Blogs

Isabelle Stevens is a recent Psychology Graduate who worked on an internship with The Assessment Network at Cambridge in 2025. Here she reflects on the projects she worked on, and how immersing herself in the world of assessment made her reconsider her assessment ‘identity’.

At this year’s Assessment Horizons conference, a panel of education experts explored some of the complexities and considerations around authentic assessment (and what it means), future-ready skills, and inclusive, meaningful learning experiences.

In this blog, Matthew Carroll, Senior Researcher, Cambridge University Press & Assessment, explores what assessment data can tell us about the future and the care that is required in interpreting these predictions.

In this blog, Researcher Carmen Lim explores the difference between standardised and normalised scores, explaining why understanding these scoring methods is important for accurate assessment interpretation.

How can we be sure assessments are fair and inclusive for all? At Assessment Horizons we explored some of the barriers students may experience with assessments, and heard from speakers who are championing ‘assessment for inclusion’ to ensure greater equity and better outcomes for all learners.

In this second post of a four-part series on assessment data, James Beadle, Senior Professional Development Manager, The Assessment Network, explores the important role grades continue to play in education today, as well as explaining alternative ways to report student performance.

Rebecca Dowbiggin links the ‘linguistic divide’ students may face when reading Shakespeare to the importance of clearer assessment language. She argues for a culture in which "assessment is not a mystery, but a tool for growth. Where the language of learning is one that we build together."

When we talk about ‘assessment literacy’, what do we mean beyond understanding how assessment works? And why is it important for different stakeholder groups to develop their understanding of assessment?

Data can be used to gather, interpret, and critically inform practitioners and organisations' decisions at every level of assessment. In this blog, Alejandra Miranda, Researcher at Cambridge, explores why assessment data can be more than a measure of student performance.

Psychometrics is the statistical process used to ensure that educational assessments are fair, reliable, and valid. In this blog, Dr Tom Benton and Carmen Lim, Cambridge researchers in the field, explain how psychometric methods underpin every stage of assessment.

At The Assessment Network we believe in bringing together powerful knowledge and insights from assessment professionals across sectors, so we invited a range of diverse speakers at our Assessment Horizons conference in April to reflect on developments in AI and assessment.

To assist educators in improving their MCQ design for language assessment, Margaret Cooze, expert in language assessment at The Assessment Network, offers insights into common mistakes, effective strategies, and the role of the CEFR framework, along with details of her upcoming workshop series.

To help you choose the most suitable learning format, The Assessment Network has created a guide to explore each option, so you can find the perfect learning pathway to enhance your assessment practice.

With the application deadline for the Postgraduate Advanced Certificate in Educational Assessment fast approaching, now's the time to start thinking about preparing your application. Read this handy guide on what you need to consider before applying and how you can prepare for the course.

To support those interested in the assessment cycle, James Beadle, Senior Professional Development Manager at The Assessment Network, has provided an overview of this topic along with a brief description of the key steps involved.

In this blog by James Beadle, teacher and Senior Professional Development Manager at The Assessment Network, he suggests the reasons we assess in the classroom and the key differences between assessment of learning, assessment for learning and assessment as learning.

At Cambridge, we take pride in conducting principled assessments that meet the highest technical standards, ensuring learners from around the world have access to quality education. In this blog, The Assessment Network at Cambridge explains the six different principles of assessment.

This blog by Dr. Tom Benton, Principal Researcher at Cambridge’s Research Division, examines the complexities of comparing GCSE subject difficulties using Ofqual’s interactive grade distribution data.

Computer adaptive testing (CAT) is a form of assessment that adjusts question difficulty to match each test taker’s ability, creating more accurate and personalised evaluations. In this blog, Christopher Hubbard, Assessment Group Manager at Cambridge English, explores the key principles and benefits of CAT.

This November, research from the Cambridge Digital Assessment Programme will be presented at the 25th AEA-Europe conference. In this blog, Research and Thought Leadership Lead Sarah Hughes summarises the research her team will present at this global event, all of which focusses on digital assessment.