Evaluation of assessment

An important part of our research involves gathering and analysing evidence to ensure that all aspects of our examination process are as good as they can be.

The field of evaluation and validation activity is wide and includes all aspects of the process. For example, designing a syllabus, constructing a test blueprint, creating examination questions and mark schemes, training and marker standardisation, evaluating the functioning of questions and tests, evaluating the accuracy and reliability of marking, investigating the quality of standards setting and standards maintenance procedures and outcomes.

The many research reports and articles that appear in this area support our model of evaluation set out in the Cambridge Approach.

Conference papers

Impact of A Level reform on post-16 provision (PDF, 273KB)
Walland, E. and Darlington, E. (2019). Impact of A Level reform on post-16 provision. Presented at the 7th European Conference on Education (ECE 2019) London, UK, 19-21 July 2019.
Moderating artwork - investigating judgements and cognitive processes (PDF, 306KB)
Chambers, L., Williamson, J. and Child, S. (2019). Moderating artwork - investigating judgements and cognitive processes. Presented at the annual MAXQDA conference, Berlin, Germany, 27 February - 1 March 2019.
Should we be banking on it? Exploring potential issues in the use of 'item' banking with structured examination questions (PDF, 386KB)
Crisp, V., Bramley, T. and Shaw, S. (2018). Should we be banking on it? Exploring potential issues in the use of 'item' banking with structured examination questions. Presented at the 19th annual AEA-Europe conference, Arnhem/Nijmegen, The Netherlands, 7-10 November 2018.
Constructs over time: the construct of language competence as captured in tests in England over the last 150 years (PDF, 291KB)
Constantinou, F. (2018). Constructs over time: the construct of language competence as captured in tests in England over the last 150 years. Presented at the 19th annual AEA-Europe conference, Arnhem/Nijmegen, The Netherlands, 7-10 November 2018.
Gaining insight from social media data in educational assessment (PDF, 72KB)
Sutch, T., Klir, N. and Gueranger, A.-C. (2018). Gaining insight from social media data in educational assessment. Presented at the 44^th conference of the International Association for Educational Assessment, Oxford, UK, 9-14 September 2018.
Effects of AS/A level reforms in England: extra insights from the National Pupil Database (PDF, 541KB)
Vitello, S. and Williamson, J. (2018). Effects of AS/A level reforms in England: extra insights from the National Pupil Database. Presented at the 44^th conference of the International Association for Educational Assessment, Oxford, UK, 9-14 September 2018.
How have students and schools performed on the Progress 8 performance measure? (PDF, 1MB)
Gill, T. (2018). How have students and schools performed on the Progress 8 performance measure? Presented at the annual conference of the British Educational Research Association, Northumbria University, Newcastle, UK, 11-13 September 2018.

