Blogs

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.

Computer adaptive testing (CAT) is a form of assessment that adjusts question difficulty to match each test taker’s ability, creating more accurate and personalised evaluations. In this blog, Christopher Hubbard, Assessment Group Manager at Cambridge English, explores the key principles and benefits of CAT.

This November, research from the Cambridge Digital Assessment Programme will be presented at the 25th AEA-Europe conference. In this blog, Research and Thought Leadership Lead Sarah Hughes summarises the research her team will present at this global event, all of which focusses on digital assessment.

This September a range of delegates from Cambridge University Press & Assessment attended a conference held between BERA and WERA in Manchester. In this blog, Principal Researcher, Dr Jackie Greatorex, summarises the research presented by Cambridge at this global event.

In this blog, Cambridge researcher Santi Lestari, explores the differences between handwriting and typing in high-stakes school exams, focusing on score comparability, marking biases, text characteristics, and composing processes. You will gain insights into the impact of digital exams and the some of the key considerations required for a smooth transition from paper to digital formats.

Dr Simon Child reflects on insights shared at a recent Assessment in Higher Education Conference. This blog explores some of the key themes focusing on threats and possibilities that developments in could AI bring, and how approaches like authentic assessment can be considered to mitigate against the challenges faced by the sector.

Wellington College International Shanghai, holds a distinguished position in the educational landscape of China. Founded in 2014 and part of the esteemed Wellington College Family the school has quickly garnered recognition for educational excellence, preparing students for success worldwide and achieving some of the highest exam results in the region. In March 2024, Wellington commissioned a bespoke training project with The Assessment Network at Cambridge to enable greater assessment literacy across its 1600 learners, staff, and parents.

Grading is the procedure of setting thresholds, boundaries or cut-off scores to distinguish how well a candidate has performed in assessments for a particular syllabus. In this blog, Dr Ellen Leggate, Senior Assessment Advisor at Cambridge Assessment International Education will cover some of the key approaches for setting and maintaining a grading standard and the sources of evidence which can be used.

With the application deadline for the Postgraduate Advanced Certificate in Educational Assessment fast approaching, now's the time to start thinking about preparing your application. Read this handy guide on what you need to consider before applying and how you can prepare for the course.

A curriculum can be broadly defined as anything that contributes to the definition of a learning programme. In this blog, Cambridge experts Dr Daniel Morrish, Sarah Nelson and Dr Nayla Aramouni explore the subject of curriculum design and development and share details on their upcoming five-part workshop series on the topic.

The second part of this two-part blog series, by former teacher and Senior Professional Development Manager at The Assessment Network, James Beadle, further explores some key thematic questions and trends that teachers should ask of any AI platform they are considering using for assessment.

Understanding item banking is essential for professionals involved in creating assessment content in a variety of contexts. In this blog, Margaret Cooze, a freelance language and assessment specialist with years of experience working at Cambridge, sheds light on the fundamental aspects of item banking.

The first part of this two-part blog series, by former teacher and Senior Professional Development Manager at The Assessment Network, James Beadle, suggests key thematic questions that teachers should ask of any AI platform they are considering using for assessment.

The Assessment Network have launched a new workshop to help practitioners understand the fundamentals of research to empower their assessments. We spoke with the course trainers Dr Sylvia Vitello, Dominika Majewska, and Emma Walland, about their research careers, and discussed why research remains a cornerstone of great assessment practice.

To start the year, the Assessment Network team has asked experts from across our community to share their predictions on some of the key trends which will likely appear or develop in assessment in 2024.

Vocational education and assessment never stand still. Here, Dr Simon Child explains how assessment-focused CPD can equip teachers with adaptable skills fit for the future. From an interview with InTuition magazine.

Since its launch in November 2022, ChatGPT gained significant attention in education. In this blog, Senior Researcher at Cambridge University Press & Assessment Martina Kuvalja, explores a study run by Cambridge Assessment International Education on the quality of essays written with the help of ChatGPT, compared to essays written without the help of ChatGPT.

In this Q&A, we discuss with Brooke her assessment background both as a science teacher and as Senior Assessment Training Manager at Cambridge Assessment Network, and how these experiences have s informed her approach to assessment, especially in the context of question writing.

Could improved student assessment literacy have an impact on their perception of assessment fairness in Higher Education? Dr Simon Child, Head of Assessment Training for Cambridge Assessment Network argues that there is more to be done.

We spoke with new Assessment Network team member James Beadle about differences in maths teaching internationally, the importance of frequent feedback in the classroom and how and why fair assessment structures are crucial to an equitable society.