How to Write Engaging and Effective Assessments: A Step-by-Step Guide

How to write assessment writing

What is assessment writing

Assessment is used for educational purposes. It gathers information and uses qualitative and quantitative data to measure the development of students.

Types of assessment

Assessment comes in various types, which can be a bit tricky for beginners. Knowing specific types of assessment allows students to use assessment to their advantage. The most common assessment types are:

Pre-assessment: Pre-assessment is normally conducted before a course or program. Its purpose is to assess the strength and weakness of students. Based on that result, teachers can design a suitable teaching programme.
Formative assessment: The objective of this evaluation type is to track students’ progress. It analyzes your knowledge gap to see if any adjustments can be made to the current learning strategy.
Summative assessment: Students are normally required to do a summative assessment at the end of a course or a program. Summative test aims to assess what students have achieved. And whether the current teaching programme is suitable.
Confirmative assessment: Upon beginning a new teaching method or programme. Teachers need to measure and assess the potential efficiency. That’s when confirmative assessment comes in handy.

There are also several other types which are less common. We have the criterion-referenced assessment to evaluate students’ progress based on a specific criteria. Or Ipsative assessment to track the productivity of students.

Applications of assessment

So why do we use assessment in education, what are the purposes of it?

Inform students of their progress: If done well, students can acknowledge their current strengths and weaknesses. From there, they will eventually make adjustments to improve their performance.
Drives learning: Students will study to the knowledge extent that they think they will be evaluated. Assessment gives students hints on what concepts and skills to study in their courses.
Enhance teaching practice: With proper assessment, teachers can acknowledge what changes should be made in their teaching practice.

How to write assessment

If you just run straight into it without knowing how to write an assessment, it would cause confusion. You can simply follow these 6 simple steps:

Define the purpose of your assessment

There are 2 types of assessment, the formal and informal one. The formal assessment includes:

Formal Assessment

Tests: This type of assessment covers a specific unit or section of learning materials. Tests can come in multiple choice, short answers, essays…
Quizzes: Quizzes can be shorter than a test, and teachers mostly use them to assess students’ understanding of a particular concept or skill.
Essays: For essays, students are required to write a well-organized paper on a specific topic.
Research papers: This assessment kind requires students to research a topic in depth, then write a paper to present their findings. Most universities use research papers for the final assessment.
Presentations: It involves students sharing their knowledge and understanding of a specific topic to the audience. Usually, this type of assessment can be done in a group or individually.

Informal Assessment

Portfolio: Portfolio means a collection of work. Students, especially those majoring in Art might need to showcase their learning over time.
Self-assessment: Another popular kind of assessment is self-evaluation. Students are required to reflect on their progress.

Students need to define what kind of assessment they are working on. Then develop a particular plan for it.

Create a plan for your assessment

Let’s move on to create a plan for your evaluation. Let’s say your assessment is a 5000 words research paper or a portfolio. What elements should be considered in your plan-making process?

Start with a mind map

Brainstorm what you’ve already known about the subject
Group the ideas in a logical order, prioritize your ideas
Organize and connect your ideas

For example, if your assessment is a Marketing portfolio, your Mind Map can start with Digital Marketing as the central element. From there, write down what you’ve already known about it. Such as, Email marketing, SEO, Content Marketing, Social Media, Web Design, Ads…

Once you’ve got a good amount of ideas, you can start grouping elements based on categories. For SEO, you can include factors like: keywords optimization, blogging, link building…Finally, make use of visualization to connect your ideas. Make sure to showcase your knowledge in Marketing to your teachers.

Make a Linear Plan

Think about what sections you would need to include in your assessment, and what information each part presents. For instance, you can follow this order:

Introduction – how would you introduce your assessment, what section you need to work on first?
Key ideas – What are the main ideas of your evaluation? If you have a brilliant idea but don’t know how to develop it further. Or if you are lacking back up evidence, exclude these ideas.
Connecting ideas – how can you link your ideas to develop a complete assessment?
Conclusion – how will your assessment end?