Video link: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0qEtOfJAiMs
Faster, higher, stronger? A comparison of content coverage and teacher pedagogy in Technical Awards and GCSEs in sport-related subjects (PDF, 333KB)
Child, S. and Vitello, S. (2018). Faster, higher, stronger? A comparison of content coverage and teacher pedagogy in Technical Awards and GCSEs in sport-related subjects. Presented at the annual conference of the British Educational Research Association, Northumbria University, Newcastle, UK, 11-13 September 2018.
Predicting the success of the Cambridge Advanced International Certificate of Education (AICE) Diploma in the United States (PDF, 122KB)
Vidal Rodeiro, C.L., Crawford, C. and Shaw, S. (2017). Presented at the International Association for Educational Assessment conference, Batumi, Georgia, 2-6 October 2017.
Utilising technology in the assessment of collaboration: A critique of PISA's collaborative problem solving tasks (PDF, 178KB)
Child, S. and Shaw, S. (2016). Paper presented at the AEA-Europe annual conference, Limassol, Cyprus, 3-5 November 2016
Evidence for the reliability of coursework (PDF, 596KB)
Benton, T. (2016). Paper presented at the AEA-Europe annual conference, Limassol, Cyprus, 3-5 November 2016
Researching effective feedback in a professional learning context (PDF, 158KB)
Johnson, M. (2016). Paper presented at the 7th Nordic Conference on Cultural and Activity Research, Helsingør, Denmark, 16-18 June 2016
Do the questions from A and AS Level Economics exam papers elicit responses that reflect the intended construct? (PDF, 387KB)
Greatorex, J., Shaw, S., Hodson, P. and Ireland, J. (2013) Poster presented at British Education Research Association (BERA) conference, Brighton, 3-5 September 2013
Examining the impact of tiered examinations on the aspirations of young people (PDF, 250KB)
Benton, T. (2013) Paper presented at British Educational Research Association (BERA) conference, Brighton, 3-5 September 2013
The first year beyond freshers week: An exploration of additional support and assessment practices at university (PDF, 3MB)
Child, S., Mehta, S., Wilson, F., Suto, I. and Brown, S. (2013). Paper presented at the British Educational Research Association (BERA) annual conference, University of Sussex, Brighton, UK, 3-5 September 2013.
Abstracts from Cambridge Assessment Research presented at BERA 2013 (PDF, 3MB)
Cambridge Assessment Research at British Educational Research Association (BERA) 2013 conference
An empirical assessment of Guttman's Lambda 4 reliability coefficient (PDF, 987KB)
Benton, T. (2013) Paper presented at the 78th Annual Meeting of the Psychometric Society, Arnhem, The Netherlands, 22-26 July 2013
Analyse, Evaluate, Review….How Do Teachers with Differing Subject Specialisms Interpret Common Assessment Vocabulary?
Nadas, R., Suto, I. and Grayson, R. (2012). Paper presented at the European Conference for Educational Research (ECER), University of Cadiz, Spain, 18-21 September 2012.
The validity of teacher assessed Independent Research Reports contributing to Cambridge Pre-U GPR (PDF, 47KB)
Greatorex, J. and Shaw, S. (2012) Paper presented at British Education Research Association conference, Manchester, 4-6 September 2012
Translating validation research into everyday practice: issues facing an international awarding body (PDF, 18KB)
Shaw, S. and Crisp, V. (2011). Paper presented at the 12th Annual Conference of the Association for Educational Assessment in Europe, Belfast, 10-12 November 2011.
How valid is A level Physics? A wide-ranging evaluation of the validity of Physics A level assessments (PDF, 18KB)
Crisp, V. and Shaw, S. (2011). Paper presented at the British Educational Research Association annual conference, University of London Institute of Education, September 2011.
Extended response to McManus et al. - Predictive validity of the BioMedical Admissions Test: An evaluation and case study (PDF, 49KB)
J.F. Bell and J.L. Emery (2011)
A new model of assessment for 14 to 19 year olds: What do students and their teachers think of Diploma assessments? (PDF, 12KB)
Crisp, V. and Green, S. (2010) Association for Educational Assessment (AEA) - Europe, Oslo
How valid are A levels? Findings from a multi-method validation study of an international A level in geography (PDF, 23KB)
Shaw, S. and Crisp, V. (2010) Association for Educational Assessment (AEA) - Europe, Oslo
The effects of controlled assessments in the new Diplomas on students' learning experiences (PDF, 12KB)
Crisp, V. and Green, S. (2010) A paper presented at the Chartered Institute of Educational Assessors Annual Conference, London, October 2010.
When developing and validating assessments, what are the key issues in psychological research? (PDF, 90KB)
Suto, I. & Shaw, S. (2010) British Psychological Society Annual Conference, Stratford upon Avon
How hard can it be? Issues and challenges in the development of a validation method for traditional written examinations (PDF, 14KB)
Crisp, V. and Shaw, S. (2010) International Association for Educational Assessment (IAEA) Conference, Bangkok
Creating research programmes to support the development and validation of qualifications (PDF, 319KB)
Suto, I. & Shaw, S. (2009) Association for Educational Assessment (AEA) - Europe, Malta
A proposed framework for evidencing assessment validity in large-scale, high-stakes international examinations (PDF, 22KB)
Shaw, S., Crisp, V. & Johnson, N. (2009) Association for Educational Assessment (AEA) - Europe, Malta
Using data from on-screen marking to consider the difficulty and functioning of mathematics examination questions for weaker readers (PDF, 18KB)
Crisp, V. (2009) AEA Europe, Malta
Computer-based and paper-based writing assessment: A comparative text analysis
Chambers, L. (2009). Presented at the 42nd conference of the British Association of Applied Linguistics, Newcastle, UK, 3-5 September 2009.
How should grade boundaries be determined in examinations? An exploration of the script features that influence expert judgements (PDF, 21KB)
