of assessments.
External Verification: External review and validation of assessment processes, procedures, and outcomes by an independent authority or organisation.
FI (Facility Index): A statistical measure used in item analysis to evaluate the difficulty level of test items based on the proportion of students who answer them correctly.
Fit-for-Purpose: Refers to assessments that are appropriately designed and aligned with their intended purposes, ensuring they accurately measure the desired learning outcomes.
Formative Assessment: Assessment used to monitor student learning progress during instruction.
Grading Descriptors: Clear and concise descriptions that outline the characteristics of student work at different levels of achievement. These descriptors help educators assign grades consistently and provide meaningful feedback to students.
Independent End Point Assessor: An external assessor responsible for conducting the end-point assessment (EPA) for apprenticeships, ensuring that apprentices have met the required standards for their chosen occupation or profession.
Indicative Content: Examples or illustrations provided in a mark scheme to clarify the expected content or scope of expected learner responses often used for extended response questions or tasks.
Inter-rater Reliability: The degree of consistency among different raters or scorers when evaluating student performance
Intra-rater Reliability: The consistency of a single raters scoring or judgment over time.
Internal Quality Assurance: Quality assurance processes implemented within an organization or institution to monitor, review, and improve the quality of assessments.
Internal Verification: Internal review and validation of assessment processes, procedures, and outcomes conducted within an organization or institution to ensure adherence to standards and regulations.
JCQ (Joint Council for Qualifications): An organisation in the United Kingdom that represents the interests of exam boards and oversees the administration of examinations and assessments.
Knowledge in Isolation (KIL): A form of assessment that focuses on testing students' knowledge of isolated facts or information without necessarily assessing their ability to apply that knowledge in context.
Learner: A person who is engaged in the process of acquiring knowledge, skills, or competencies through formal or informal education or training.
Learning Outcomes: Statements that describe the knowledge, skills, and abilities students are expected to acquire or demonstrate as a result of instruction. Learning outcomes serve as the basis for designing assessments and measuring student achievement.
Level of Demand: The cognitive or skill level required to successfully complete an assessment task, often categorised as low, medium, or high based on complexity and depth of thinking required.
Level of Difficulty: The perceived degree of challenge or complexity of an assessment task or question, often influenced by factors such as content complexity, wording, and format.
Levels of Response Mark Grid: A structured grid or rubric that outlines different levels of achievement for a particular assessment task. It provides criteria for evaluating student responses and assigning corresponding marks or scores.
Linear Assessment: An assessment format where students are assessed on their knowledge and skills at the end of a course or qualification, based on content covered throughout the duration of the program.
Live Assessment: An assessment conducted in real-time, often in a face-to-face or synchronous online setting, where students are evaluated while they are performing tasks or demonstrating skills.
Low-Tariff: Refers to assessment tasks or questions that are relatively easy or straightforward, typically associated with lower point values or marks.
Mastery Assessment: Assessment focused on determining whether students have achieved mastery of specific learning objectives or standards.
Mark Allocation: The distribution of marks or points among different assessment tasks or components, indicating the relative weight or importance assigned to each.
Mark Scheme: A document or guide that outlines the criteria for awarding marks or scores on an assessment. It provides a framework for evaluating student responses and determining the level of achievement.
Meta-data: Descriptive information or data that provides context and additional details about assessment items, such as item type, difficulty level, and alignment with learning objectives.
Mitigations: Strategies or measures implemented to address potential issues or challenges in assessments, such as providing extra time or alternative formats for students with disabilities.
Mode: The method or format of assessment delivery, such as written tests, oral exams, practical demonstrations, or online assessments.
Moderator: An independent assessor responsible for reviewing and ensuring the fairness, consistency, and accuracy of assessment results. Moderators may oversee the marking process, resolve discrepancies, and ensure adherence to assessment standards.
Modified Angoff: A variation of the Angoff method that incorporates adjustments for factors such as item quality, content coverage, and student performance.
Moderation: The process of reviewing and adjusting assessment results to ensure consistency, fairness, and reliability across different assessors, examination sessions, or assessment centers.
