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What quality education means

Getting the balance of assessment right

Use a mix of diagnostic, formative and summative assessment. Do not rely on end-of-year tests and exams alone.

Do this now

  1. Give teachers professional development so they can use varied diagnostic, formative and summative assessments.
  2. Give teachers the resources, materials and time they need to do this.
  3. Encourage more formative assessment during lessons.
  4. Watch how teachers assess, and give descriptive feedback during lesson plan reviews and class visits.
  5. Give qualified specialists the standardised tests they need. Keep tests up to date and supplies replenished.
  6. Widen summative assessment to include products, portfolios and performances, as well as tests and exams.
  7. Expand report cards to cover learning, development and well-being, not only achievement.
  8. Use assessment data in improvement planning and when you make decisions.

If you are a school leader

Use diagnostic, formative and summative results to inform decisions about student progress, programmes, promotion and retention. Make sure assessment in your school is fair, accurate and used responsibly.

If you are an education officer

Embed balanced assessment in all curricula. Use assessment data to inform decisions about education reforms and system improvement.

More detail

Assessment used to rely heavily on tests and exams at the end of teaching. The emphasis has shifted towards formative assessment during teaching, and diagnostic assessment to find where students are.

Assessment has a big effect on students’ lives, especially when one exam score decides placement, promotion, retention, completion or scholarships. That is why balance matters.

See Choosing diagnostic, formative or summative assessment for examples of each.

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The law and policy behind this

Both practice guides"Promoting balanced student assessment" in both guides · draft of 27 May 2026

Not yet checked by a Ministry editor