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Practice Guide - Assessment
Key concepts
The following key concepts are covered in this practice guide on this page:
Download a PDF copy: Practice Guide - Assessment (PDF 274.5 KB)
Achieving these Standards in practice
The following table lists examples of activities that may demonstrate compliance with the Standards, as well as risks to mitigate or control. These examples are not a complete list of every activity or risk, nor do all the activities listed need to be completed to achieve compliance. Rather, they are a guide and should be considered within the context, size, scale and student cohorts of your RTO’s operations.
To help determine whether you have achieved the Standards refer to the self-assurance questions below.
Standard 1.3: The assessment system is fit-for-purpose and consistent with the training product
Performance Indicators
An NVR registered training organisation demonstrates:
- the assessment is consistent with the requirements of the training product;
- assessment tools are reviewed prior to use to ensure assessment can be conducted in a way that is consistent with the principles of assessment and rules of evidence set out under Standard 1.4; and
- the outcomes of any such reviews inform any necessary changes to assessment tools.
- You can demonstrate that your assessment system:
- addresses all requirements of the training product
- determines what competence looks like based on the unit elements, performance criteria and assessment requirements
- contextualises assessment tools to the student cohort and industry/work context
- balances theory with practical assessment to ensure students undertake all required tasks and demonstrate their competence in different settings
- enables consistent collection of valid and reliable evidence.
- You can demonstrate how you ensure assessment is fit-for-purpose and consistent with the requirements of the training product, and at an appropriate level of difficulty.
- You can demonstrate how you ensure currency of assessment so that it is in line with the training product and current industry practice.
- You can show how the integrity of assessment judgement is maintained when there are variations to the duration of training.
- You can show how your assessment activities (resources, methods and timing) have considered the needs of your specific student cohort and context.
- You can demonstrate how you have reviewed your assessment tools prior to use, for example by:
- consulting with industry to confirm that the content of the tool is correct and relevant to the workplace
- moderating the tool with other trainers and assessors who have current skills and knowledge
- trialling the tool with a select group of individuals who have similar characteristics and abilities to your student cohort
- You can show what changes and improvements have been made following a review of your assessment tools.
- You can demonstrate how you tailor off-the-shelf tools into your assessment system.
- Reliance on purchased assessment tools that are not contextualised to your student cohort, learning environment and/or training product requirements.
- Generic templates or checklists to conduct the review of assessment tools prior to use.
- Not conducting reviews on mandated assessment tools for licensed outcomes to ensure they meet the principles of assessment and rules of evidence.
Standard 1.4: The assessment system ensures assessment is conducted in a way that is fair and appropriate and enables accurate assessment judgement of VET student competency
Performance Indicators
An NVR registered training organisation demonstrates:
- the assessment system facilitates assessment which must be conducted in accordance with the following principles:
- fairness – assessment accommodates the needs of the VET student, including implementing reasonable adjustments where appropriate and enabling reassessment where necessary
- flexibility – assessment is appropriate to the context, training product and VET student, and assesses the VET student’s skills and knowledge that are relevant to the training product, regardless of how or where the VET student has acquired those skills or that knowledge;
- validity – assessment includes practical application components that enable the VET student to demonstrate the relevant skills and knowledge in a practical setting; and
- reliability – assessment evidence is interpreted consistently by assessors and the outcomes of assessment are comparable irrespective of which assessor is conducting the assessment
- assessors make individual assessment judgements that are justified based on the following rules of evidence:
- validity – assessment evidence is adequate, such that the assessor can be reasonably assured that the VET student possesses the skills and knowledge described in the training product;
- sufficiency – the quality, quantity and relevance of the assessment evidence enables the assessor to make an informed judgement of the VET student’s competency in the skills and knowledge described in the training product;
- authenticity – the assessor is assured that a VET student’s assessment evidence is the original and genuine work of that VET student; and
- currency – the assessment evidence presented to the assessor demonstrates the VET student’s current skills and knowledge.
- You can demonstrate how you go about providing clear guidance on what the assessment task is to both the assessor and the student so that they both know:
- what is to be assessed
- the context and conditions of assessment
- how and when assessment is to occur
- the environment for the assessment.