Multiple Choice Question (MCQ): A type of assessment item that presents students with a question or statement followed by multiple options, from which students must select the correct answer.
Norm-Referenced Assessment: Assessment designed to compare an individual student's performance to the performance of a larger group (norm group) of students.
Norms: Data that describe the distribution of scores for a particular assessment, used for comparison purposes.
Non-Exam Assessment: Assessment tasks or components that do not take the form of traditional written examinations, such as coursework, projects, or practical assessments.
Numerical Marking: A method of assigning scores or marks to student responses using numerical values, such as percentages, points, or grades.
Observation: An assessment method where assessors directly observe students' behaviour, performance, or interactions to evaluate their skills, competencies, and learning progress.
Onscreen: An assessment format where students interact with assessment materials or tasks on a computer or digital device, often used for tests, quizzes, or simulations.
Performance Assessment: Assessment tasks that require students to demonstrate their knowledge and skills through authentic performance-based tasks.
Prediction: The process of forecasting future performance or outcomes based on current or past assessment results.
Predictability:The degree to which assessment tasks or questions are predictable, causing possible risk to assessment validity and reliability due to students and educators being able to predict what the mode of assessment will test.
Predictive Validity: The extent to which the results of an assessment predict future performance or outcomes.
Provider: An organisation or entity that delivers educational services, including assessments. This could refer to schools, educational institutions, testing companies, or online learning platforms.
Qualification Level Grading Descriptors: Descriptions specific to particular qualification levels (e.g., elementary, middle school, high school, undergraduate, graduate) that articulate the expected standards of achievement for each level.
Qualification Purpose: The intended goals, outcomes, or objectives of a qualification, specifying the knowledge, skills, and competencies that learners are expected to acquire or demonstrate.
Qualification Specification: A document that outlines the structure, content, and assessment requirements of a specific qualification or certification program. It provides detailed information about the learning objectives, assessment methods, and criteria for achieving the qualification.
Quality Assurance: Systems and processes implemented to ensure that assessments are valid, reliable, fair, and consistent.
Reliability: The consistency and stability of assessment results over time and across different raters.
Risk: Potential threats or uncertainties that may impact the validity, reliability, or fairness of assessments, requiring careful consideration and mitigation strategies
Rubric: A scoring guide used to evaluate the quality of student work based on a set of predetermined criteria.
Short Answer Question (SAQ): An assessment item that requires students to provide brief written responses to questions or prompts. Responses typically require more than a single word or phrase but are shorter than extended essays or paragraphs.
SME (Subject Matter Expert): An individual with specialised knowledge, skills, and expertise in a particular subject area. SMEs are often involved in the development and review of educational assessments to ensure content validity and accuracy.
Standard Setting and Maintenance: The process of establishing and maintaining consistent performance standards or criteria for assessments to ensure validity and reliability over time.
Standardised Test: A test administered and scored in a consistent manner to ensure fairness and comparability of results across different test-takers.
Standardisation: The process of establishing and maintaining consistent assessment procedures, scoring criteria, and performance standards across different assessors, examination sessions, or assessment centers.
Student: An individual enrolled in an educational program or course of study.
Summative Assessment: Assessment used to evaluate student learning at the end of an instructional unit or period.
Synoptic Assessment: An assessment format that evaluates students' ability to integrate and apply knowledge and skills from multiple areas or topics within a subject or qualification.
Trade-offs: Decisions made in assessment design or administration that involve balancing competing priorities or considerations, such as validity versus practicality or reliability versus cost.
UMS (Uniform Mark Scale): A standardised scale used to convert raw scores on assessments into uniform marks, facilitating comparisons of student performance across different assessment components or years.
Unitised: Refers to qualifications that are divided into discrete units or modules, each with its own assessment requirements and outcomes.
Validity: The extent to which an assessment measures what it is intended to measure.
Validation: The process of ensuring that an assessment accurately measures the intended learning outcomes and is appropriate for its intended purpose. Validation activities may include the texting of assessment materials, carrying out validation research to include whether the qualification and assessments meet the intended purpose, gathering and analysing qualitative and quantitative data on the effectiveness of qualifications and assessment in order to prove they are valid.
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