Understanding assessment

3. What is the purpose of assessment?

Assessment is a required element of any Higher Education course. It is there to check your level of knowledge, understanding and skills at the appropriate level of study. Assessment allows you to summarise and present your learning, and to take stock of your progress.

“Assessment is a fundamental aspect of the student learning experience... It is a vehicle for obtaining feedback. Ultimately, it determines whether each student has achieved their course’s learning outcomes and allows the awarding body to ensure that appropriate standards are being applied rigorously. Deliberate, systematic quality assurance ensures that assessment processes, standards and any other criteria are applied consistently and equitably, with reliability, validity and fairness.” – UK Quality Code for Higher Education QAA (2018) [Available from: https://www.qaa.ac.uk/quality-code/advice-and-guidance/assessment. Accessed: 27.03.20].