Skill Profile
Assessment Design
"Writing test items, tasks or rubrics that accurately measure whether a learner has achieved a specific, pre-defined learning objective."
YOUR SKILLS
Problems This Skill Solves
- Tests that measure memorisation rather than the intended skill or understanding
- Grading inconsistency between markers without a clear rubric
- Assessments that do not align with what was actually taught
- Learners passing an assessment without having achieved the real objective it claims to measure
A good assessment is just a set of hard questions.
Difficulty is not the same as validity — a good assessment measures the specific objective.
Multiple-choice tests cannot measure real understanding.
Well-designed multiple-choice items can measure higher-order thinking; poor design is usually the problem.
Research & Outlook
AI-generated question banks and automated marking are expanding rapidly, increasing demand for assessment designers who can validate AI-generated items for fairness and alignment.
See This Skill In Action
Watch a professional demonstrate Assessment Design in a real working environment — what it looks like, how it's applied, and why it matters.
Education / Learning Design
Assessment Design
Also Known As
Growth Path
Writes basic test questions aligned to a given objective using existing templates.
Designs full assessments with multiple question types, rubrics and validation against learning objectives.
Designs assessment strategy across a curriculum or qualification and validates assessments statistically.
How to Practise
- 1.Write assessment items mapped one-to-one against stated learning objectives for a topic
- 2.Design a marking rubric and test it with a colleague marking the same sample work
- 3.Analyse real assessment results for questions that most learners got wrong or right for the wrong reasons
- 4.Study assessment design principles and audit an existing test against them
How to Prove
- ·A portfolio of assessment items with mapped objectives and piloted results
- ·A relevant qualification such as PGCE, CIPD L&D or assessment design short courses
- ·Evidence of improved marking consistency after introducing a rubric you designed