Types of assessment

Universities in the UK go to great lengths to ensure that the ways students are assessed, match the educational objectives, are fair to students, and produce reliable results. They also try to ensure that the process is as transparent as possible, so students can understand;

• what’s expected of them in assessments
• the criteria for assessment
• what their grades mean
• the feedback that is provided to them.

In this video, Professor Orla Kennedy talks about the range of assessment types used in UK higher education, including not only exams, but also essays, reports, group assignments and spoken presentations. She also discusses the differences between formative and summative assessment, and the assessment of group work. Finally, she emphasises the importance of planning your time in relation to assessments, and of understanding the assessment brief and the criteria for assessment.

Professor Orla Kennedy’s top tips

1. Plan for success. Make a schedule of all the assessed work you have to do over the year and break it down into manageable chunks.

2. Allow for plenty of time to do things, so that you’re not producing rushed work at the last minute.

3. Make sure you’ve read and understood the assignment brief and the criteria for assessment. Check your assignments against the criteria before submitting work.

Which of these types of assessment (where you’re graded and/or given feedback) do you have experience of:

• spoken presentations –essays or reports written out of class
• group assignments
• practical work (eg in a science laboratory)

Are there any other types of assessments that you have experience of, as a student?

Post your response in the comments below.