Assessment Research

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.

Group of professionals at a board room table looking at research documents

In a blog last year, we looked at reasons why research practices might need to fit within 'agile' ways of working. ‘Agile researchers’ streamline traditional (academic) research processes so that researchers can provide insights to product teams in a timely and more useable manner. In this blog, Sylvia Vitello reflects on her personal experience as a researcher working within an agile working environment, what went well, and what was challenging.

The Digital High Stakes Assessment Programme is developing innovative assessments and using evidence to inform their design. This blog, a literature review of open book, open web assessments (OBOW), describes what we mean by OBOW, and the pros and cons of this assessment approach.

picture comparing a tennis ball with an old cricket ball

Comparability, or the extent to which standards are similar, between paper and digital assessments can be a concern. In this blog researchers Sarah Hughes and Gill Elliot explain what we mean by comparability when talking about digital assessment, and how our Digital High Stakes Assessment Programme is balancing innovation and comparability of outcomes.

Digital assessment is growing from strength to strength. Besides innovative new assessments – including those integrated within learning tools – there’s demand for existing high stakes assessments to be available on screen. But it's not as simple as migrating all our existing paper tests onto screen. In this blog, we zoom in on the particularities of maths and science.

There are so many changes to education that it can be difficult to keep track of them all or remember what they were about. In this blog, Nicky Rushton talks about the Register of Change and the latest additions to it covering the effects of COVΙD-19 on schooling, general qualifications and vocational and technical qualifications.

All examinations contain a mix of questions that vary in how they discriminate between student ability. Providing advance information (an intervention that is intended to make certain questions on an examination easier) will affect the difficulty of questions in different ways. Tom Bramley, Director of the Research Division, asks whether providing advance information could benefit some students more than others.

Woodwork student being observed by a teacher while working at a machine, wearing protective goggles and ear defenders

A new research report published by Cambridge University Press & Assessment explores what we mean by competence. Two of three authors, Sylvia Vitello and Jackie Greatorex, explain the background to the report, what’s in it, and why clarity about what competence means is so important.

Laptop with exam hall desks and chairs over the keyboard

With all the work which has gone into creating our archive of thousands of assessments, that were developed using research evidence and quality assured, why don’t we just put our existing assessments on screen?

We recently reported on our research that catalogued in detail the experiences of 15 teachers based in England from diaries they were asked to keep during the first half of 2021. This blog describes how the research team set about collecting the data and sets out some of the insights the teachers provided.

Student working with a laptop with headphones on

Research and Thought Leadership Lead, Sarah Hughes explores, the definition of the term ‘digital’ and what that means for the future of assessment.

In the latest blog in our series on outline principles for the future of education, Tim Oates CBE, Director of Assessment Research and Development at Cambridge University Press & Assessment, challenges ‘Year Zero’ thinking in many of the discussions about future learning.

The legs of students walking forwards along a corridor

The last year and a half have seen enormous changes for education in England and the impact of the pandemic on education and assessment will continue to be felt for many years to come.

What do grades awarded during the Covid pandemic mean? And how do they compare to grades awarded in previous years?

A cartoon of a group of students holding exam results from different exam boards

Do you really know what A Level grades in England mean and how they are determined? And do you understand what is meant by grade inflation? In this blog, we invite you to explore these concepts with us as we attempt to minimise the mystery and provide clarity.

An over the shoulder view of a teacher reading out student marks

We have all sat exams and are familiar with the idea of having papers marked. In many cases these marks are then converted into grades, but why? This is the question we tackle in this first of four blogs in a mini-series focused on grading and standards.

A101: Introducing the Principles of Assessment

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First cohort receives advanced award from the Assessment Network

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Our publications

Blogs on 'Assessment Research'

I reviewed all 866 of Ofqual’s subject pairs visualisations (so you don’t have to)

We need research! Bringing research insights to our agile digital innovation team

Open book open web assessments – what are the pros and cons?

How can we balance innovation and comparability in our digital high stakes assessments?

Shifting maths and science assessments onto screen: what’s different?

Keeping track of changes to the education and exam system in England

Does giving advance notice disadvantage lower-attaining students?

What is competence? A shared interpretation of competence to support teaching, learning and assessment

Why don’t we just put our high stakes exams on screen?

Diary insights into teaching during lockdown

What do we mean by ‘digital’?

Prior to pandemic, was England getting worse?

Exam standards and the pandemic – what’s next?

Grades, standards and the pandemic

Understanding grading, standards and grade inflation in England

The relationship between marking and grading

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