Novakovic, N. & Suto, I. (2009) European Conference on Educational Research (ECER), Vienna
What was this student doing? Evidencing validity in A level assessments (PDF, 18KB)
Shaw, S. and Crisp, V. (2009) British Educational Research Association (BERA) Annual Conference
Mark scheme features associated with different levels of marker agreement (PDF, 241KB)
Bramley, T. (2008). British Educational Research Association (BERA) Annual Conference.
Are all assessments equal? The comparability of demands of college-based assessments in a vocationally-related qualification: BERA abstract (PDF, 43KB)
Crisp, V. and Novaković, N. (2008) British Educational Research Association (BERA) Annual Conference
A case of positive washback: an exploration of the effect of pre-release examination materials on classroom practice: ECER abstract (PDF, 18KB)
Johnson, M. & Crisp, V. (2008) European Conference on Educational Research (ECER), Gothenburg
What attracts judges’ attention? A comparison of three grading methods (PDF, 131KB)
Greatorex, J., Novakovic, N. & Suto, I. (2008) International Association for Educational Assessment (IAEA) Conference, Cambridge
Towards a methodology for evaluating the equivalency of demands in vocational assessments between colleges/training providers: IAEA abstract (PDF, 42KB)
Crisp, V. & Novakovic, N. (2008) International Association for Educational Assessment (IAEA) Conference, Cambridge
Exploring the role of human judgement in examination marking: findings from some empirical studies (PDF, 18KB)
Greatorex, J., Suto, I. & Nadas, R. (2008) Association of Language Testers in Europe (ALTE), Cambridge
Contemporary GCSE and A-level Awarding: A psychological perspective on the decision-making process used to judge the quality of candidates’ work (PDF, 192KB)
Greatorex, J. (2007) British Educational Research Association (BERA) Annual Conference.
Comparing the decision-making processes involved in marking between examiners and between different types of examination questions (PDF, 11KB)
Crisp, V. (2007) British Educational Research Association (BERA) Annual Conference
Contemporary GCSE and A-level Awarding: A psychological perspective on the decision-making process used to judge the quality of candidates’ work (PDF, 192KB)
Greatorex, J. (2007) British Educational Research Association (BERA) Annual Conference
A consideration of assessment validity in relation to classroom practice (PDF, 13KB)
Johnson, N. (2007) International Association for Educational Assessment (IAEA) Conference, Azerbaijan
Exploring how the cognitive strategies used to mark examination questions relate to the efficacy of examiner training (PDF, 25KB)
Greatorex, J., Nádas, R., Suto, I. and Bell, J F. (2007) European Conference on Educational Research (ECER) Conference, Ghent, Belgium
Beyond 3 ‘A’ grades: selecting the best of the best for competitive places in higher education (PDF, 46KB)
Emery, J. (2007) British Educational Research Association (BERA) Annual Conference
Selecting medical students with the BioMedical Admissions Test (BMAT) (PDF, 9KB)
Emery, J. (2007) Association for Medical Education in Europe, Trondheim, Norway
Use of prior or concurrent measures of educational attainment when studying comparability of examinations using multilevel models (PDF, 15KB)
Vidal Rodeiro, C.L. (2007) Presented at the Sixth International Amsterdam Conference on Multilevel Analysis, 16-17 April 2007.
Item level examiner agreement (PDF, 133KB)
Massey, A.J. and Raikes, N. (2006) Presented at the British Educational Research Association (BERA) annual conference, Warwick, UK, 9 September 2006.
Moderated e-portfolio project evaluation (PDF, 582KB)
Greatorex, J. (2006) Moderated e-portfolio project evaluation
The PePCAA project: Formative scenario-based CAA in psychology for teachers (PDF, 16KB)
Crisp, V. and Ward, C. (2005) Ninth International Computer Assisted Assessment Conference, Loughborough University
The Development of the Assessment of Thinking Skills (PDF, 189KB)
Chapman, J. (2005) Assessment Of Thinking Skills
Thinking Skills and Admission to Higher Education (PDF, 223KB)
Fisher, A. (2005)
The case against the BMAT: Not Withering but Withered? (PDF, 296KB)
Bell, J F. (2005) BMAT
Thinking Skills and Admissions - A report on the Validity and Reliability of the TSA and MVAT/BMAT Assessments (PDF, 305KB)
Willmott, A. (2005) Validity and reliability
Medical and Veterinary Admissions Test Validation Study (PDF, 191KB)
Massey, A.J. (2004) Medical and Veterinary
Thinking Skills Tests for University Admission (PDF, 89KB)
Harding, R. (2004) 8th International CAA Conference
A Preliminary Investigation of Question Bias (PDF, 174KB)
Willmott, A. (2003) Question Bias
Analysing student progress in higher education using cross-classified multilevel logistic models (PDF, 422KB)
Bell, J F. (2003) Fourth International Amsterdam Conference on Multilevel Analysis
An evaluation of Spelling, Punctuation and Grammar assessments in GCSE (PDF, 875KB)
Massey, A. and Dexter, T. (2002) British Educational Research Association (BERA) Annual Conference
ICT in Assessment and Learning: The Evolving Role of an External Examinations Board (PDF, 864KB)
Harding, R. and Raikes, N. (2002) SCROLLA Symposium
Does the gender of examiners influence their marking? (PDF, 334KB)
Greatorex, J. and Bell, J F. (2002) Learning Communities and Assessment Cultures: Connecting Research with Practice
A study of the effects of content and structural support in writing tasks (PDF, 280KB)
Green, S. (2001) British Educational Research Association (BERA) Annual Conference
Visualising multilevel models: the Initial Analysis of Data (PDF, 632KB)
Bell, J F. (2001) Visualising multilevel models: the Initial Analysis of Data
MVAT 2000 - Statistical Report (PDF, 269KB)
Bramley, T. (2001)
Sex differences in performance in Double Award Science GCSE (PDF, 726KB)
Bell, J F. (1997) British Educational Research Association (BERA) Annual Conference

