TVET CURRICULUM DEVELOPMENT, ASSESSMENT AND CERTIFICATION COUNCIL

(TVET CDACC)

DEVELOPMENT OF ASSESSMENT TOOLS

Presented by:
TVET CDACC SECRETARIAT
WHAT ARE ASSESSMENT TOOLS?
Assessment tools are specific questions or
activities and instructions given to the
candidate and the assessor and used to gather,
interpret and document evidence of
competence.
  
The three main steps when developing
assessment tools are:
1. Planning
2. Design and development
3. Performing quality checks
PLANNING
 Consider how a candidate will get
instructions for the task and demonstrate
ability to perform the task in different
contexts and environments.
 When planning for assessment it’s vital to:

i. Identify the candidates

Consider the general needs of the group
 PLANNING CONT’D
ii. Visualize competence
Test your own understanding of the requirements of unit(s) of
competency by visualizing a competent person at work. Consider
the tasks the person will perform and manage the contingencies
that may arise and the contexts in which the candidate is likely to
apply the skills learnt. This will enable the choice of an
appropriate assessment method.
iii. Examine benchmarks
The occupational standards are the benchmarks against which a
candidate is assessed. Other benchmarks include organizational
benchmarks such as operating procedures, occupational safety
and health standards and product specifications.
 PLANNING CONT’D
iv. Identify evidence gatherer
Consider whether it is the candidate, the assessor or a third-party
who will collect evidence. The instrument and instructions of the
assessment tools should clarify what is expected and provide a clear
structure to be followed.
v. Identify assessment venue
Requirements of the unit of competency usually determine the venue
of assessment. Some units of competency require assessment to occur
in the workplace while others dictate assessment take place in
simulated conditions.
vi. Choose the assessment method
This involves weighing up a range of assessment methods in order to
decide upon the best for particular unit(s) of competency. Using a range
of assessment methods helps produce valid decisions and recognizes
that candidates demonstrate competence in a variety of ways.
DESIGN AND DEVELOPMENT
 The tools that you design must comply with the rules of
evidence, i.e. the tool must facilitate the gathering of
evidence that is:
 Valid (covers all requirements of the unit of
competency)
 Sufficient (enables you to make a decision about

competency over time and in different situations)

 Current (competent performance is
contemporary)
 Authentic (is the candidate’s own work)
 DESIGN AND DEVELOPMENT
 An assessment tool comprises a number of components
which ensure assessment is conducted in a manner that is
fair, flexible, valid and reliable. These components are:
i. Context and conditions of assessment
 These are characteristics that may impact on performance of
the candidate. The context includes all the factors that affect
assessment- from the environment in which the assessment
is to take place, to the purpose of assessment and the
candidates.
 Any conditions should be clarified in the instructions to
ensure consistency in the application of the assessment tool.
 Reasonable adjustment may be made to an assessment tool
depending on specific needs of a candidate.
 CONT’D
ii. Tasks to be administered to the candidate
The candidate clearly needs to understand the task to perform to
demonstrate competency. The instructions should be clear such
that no further clarification is required.

iii. An outline of evidence to be gathered from the candidate

As well as informing the candidate of what they will do in the
assessment, you will need to explain to them what evidence they
need to provide in response to the tasks.
If a candidate is required to submit evidence, the instructions
must include guidance on:
 what to include as evidence

 how to submit the evidence, and

 how to present the evidence

 CONT’D
 It should be clear to a candidate what the assessor will look for during
observation.
 An observation checklist could be appropriate in this instance.
 You should also communicate to the candidate if the observation is being
recorded by audio or video.
iv. Evidence criteria used to judge the quality of performance
 These are the rules used to make judgments about whether competency has
been achieved. Evidence criteria are used by an assessor to ensure consistent
outcomes when:
 Checking evidence quality (i.e. the rules of evidence)

 Judging how well the candidate performed according to the standard

expected, and
 Collating evidence from multiple sources to make an overall

judgement
 The evidence criteria should not be open to interpretation. The

criteria must provide sufficient clarity for assessment judgements to

be consistent across a range of assessors and points in time
 CONT’D
v. Administration, recording and reporting requirements
Assessment records must be securely retained and produced when
required
Where possible retain the actual piece(s) of work completed by
the candidate for a period determined by TVET CDACC from time
to time
The completed evidence criteria may be sufficient where it is not
possible to retain the candidate’s actual work.
Assessment tool should have provision for feedback to the
candidate
Assessment tools must be designed to comply with internal and
external processes and procedures for administration, recording
and reporting of assessment outcome
 CONT’D
Summary
Assessment tools generally make provision for the following:

 Candidate’s name & reg. no. and assessor’s name & id code

 Date of assessment

 Title of the unit(s) of competency

 Instructions to the candidate, the assessor or other evidence

gatherer
 Assessment requirements

 Context of the assessment

 Procedure for the assessment

 Resources required for assessment

 Outcome of the assessment

 Feedback to the candidate

 candidate’s signature and assessor’s signature and date

 PERFORM QUALITY CHECKS
 Several checks should be done before implementing a new
assessment tool.
 Reviewing the tool with peer assessors can check whether:
 The tool will address all assessment requirements of the unit of

competency
 The content is appropriate to the unit of competency

 The tool will enable effective and efficient collection of

evidence
 Clear instructions are provided

 Industry representatives should critique the tool for clarity,

reliability, validity, content accuracy, relevance and appropriateness
of language for the candidate.
 Piloting the tool tests its effectiveness without affecting a candidate.
The findings of the pilot will help predict whether the tool would be
cost effective to implement and produce valid and reliable evidence.
THANK YOU