For example, if your topic is Steel production, students can develop a linear plan as below:

Steel production
- History of Steel production (how it started, how is the current market – size, market)
- Steel production companies (Who are the big names, how do they contribute to the economic development)
- Downsides (working condition, environmental degradation)

Do your research

Now, you will need to research for academic materials to work on your assessment. In this stage, students should follow this process:

Step 1: Understand what are your assessment requirements

Check the assessment type: By knowing whether your evaluation is a case study, an essay, or a portfolio can help you understand what sort of information should be included in your assessment.
Understand the task: Students need to thoroughly examine the instruction words and topic words to see what they are the requirements. Pay attention to the words: analyze, discuss, evaluate, summarize…

Step 2: Gather Information

After understanding what to look for, you can start gathering information from these sources:

Course materials: Assess whether what you’ve learnt in your course can come in useful for your evaluation.
Research databases: Databases such as Google Scholar, ResearchGate, Emerald provides access to valuable academic journals, articles and e-books of various fields.

Step 3: Evaluate information

After gathering the necessary information, you should spend time evaluating whether they are worth using, and if they are suitable for your paper. Remember a few keys when doing your research:

Don’t spend too much time on doing research, as you might run out of time for writing your assessment.
Stop researching when you can’t find new ideas, or when you have backed up your main points with credible evidence.
Keep track of the sources you’ve found.

Write your assessment

It’s time to start writing your assessment. You should first make a draft. Just write feely, don’t pay too much attention to grammar and wording. After that, revise your draft to make sure that it includes all the necessary information. Then, refine on what you’ve written to create a complete assessment.

Once you’ve done writing, take a moment to review your work. Ask yourself these questions:

Have I answered the assessment question?
Has the structure of my evaluation met the requirements of my institution?
Have I used academic English?
Is my referencing correct? Has it properly followed the reference format of my institution?

Besides, remember to check the grammar, spelling of your paper. Also, make sure that you’ve included your name and other assessment details.

Tips on how to write assessment

You can pay attention to these tips to enhance your assessment:

Form a study group: Learning with your classmates allows you to acquire new and valuable ideas for your assessment. Moreover, a study group can be a great motivation to help you stay on track.
Create a study schedule: Break down your assessment into manageable parts and set a specific deadline to each part. Doing an evaluation requires a lot of time, so make sure to stick to your schedule.
Read instructions carefully: Don’t just jump straight to writing your assessment. Instead, take your time reading the instructions and search for important keywords for your assessment.

MAAS Assignment Service Help

MAAS Introduction

Students life is fun. But sometimes, it is overwhelming with all the tight deadlines and complex assignments. Fear not, MAAS Writing Service would assist you throughout your academic life. With MAAS, you can experience the following services:

Essay Writing Service
Assignment Writing Service
Dissertation Writing Service
Online Exam Service
Admission Writing
Master/MBA/PHD/DBA Writing Service

From expert research to meticulous proofreading, MAAS assignment has got you covered. Our team of more than 100 academic writers is dedicated to guide students towards academic success.

Partner with MAAS Writing Service to receive plagiarism-free assessment that would exceed your expectation.

How can MAAS help on how to write assessment

Students, especially university students, are familiar with assessment tests. In a semester, you might be overwhelmed by all the assignments. So just let MAAS Writing Service help you with your assessment:

Let’s take a look at how MAAS Writing Service can help students on how to write assessment:

Online university test: Online university tests are important, and you wouldn’t want to receive low marks that can affect your overall results. If that’s the case, MAAS Writing Service with professional academic writers can help you pass your online university test with exceptional results.
Online test service: Online tests can be really difficult if you aren’t familiar with all the Proctorio stuff. Let MAAS Assignment Service support you with our reliable online test service.
Online quiz service: With MAAS’s online quiz service, students will be more prepared when facing challenging online tests.

Our assignment writing service is supported by more than 100 experts who graduated from renowned universities worldwide. We will assist in completing your assessment with results exceeding your expectation.

Essay services for overseas students in international universities

Working with MAAS Assignment Service. You not only get your evaluations done, but you will also excel in your academics with high grades and improve time management.

Apart from Assignment Writing Service, MAAS also offers online test services, research paper writing, and even writing service for Master degree. With us, you can enjoy the following benefits:

Improve time management: By using MAAS’s writing service, you can reduce your academic workload. You can use this free up time to focus on other academic responsibilities or extracurricular activities.
Improve academic performance: We are not only a writing service. We’re also your tutor and instructor. Our dedicated writers can provide insightful knowledge and guidance on specific topics. This would enhance your learning experience and academic performance.
Higher grade: Your paper is now well-structured and well-developed by MAAS’s team of experts. Students can submit your paper with confidence and receive higher grades.

This article has instructions on how to write assessment. With MAAS assessment writing service, you can get your assessment and test done with exceptional results. If you have any questions regarding how to write an assessment. Don’t hesitate to contact MAAS!