Factsheets

Formal definitions of assessment types (PDF, 320KB)
Critical Thinking: Factsheet 3 (PDF, 52KB)
Critical Thinking adds value
Critical Thinking: Factsheet 2 (PDF, 47KB)
Overview of Assessments and Qualifications in the UK
Critical Thinking: Factsheet 1 (PDF, 100KB)
Deriving the Definition
AS and A Level Choice: Factsheet 10 (PDF, 56KB)
Modern Foreign Languages are not popular choices.
AS and A Level Choice: Factsheet 8 (PDF, 63KB)
Future careers guide the choice of specific subjects.
AS and A Level Choice: Factsheet 7 (PDF, 59KB)
17-year-olds make sensible choices.
AS and A Level Choice: Factsheet 6 (PDF, 59KB)
Subjects are not perceived as being equally important.
AS and A Level Choice: Factsheet 5 (PDF, 62KB)
School type has an influence.
AS and A Level Choice: Factsheet 4 (PDF, 51KB)
Prior attainment has an impact.
AS and A Level Choice: Factsheet 3 (PDF, 53KB)
Ethnicity has some effect.
AS and A Level Choice: Factsheet 2 (PDF, 58KB)
Gender makes a difference.
AS and A Level Choice: Factsheet 1 (PDF, 60KB)
Social class makes a difference.
AS and A Level Choice: Factsheet 9 (PDF, 60KB)
17-year-olds know how to seek advice.

Published articles and journal papers

Examination questions as a form of communication between the examiner and the examinee: a sociolinguistic perspective on assessment practice
Constantinou, F. (2020). Examination questions as a form of communication between the examiner and the examinee: a sociolinguistic perspective on assessment practice. Cambridge Journal of Education (ahead of print).
The construct of language competence over time: using high-stakes tests to gain insight into the history of L1 education in England
Constantinou, F. (2019). The construct of language competence over time: using high-stakes tests to gain insight into the history of L1 education in England. Language and Education, 33(6), 491-505.
Using sociocultural discourse analysis to analyse professional discourse
Johnson, M. and Mercer, N. (2019). Using sociocultural discourse analysis to analyse professional discourse. Learning, Culture and Social Interaction, 21, 267-277.
Fair assessment viewed through the lenses of measurement theory
Nisbet, I. and Shaw, S. (2019). Fair assessment viewed through the lenses of measurement theory. Assessment in Education: Principles, Policy and Practice, 26(5), 612-629.
The effect of adaptivity on the reliability coefficient in adaptive comparative judgement.

