1. TESTS AND EXAMS TCOP 2014 FACULTY OF ECONOMICS & FINANCE
ASSESSMENT
TESTS AND EXAMS
TCOP 2014
FACULTY OF ECONOMICS & FINANCE

2. Defining assessment
ACTIVITY: Write a brief definition of assessment

3. ACTIVITY Assess me as I stand before you 1 minute report back
Is the activity subjective? How may subjectivity be avoided?

4. DEFINITION
SAQA
Assessment is a structured process of gathering information to make judgements of competency about a candidate against publically agreed criteria.

5. PURPOSE OF ASSESSMENT Why do we assess?
Newton (2007:150) identifies three purposes of assessment:
1. judgement level - concerns the technical aim of an assessment to grade the learner or result.
2. decision level- concerned with the use of an assessment judgement, for example, entry to higher education.

6. PURPOSE- continued
3. impact level - concerned with the intended impacts of an assessment system, for example to motivate students.

7. Purpose - continued CHE:
The purposes for which assessment is used need to be extended beyond the summative (the measuring, recording and reporting of end-point achievement) and the diagnostic (indicating aptitude and preparedness for a course of study)”. “Assessment should also be used for developmental or formative purposes, namely to inform and strengthen learning and teaching”.

8. Purpose for learners Learners need to: Know what is expected of them
What to do to improve performance
Understand what will comprise their course grade
Perceive assessment as fair and meaningful

9. STEPS IN ASSESSMENT Design and Plan Prepare the candidate
Conduct the assessment
Assess for competence
Feedback and Record
Review

10. Principles of assessment
Fairness
Validity
Reliability
Practicability

11. Forms of assessment Baseline Formative Diagnostic Continuous Summative
What is a difference between continuous and continual assessment?

12. Applied competence
Foundational competence - the demonstrated understanding of what we are doing and why we are doing it.
Practical competence - the demonstrated ability to perform a set of tasks and actions in authentic contexts.
Reflexive competence - the demonstrated ability to integrate our performances with our understanding so that we are able to adapt to changed circumstances and explain the reason behind these adaptations.

13. PROCEDURE FOR TESTS AND EXAMS
Analyse SAQA Qualification, i.e. purpose, exit level learning outcomes, assessment criteria to determine themes / knowledge areas
Check that LOs and ACs in the STUDY GUIDE are aligned to the SAQA ID

14. USE OF LEVEL DESCRIPTORS
See hand out on NQF Levels 5, 6, and 7

15. activity
Evaluate the sample study guide against the SAQA ID to check if the LOs align with the ELOs
Evaluate the sample test and exam paper against the Level Descriptors to check if they are pitched at the correct standard
Check if the assessment satisfies the principles of fairness, validity and practicability.

16. The scope
I can’t cope-give me the scope S =short C=cut O=omitting P=programme E=expertise
How to avoid the SCOPE
Provide Los and ACs

17. Thank you