Assessments are often used for multiple purposes
and so it is encouraged that multiple names are
used to describe its purpose. For instance an
assessment delivered after a course to determine
the amount of knowledge transfer that was
yielded but which is also used to qualify
someone for a particular job role is a "Post
Course Test" as well as an "Internal Exam".
The list below proposes descriptions and
categorizations of the main and different kinds
of assessment solutions in use. In the Context
of Use columns we have tried to maintain one
alignment for clarity but in a few cases two are
appropriate.
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Learning |
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Talent |
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Strategic
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Pre
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In
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Of
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Qualify
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Mgmt
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Surveys
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Level 1 Surveys
Course evaluations
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These are specific evaluations,
given after a course, to get the
student's feedback on the learning
activity. Level 1 Surveys are also
called course evaluations or smile
sheets. Level 1 Surveys typically ask
for the learner's evaluation of the
course content, course materials, the
instructor, the information delivery,
etc.
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Y
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Needs Analysis Surveys
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These surveys are given to a group
to explicitly determine what areas they
want to learn more about, or where their
knowledge is weak, with the purpose of
providing learning offerings to meet
those needs.
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Y
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Job Task Analysis Surveys
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These surveys are given to a group
of people doing a job to determine which
tasks they perform, how regularly they
perform them and the significance of the
task to their role.
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Y
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Employee Attitude
and Employee Opinion Surveys
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These surveys are used within an
organization to collect input from
employees about their feelings on one or
more topics.
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Y
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Y
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Customer/Partner Satisfaction
Surveys
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These surveys are used by an
organization with other groups than
their employees; it might include
customers, prospects, partners, and
others outside the organization. Classic
market research is an example of this
category.
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Y
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Conformance Surveys
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These surveys are used to gather
information and opinions to determine
current conformance such as those used
to confirm alignment with maturity
models or six sigma.
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Y
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360 (Level 3) Surveys
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These are surveys designed to
measure whether behavior has changed on
the job, usually delivered by a 360/180
survey to colleagues. Often data is
aggregated to identify the effectiveness
of learning activities.
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Y
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360 degree survey (employee
appraisals)
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Information gathered from someone's
self-assessment and assessment by peers
(and where relevant superiors and
subordinates) to obtain input on how the
person can improve. Organized by HR as
part of a performance appraisal.
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Y
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360 learner peer review assessments
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Information or judgments gathered
from peers in a learning context to aid
learning and provide feedback.
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Y
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Formative assessments
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Strategic
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Pre
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In
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Of
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Qualify
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Talent
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Quizzes during Learning
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Quizzes are typically used at the
end or in intermediate points of
learning activities. Usually do not
store results (or if do so just to see
if questions should be promoted or for
other very low stakes use).
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Y
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Benchmark Assessments
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Typically administered throughout a
school year or course to provide
instructors and mentors information so
that they can make informed decisions on
how to assist their students learn.
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Y
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Practice tests
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Practice versions of higher stakes
exams, made available or sold for
practice purposes.
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Y
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Diagnostic Assessments
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Strategic
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Pre
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In
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Of
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Qualify
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Talent
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Pre Tests
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A diagnostic assessment before a
specific learning activity. Used to
create intrigue, to set a benchmark for
comparison with a post course test, as a
pre-requisite or route to an appropriate
learning activity, and to provide
instructors and mentors information on
the student's abilities.
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Y
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Placement tests
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A diagnostic assessment used to
measure place someone in the right
course or learning activity. Has a
summative element but main purpose is to
diagnose and prescribe. Used to route to
the correct learning activity.
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Y
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Self-diagnostic tools
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Assessment which asks non-judgmental
questions and gives feedback to the
participant to provide recommendations
for products, services and/or learning
activities. An example might be a
financial survey which asks for
information and recommends financial
products.
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Y
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Y
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Y
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Personality assessments
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Assessment which analyzes
personality traits in order to predict
behaviors, team fit, and management
potential. Sometimes gives information
directly to participant and sometimes
requires an expert to review and
interpret.
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Y
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Summative Assessments
(Test and Exams)
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Post Course Tests
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Post Course Tests (aka Post Tests)
are typically given to identify the
learner's KSAs and may contribute to
passing the course. Sometimes data from
these tests are used to indicate how
much a student or group of students have
advanced their knowledge, skills and
attitudes by comparison to the pre-test.
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Y
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Graduation Exams
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Assessments given at the end of a
grade level, or during or at the end of
a course, to assess students achievement
against a set of standards which are
used to define a "pass" or grade; for
instance academic courses. Graduation
Exams are normally available only to
students who have registered with an
organization, typically a school,
college or university, for study.
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Y
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Y
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Internal exams
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Exams open to a closed community,
for instance employees or partners set
by an organization for its own purposes.
Examples include regulatory compliance
exams and partner verification exams.
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Y
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Open exams
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Exams open to anyone who qualifies
that are used to certify KSAs. Common
examples are IT certifications (e.g.
Microsoft, Cisco) or general academic
entry exams (e.g. TOEFL, SAT) and IQ
tests. Authority comes from an
organization not a legal source, but
passing can be a passport to greater pay
or rewards and so the stakes are often
high.
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Y
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Licensing exams
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Exams which must be passed to meet a
legal requirement or a quasi-legal
requirement, for example driving tests,
medical licensing exams. These are very
high stakes and need to be legally
defensible.
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Y
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Pre-employment screening
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Asks questions of applicants about
KSAs and experience to gate applicants.
Used to determine whether applicants
meet basic requirements and can be
considered for the next stage of a
recruitment process. In some cases close
to a survey.
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Y
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Pre-employment skills tests
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Tests given in pre-employment to
measure KSAs to see if the applicant is
suitable for recruitment.
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Y
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Psychological assessments
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Clinical psychological assessments
which ask questions and then determine a
psychological profile. These are
typically validated against a norm
population.
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Y |