Bramley, T. and Vitello, S. (2019). The effect of adaptivity on the reliability coefficient in adaptive comparative judgement. Assessment in Education: Principles, Policy and Practice, 26(1), 43-58.
A diachronic perspective on formality in students' writing: empirical findings from the UK
Constantinou, F., Chambers, L., Zanini, N. and Klir, N. (2019). A diachronic perspective on formality in students' writing: empirical findings from the UK. Language, Culture and Curriculum, 33(1), 66-83.
Meaningful destinations: using national data to investigate how different education pathways support young people’s progression in England
Vidal Rodeiro, C. L. and Williamson, J. (2018). Meaningful destinations: using national data to investigate how different education pathways support young people’s progression in England. Research Papers in Education, 34(6), 725-748.
Towards an operational framework for establishing and assessing collaborative interactions
Child, S. and Shaw, S. (2018). Towards an operational framework for establishing and assessing collaborative interactions. Research Papers in Education, 1-22.
Which tier? Effects of linear assessment and student characteristics on GCSE entry decisions
Vitello, S. and Crawford, C. (2018). Which tier? Effects of linear assessment and student characteristics on GCSE entry decisions. British Educational Research Journal, 44(1), 94-118.
Students’ views of A-level Mathematics as preparation for degree-level economics
Darlington, E. and Bowyer, J. (2017). Students’ views of A-level Mathematics as preparation for degree-level economics. Citizenship, Social and Economics Education, 16(2), 100-116.
Problems in estimating composite reliability of ‘unitised’ assessments
Bramley, T., & Dhawan, V. (2013) Research Papers in Education. 28(1), 43-56
Test taker familiarity and speaking test performance: Does it make a difference?

Chambers, L., Galaczi, E., and Gilbert, S. (2012). Test taker familiarity and speaking test performance: Does it make a difference? Research Notes, 49, 33-40.
Measurement and Construct need to be clarified first.
Bramley, T. (2012) Commentary on Newton, P.E. Clarifying the consensus definition of validity. Measurement: Interdisciplinary Research and Perspectives. 10(1-2), 42-45.
An exploration of the script features that most influence expert judgements in three methods of determining examination grade boundaries.
Suto, I., and Novakovic, N. (2012). An exploration of the script features that most influence expert judgements in three methods of determining examination grade boundaries. Assessment in Education: Principles, Policy and Practice, 19(3), 301-320.
The BULATS online speaking test

Chambers, L., and Ingham, K. (2011). The BULATS online speaking test. Research Notes, 43, 21-25.
The BioMedical Admissions Test for medical student selection: Issues of fairness and bias
Emery, J.L., Bell, J.F. and Vidal Rodeiro, C.L. (2011) Medical Teacher, 33, 62-71
Estimates of reliability of qualifications
Bramley, T. and Dhawan, V. (2011) Ofqual, Ofqual/11/4826, Coventry
A response to an article published in Educational Research's Special Issue on Assessment (June 2009). What can be inferred about classification accuracy from classification consistency?
Bramley, T. (2010) Educational Research, 52, 3, 325-330
Intention, interpretation and implementation: some paradoxes of Assessment for Learning across educational contexts
Johnson, M. and Burdett, N. (2010) Research in Comparative and International Education, 5, 2, 122-130
External Evaluation of the European Baccalaureate
Puntis, A., Gaultier, J.P. and Oates, T. (2009)
Does assessing project work enhance the validity of qualifications? The case of GCSE coursework
Crisp, V. (2009) Educate, 9, 1, 16-26
An exploration of the effect of pre-release examination materials on classroom practice in the UK
Johnson, M. and Crisp, V. (2009) Research in Education, 82, 47-59
The predictive validity of the BioMedical Admissions Test for pre-clinical examination performance
Emery, J.L. and Bell, J.F. (2009) Medical Education, 43, 6, 557-564
The Development of a Formative Scenario-Based Computer Assisted Assessment Tool in Psychology for Teachers: The PePCAA Project
Crisp, V. and Ward, C. (2008) Computers and Education, 50, 1509-1526
What makes AS marking reliable? An experiment with some stages from the standardisation process
Greatorex, J. and Bell J. F. (2008) Research Papers in Education, 23, 3, 333–355
Computer-based and paper-based writing assessment: a comparative text analysis