- You can demonstrate how you apply the principle of fairness in assessment – for example by:
- considering students’ needs and making reasonable adjustments to your assessment processes or tools
- ensuring students are fully informed of the assessment process and performance expectations before undertaking assessment tasks
- considering whether students need further training before being reassessed (in cases where students are initially unable to complete the required task to the level described in the assessment requirements)
- having an appeals process to provide an avenue for students to challenge an assessment judgement and to have it reviewed objectively.
- You can demonstrate how you apply the principle of flexibility in assessment – for example by:
- adjusting your assessment system where a student has already demonstrated some aspects of the unit of competency through other means
- recognising that students demonstrate competence in a variety of ways
- drawing from a range of assessment methods to find those that are appropriate to your context, the assessment requirements, and the individual student.
- You can demonstrate how you apply the principle of validity of assessment – for example:
- assessment is based on evidence that demonstrates that a student could perform the skills and knowledge across a range of situations
- assessment of knowledge and skills is integrated with practical application – skills are assessed by observing the student carrying out the relevant task in an appropriate environment
- You can demonstrate how you apply the principle of reliability in assessment – for example by:
- having an assessment system that includes sufficient context, detail and guidance to enable assessors to make consistent assessment decisions and minimises variation between assessors
- developing evidence criteria (i.e. decision-making rules) to judge the quality of performance
- identifying benchmarks for practical activities that are broad enough to allow for variations in the task being undertaken and any variations in the context, but include sufficiently detailed observable behaviours
- actively assuring assessment practices through monitoring the reliability and consistency of decisions by your assessors on an ongoing basis.
- You can demonstrate how you ensure validity in assessment judgements, for example:
- judgement of competence is based on a range of relevant evidence, ensuring there is a direct relationship between the assessment task or activity the student undertakes (including assessment of practical application of skills), the evidence presented by the student and the assessment requirements.
- You can demonstrate how you ensure sufficiency in assessment judgements – for example by:
- gathering enough evidence to make a valid assessment judgement
- adjusting the quantity of evidence gathered as required – some students may take longer or need to complete a greater number of tasks to demonstrate competence; others may not be able to achieve competence despite repeated opportunities.
- You can demonstrate how you assure authenticity of assessment judgements – for example by:
- considering the potential means by which a student may engage in academic cheating
- validating that evidence ‘belongs’ to the student being assessed (e.g. has not been plagiarised or generated with artificial intelligence (AI) tools)
- verifying that the person you are enrolling, training and assessing is the same person that will be issued with a qualification or statement of attainment.
- You can demonstrate how you ensure currency in assessment judgements – for example by:
- considering the time that has passed since the evidence of the student’s competency was generated.
- Using assessment tools that are not contextualised to the student cohort and assessment system.
- Making adjustments for a student to accommodate their needs or preferences that compromise the integrity of the training product – i.e. will not ensure that the student attains the required skills and knowledge specified in the assessment requirements.
- Undertaking assessment of students in a group environment where it is unlikely that each student is able to be properly assessed as competent.
- Not assessing students while on placement, particularly in qualifications where direct observation is required.
- Inadequate systems to ensure consistency in assessment across assessors.
- Allowing people working under direction to make assessment judgements.
- Insufficient governance of academic integrity and/or a lack of mechanisms or systems to identify and respond to academic cheating.
- Using generic ‘tick box’ checklists to demonstrate a student has completed observational-type or practical assessments.
- Not verifying that the individual completing the assessment is the student who will be issued with a qualification or statement of attainment.
- Neglecting to review your assessment systems after completed cohorts have provided feedback and therefore missing opportunities to continuously improve.
Standard 1.5: The assessment system is quality assured by appropriately skilled and credentialled persons through a regular process of validating assessment practices and judgements.
