In order to prepare effective assessments we need to think about the key concepts and principles. It starts with validity. We need to make sure learners understand what we are actually assessing or measuring. For example are we assessing learners’ writing and reading skills when it is an assessment in Maths. Assessments are only valid if it evaluates what it is actually aimed to evaluate. Reliability is another concept that is related to validity but the importance is more on the accuracy and consistency of its purpose. Would we get the same outcome if we set the assessment up at a different time and different place with the same group of learners? Reliability is mostly based on all the assessors using the same standards and marking schemes.
“Transparency is essentially about the level to which learners understand the assessment and to which it matches the learning outcomes” Scales (2008:184) Learning aims should be expressed clearly to the learners and the connection between the results and the assessment criteria should be made very clear to them. Learners do not like being assessed on something they did not expect or they haven’t covered.
Authenticity is very important concept as well. It is focused on how carefully the assessment reflects the real world especially in relation to Maths and English exams we carry out. If we are assessing Speaking and Listening for instance is the assessment including real life situations which learners might come across in their life. Another importance of authenticity refers to originality of learners’ work. We need to make sure that it is their own work and whether they had any help or copied it from somewhere. We need to be very careful about plagiarism especially for written assessments.
Sufficiency is essential principle of