Chambers, L. (2008). Computer-based and paper-based writing assessment: a comparative text analysis. Research Notes, 34, 9-15.
Assessing the evidence: different types of NVQ evidence and their impact on reliability and fairness.
Greatorex, J. (2005) Journal of Vocational Education and Training 57, 2, 149-264
There are no wrong answers: an investigation into the assessment of candidates responses to essay-based examinations
O' Donovan, N (2005) Oxford Review of Education, 31, 3, 395-422
Does the gender of examiners influence their marking?
Greatorex, J. and Bell, J. F. (2004) Research in Education, 71, 25-36
What makes marking reliable? Experiments with UK examinations.
Baird, J., Greatorex, J. and Bell, J. F. (2004) Assessment in Education Principles, Policy and Practice, 11, 3, 331-348
A fair comparison? The evolution of methods of comparability in national assessment
Elliott, G. and Greatorex, J. (2002) Educational Studies, 28, 3, 253-264
Using Multilevel Models to Assess the Comparability of Examinations [CD-Rom]. In: J. Blasius, J. Hox, E. de Leeuw and P. Schmidt (Eds.)
Bell, J.F. and Dexter, T. (2002) Social science methodology in the new millennium [Opladen, FRG: Leske + Budrich]
The Question Tariff Problem in GCSE Mathematics
Bramley, T. (2001) Evaluation and Research in Education, 15, 2, 95-107
Using Ordinal Multilevel Models to Assess the Comparability of Examinations
Bell, J.F. and Dexter, T. (2000) Multilevel modelling newsletter, December 12, 2, 4-9
Investigating A-level mathematics standards over time (PDF, 4MB)
Bell, J.F., Bramley, T. and Raikes, N. (1998). Investigating A level mathematics standards over time. British Journal of Curriculum and Assessment, 8, 2, 7-11.
An investigation of pupils' competence in aspects of literacy at different ages
Pollitt, A. and Taylor, L. (1997) QCA
Birthdate and ratings of sporting achievement: analysis of Physical Education GCSE results
Bell, J.F., Massey A.J. and Dexter, T. (1997) European Journal of Physical Education, 2, 2, 160-166
Significance of birth-dates
Bell, J.F. and Massey, A.J. (1996) Nature, 382, 666
Season of birth, sex and success in GCSE English, Mathematics and Science: some long lasting effects from the early years
Massey, A.J., Elliott, G. and Ross, E. (1996) Research Papers in Education, 11, 2, 129-150

Research Matters

Research Matters Special Issue 4: Aspects of Writing 1980-2014 (PDF, 1MB)
Research Matters 13: January 2012 (PDF, 5MB)
Research Matters: January 2012
Research Matters: A selection of articles (PDF, 2MB)
Research Matters: A selection of articles
Research Matters 12: June 2011 (PDF, 2MB)
Research Matters: June 2011
Research Matters 11: January 2011 (PDF, 1MB)
Research Matters: January 2011
Research Matters 10: June 2010 (PDF, 1MB)
Research Matters 09: January 2010 (PDF, 1MB)
Research Matters: January 2010
Research Matters 08: June 2009 (PDF, 2MB)
Research Matters: June 2009
Research Matters 06: June 2008 (PDF, 1MB)
Research Matters: June 2008
Research Matters 05: January 2008 (PDF, 2MB)
Research Matters: January 2008
Research Matters 04: June 2007 (PDF, 2MB)
Research Matters: June 2007
Research Matters 03: January 2007 (PDF, 1MB)
Research Matters: January 2007
Research Matters 02: June 2006 (PDF, 1MB)
Research Matters: June 2006
Research Matters 01: September 2005 (PDF, 4MB)
Research Matters: September 2005