Performance Indicators
An NVR registered training organisation demonstrates:
- validation of assessment practices and judgements ensure the assessment system produces assessment judgements that are consistent with the training product and comply with the requirements set out in this instrument;
- every training product on the organisation’s scope of registration is validated at least once every five years and on a more frequent basis where the organisation becomes aware of risks to training outcomes, any changes to the training product or any feedback from VET students, trainers, assessors, and industry;
- it utilises a risk-based approach – informed by any risks to training outcomes, any changes to the training product or any feedback from VET students, trainers, assessors, and industry – to determine:
- the components of the assessment system for a training product which are to be validated; and
- the sample size of assessments that are to be validated in respect of a particular training product.
- in addition to the requirement in paragraph (b), the assessment system for an AQF qualification or skill set from the Training and Education Training Package that enables individuals to make assessment judgments (as specified in the Credential Policy) has been or will be validated:
- once the first cohort of VET students with the organisation have completed their training and assessment; and
- by a person who is independent, not employed or subcontracted by the organisation to provide training and assessment, and has no other involvement or interest in the organisation’s operations.
- validation is undertaken by one or more people who collectively have:
- industry competencies, skills and knowledge relevant to the training product;
- a practical understanding of current industry practices relevant to the training product; and
- one of the credentials for validation specified in the Credential Policy.
- the outcome of an assessment validation is not solely determined by a person who has designed or delivered the training or assessment; and
- how outcomes of an assessment validation are used to inform changes to the assessment system.
- You can demonstrate how assessment practices and judgements are validated by:
- monitoring and sampling the use of the assessment system to ensure it is implemented appropriately and in accordance with the rules of evidence
- observing the use of assessment tools by your assessors to verify that the evidence being gathered is an accurate reflection of the relevant training product requirements and students’ performance
- establishing a direct link between the evidence and the judgement of competence and confirming the principles of assessment have been met
- seeking feedback from your assessors on how your tools and systems, including assessment instructions and resources, impact assessment judgements
- ensuring that validators have access to the same evidence in the sample that the assessor used to make the original assessment judgement
- sampling at least two units of competency when validating a qualification, accredited short course or skill set.
- You can demonstrate what action you take when validation activities identify issues with assessment tools or judgements. This might be done by:
- increasing the sample size to identify trends
- validating completed assessments from other units of competency to see if the issue is evident across the qualification
- looking for patterns of error (for example, if it is one assessor making invalid judgements or multiple assessors).
- You can demonstrate how you implement improvements to your assessment system in response to the findings of the validation process.
- You use a risk assessment process to help identify the units of competency to be sampled as part of the validation process.
- You can demonstrate that the sample of completed assessments used in the validation process is reflective of the diversity of student cohorts, delivery locations and number of assessors, and that there is a reasonable level of consistency of assessment judgements across the RTO.
- You ensure that validation is conducted by appropriately experienced people that have the relevant industry competencies, understanding of current industry practices, hold the relevant credentials, are independent of the design or delivery of training and assessment, and are able to provide unbiased feedback on the validation outcomes.
- Not having an appropriate validation plan and system for reviewing the risk of training products, determining the sample size and scope, guiding the validation team through the process of the validation, and capturing the validation outcomes.
- Limited or ineffective validation criteria or sample size to evaluate assessment practices effectively.
- Not using validation activities to strengthen and improve your assessment system including to address risks to students and integrity of assessment.
- Having insufficient evidence to complete validation effectively – for example, not retaining records of completed student assessments where a training product has not yet been validated.
- Not adequately ensuring consistency and principles of assessment are applied to assessment practices in various delivery settings – for example, online delivery; offshore delivery.
Self-assurance questions
1
How do you know your assessment system is fit-for-purpose for your various student cohorts and consistent with the requirements of the training product?
2
How do you validate the authenticity of a student’s assessment evidence?
3
What due diligence do you undertake to ensure that your trainers and assessors, as well as those working under direction, meet the requirements of the Credential Policy?
4
How do you monitor your assessment system and consistency of assessment judgements, and make any necessary changes to assessment tools and other materials?
5
How does the design of your assessment system support assessment in line with the principles of assessment and rules of evidence?
6
What systems and processes do you have in place to undertake regular, structured and impartial validation of assessment practices?
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