Assessments in Education: 7 Types and How to Use Them

Assessments in education are a combination of tools and techniques teachers use to appraise, measure and document students’ prevailing educational needs, learning progress, skill attainment, and academic standing.

While traditional assessment typically involves standardized tests administered to large student populations, forward-thinking teachers employ a range of customized assessments to target specific outcomes that promote wholesome learning.

Types of Assessments In Education and How to Apply Them

1. Diagnostic Assessment

Diagnostic tests are administered at the beginning of the course, topic, or unit. They allow the teacher to gauge how familiar the students are with the subject, as well as their opinions and biases. Well-designed diagnostics enable teachers to draw a sound instruction plan that resonates with the students.

The test functions as a benchmark for student progress throughout the lesson. Student performance across similar tests demonstrates to the teacher how much they have understood and what they are struggling with. Teachers then use this information to determine when to move on to more complicated topics. Tests are administered progressively using quizzes, interviews, discussions, and interim assessments.

The stakes are low as scores on diagnostic tests typically don’t count for student grades. They are also sometimes administered at the end of the course, unit, or topic to assess if the learning objectives were fulfilled. Diagnostic assessments identify learning gaps so lesson plans can be improved to fill in the gaps.

2. Formative Assessment

Formative assessments are applied frequently throughout the student learning journey and offer immediate insights which can be used to guide instruction. Teachers often form or modify their instruction plan based on student feedback, for example, by changing their teaching and learning activities to accommodate students’ responses and emerging needs. Unlike diagnostic assessments, teachers don’t have to wait for certain milestones to administer these kinds of formative assessments.

These tests are also low stake assessments since their ultimate goal is to inform targeted instruction customization from the interim assessment outcomes.

3. Summative Assessment

Teachers use summative assessments to measure students’ grasp of the lesson, unit, or course after it has been taught. The assessment scores are measured against a predetermined standard or benchmark and form part of the student’s academic records, so the stakes are higher than in most types of diagnostic or formative assessments. The summative outcomes often determine if the student will progress to the next level of learning.

Summative assessments are administered in the form of standardized tests, projects, and recitals, among others. The data can be used formatively in subsequent units or courses as it provides the basis for advancing to the next level.

4. Peer Assessment

In this form of assessment, the students critique each other's work and provide feedback with guidance from the teacher. This form of active learning enables learners to self-assess, motivating responsibility and self-improvement.

Peer assessment can be formative or summative, depending on the purpose and point of administration. The teacher gives the assignment and models how to assess their peers’ papers.

5. Ipsative Assessments

In ipsative assessments, the student’s performance is tracked by comparing their current and previous scores. It doesn’t matter if their score meets some established criteria or if their performance is better or worse than other students at the same grade level. Both students and teachers can determine if the feedback from previous assessments has made the learning process more effective.

The assessment task does not demotivate weaker students because they are not comparing themselves to stronger students.

6. Norm-Referenced Assessments

This method assesses the student’s competency in comparison to their peers. Groups of students are ranked according to state assessment scores or how students from previous years fared under similar circumstances. It is used to determine how the subjects are faring among their peers. The next course of action is determined by how far they are above or below the median score.

7. Criterion-Referenced Assessments

In criterion-referenced assessments, the student’s performance is compared to predetermined standards that are accessed at the point of setting the assignment. The student’s score is compared to a set learning standard or performance level. Unlike the norm-referenced assessment, this method does not refer to other students’ assessment results.

High-Stakes vs Low-Stakes Assessments

High-stakes tests are typically standardized tests administered with accountability as the main aim. Important decisions are made based on the results. Federal, state, and local government agencies use the assessment data to measure the effectiveness of schools, teachers, or school districts.

The data impacts both negative and positive policy decisions, including sanctions, penalties or reduced funding, and rewards, such as bonuses and salary increments. On a personal level, student performance in high-stakes assessments generally determines whether they will be promoted to the next grade or be awarded a diploma at the conclusion of their high school studies.

Low-stakes test scores are important to the individual student or teacher and have no significant public consequence. An interim assessment is considered low-stakes because the classroom teacher uses the score to monitor the student’s progress in relation to their unique learning objective. Any adjustments made thereafter are between the student, their teacher, and the student’s family when their involvement is necessary.

All these approaches have a specific learning objective or target student. They have been developed by authorities in education ranging from teachers, special education experts, mental health professionals, and select teams that combine these professions.

When students are assessed in meaningful ways, they are motivated to become agents of their own education and empowered towards achievement. Learning is much more than a single score or assessment.

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