Research reports

Towards a method for comparing curricula (PDF, 509KB)
Greatorex, J., Rushton, N., Coleman, T., Darlington, E. and Elliott, G. (2019). Cambridge Assessment Research Report. Cambridge, UK: Cambridge Assessment.
Insights on trends in AS Levels, the EPQ and Core Maths: summary report (PDF, 342KB)
Walland, E. and Darlington, E. (2019). Cambridge Assessment Research Report. Cambridge, UK: Cambridge Assessment.
AS level trends 2018 (PDF, 980KB)
Williamson, J. and Vitello, S. (2018). Cambridge Assessment Research Report. Cambridge, UK: Cambridge Assessment.
Changes in media coverage of GCSEs from 1988 to 2017 (PDF, 6MB)
Carroll, M. (2018). Cambridge Assessment Research Report. Cambridge, UK: Cambridge Assessment.
Attitudes to learning - questioning the PISA data (PDF, 1MB)
Benton, T. (2015). Cambridge Assessment Research Report. Cambridge, UK: Cambridge Assessment.
Entry for tiers in Science and Mathematics GCSEs: teachers’ views (PDF, 3MB)
Wilson, F. and Gill, T. (2014). Cambridge Assessment Research Report. Cambridge, UK: Cambridge Assessment.
Cambridge Assessment HE research: Literature review - Executive summary (PDF, 63KB)
Jeffrey, E. (2012). Cambridge Assessment Research Report. Cambridge, UK: Cambridge Assessment.
Cambridge Assessment HE research: Qualitative investigation - executive summary (PDF, 46KB)
Mehta, S., Suto, I. and Brown, S. (2012). Cambridge Assessment Research Report. Cambridge, UK: Cambridge Assessment.
Cambridge Assessment HE research: Survey of lecturers - executive summary (PDF, 48KB)
Suto, I. (2012). Cambridge Assessment Research Report. Cambridge, UK: Cambridge Assessment.

Insight, 08 May 2019

Reflecting on more than 20 years in Public Relations for Cambridge Assessment, Bene't Steinberg charts a spike in newspaper coverage of exams, sparked by ambitious politicians, a fight for university places and an increase in public interest, and also how social media has changed the way journalists report this annual hot topic.

Insight, 30 May 2013

The DfE has identified a number of areas where it wishes to make changes to the current GCSEs. Tiering and Grading are amongst the most challenging. Read our views on structural and technical issues.

Insight, 05 April 2019

Ofsted’s new inspection framework: OCR’s Paul Steer assesses how a shift in focus from exams to curriculum quality will guard against a ‘pub quiz’ education.

Insight, 07 March 2013

Qualification reform plans in England are gathering pace, there have been many changes already and there is therefore a growing demand worldwide for information about what is happening and why. Learn about the Cambridge View.

Insight, 14 May 2014

Practical work is the essence of science, and surely learning science without doing experiments is like studying literature without reading books. But does practical work become distorted when it contributes towards final grades?

Insight, 07 March 2013

Our vision for Science qualifications in England is to provide an appropriate foundation for those wishing to progress to further Science study, whilst also offering a grounding in the fundamentals of Science for those students who do not continue the subject after 16.

Insight, 28 November 2013

To what extent should international comparisons affect a national curriculum? Should we be listening to international evidence or just ignore it?

Insight, 07 March 2013

Our vision for Maths qualifications for England is to develop a curriculum and assessment model that emphasises the richness and power of Mathematics, is comparable in intellectual rigour to the best in the world, and encourages the continued study of the subject.

Insight, 06 November 2013

Speaking at a recent seminar hosted by the Cambridge Assessment Network, Sue Bloxham, Professor of Academic Practice at the University of Cumbria, explored a mismatch between the policy and practice of assessment judgement in higher education.

Insight, 07 March 2013

Our vision for English qualifications in England is to develop a curriculum and assessment model that helps young people explore communication, culture and creativity, develop their critical and independent thinking and engage with the richness of our language and literary heritage.

Videos

International education: a view from South Korea (5:32)

Paul Friend, Principal at the North London Collegiate School on Jeju Island, South Korea, and some of his students explain what international education means to them.

The meaning of validity (3:17)

Are certain elements of the supposed ‘consensus’ more central than others, and to what extent are different versions of the ‘mainstream’ account compatible?

International education: a view from Switzerland (6:05)

Christian Wölfle, Vice Principal at KV Zürich Business School, talks about the challenges and gains of fostering culturally aware and open future citizens from a vocational school point of view.

Critical Thinking: Beth Black (19:13)

Beth Black, Senior Research Officer, presents a recent study that showed that pupils who study Critical Thinking as a discrete subject at AS Level tend to do better in their other A Level subjects.

Tim Oates' views on international surveys (2:53)

Tim Oates calls for contextualised interpretation of the complex data that transnational surveys provide.

Podcasts

Seminar: Students' and teachers' views and experiences of A Level unit resits (27.8MB)

Dr Irenka Suto and Tim Gill (Cambridge Assessment) present.

Seminar: Making the most of our assessment data (28.6MB)

Nicholas Raikes (Cambridge Assessment) presents.

Our publications

A102: Introducing Assessment Practice

A101: Introducing the Principles of Assessment