Criterion referenced assessment (CRA) is the process of evaluating (and grading) the learning of students against a set of pre-specified qualities or criteria, without reference to the achievement of others (Brown, 1998; Harvey, 2004). The pre-specified qualities or criteria are what students have to do during assessment in order to demonstrate that they have achieved the learning outcomes. How well they do this is described at different levels - these are standards (or performance descriptors) often presented in a rubric. Thus, CRA is assessment that has standards which are 'referenced' to criteria.
What is the value of CRA?
Criterion referenced assessment is an important foundation for engaging students with the learning process. When done well, it:
- provides a shared language between students, teachers, and assessors about assessment
- identifies what is valued in a curriculum and ensures that what is measured by assessment is the same as the skills, knowledge and understandings defined by the intended learning outcomes
- makes explicit to students and assessors what evidence of achievement is expected at each of the grade standards (HD, DN, CR, PP, NN)
- enables reliable and valid judgements about student work which in turn provide:
- comparability between assessors and streamlined moderation processes
- relevant feedback to students about the quality of their work, and what is required for improvement on future assessments
- transparent and defensible marks and grades
- enables evaluation of how well students have achieved the unit's ILOs, and identification of teaching, learning, and assessment practices that may need review
- supports students to develop strong self-evaluation capacity, providing tools for them to review, refine, and improve their own work
CRA means that the assessment process is transparent for students and the grades they receive for a unit can be traced to their specific performance on each of the set tasks. Criterion-referencing can also enable reporting of student achievement or progress on a series of key criteria rather than as a single grade or percentage.
What does CRA involve?
- Rubrics (criteria sheets) that are provided to students when the assessment task is assigned, and which contain:
- Specific criteria for each assessment task in a unit (that enable measurement of ILOs)
- Meaningful standards descriptors for each assessment criterion (specific to the task)
- Moderation ofcriteria and standards, and active familiarisation of students with them, prior to submission of the assessment task
- Use of the rubric when assessing student work, to assign a grade and provide feedback (and feedforward) to students
- Review (and modification) of the criteria and standards descriptors after marking of each assessment task
Further information and examples of CRA can be found in the downloadable Guidelines for Good Assessment Practice (5th edition), and on the pages about Writing Assessment Criteria and Writing Standards Descriptors.
For CRA to be an effective element of constructively aligned units and courses, the assessment criteria for each task need to be aligned with both the intended learning outcomes of the unit and course, as well as with the type of assessment the task is. In addition, the performance standards for each criterion should be specific to the task as well as reflective of the criterion and learning outcome being measured, as overly generic criteria and standards are not useful in communicating to students what is required for a specific task. Find out more on the Writing Assessment Criteria page and the Writing Standards Descriptors page.
Practice and moderation are also essential elements for CRA to be effective and well implemented, and are as important when there is a single assessor as when there are multiple assessors. Discussing with students the meaning of the criteria and standards descriptors ensures that there is a shared understanding of them. Providing examples for students to apply the criteria and standards to can be an effective way of building understanding, as well as self-evaluation and critical analysis skills. Find out more about University requirements for moderation on the Moderation page.
References
Brown, S. (1998). Criterion-referenced assessment: What role for research. In H. Black & W. Dockerell (Eds.), New developments in educational assessment. British Journal of Educational Psychology, Monograph Series No. 3, 1-14.
Harvey, L. (2004). Analytic quality glossary. Retrieved from http://www.qualityresearchinternational.com/glossary/#c
FAQs
Criterion-referenced assessment means that teacher judgements about how a student does in an assessment task are based on standards and criteria that are pre-determined and made available to students at the time the assignment is set. Standards are a specified and definite level of achievement that may be attained.
What is the difference between norm-referenced and criterion-referenced evaluation? ›
A norm-referenced test compares the test-taker's score to a representative group, or norming group, and reports where the tester falls in relationship to other testers. The criterion-referenced test, on the other hand, compares a tester's score to an objective standard or criteria.
What is an example of a criterion-referenced language assessment? ›
An example of a criterion-referenced language test is the Rossetti Infant-Toddler Language Scale. The Rossetti is a criterion-referenced tool that evaluates Language Comprehension, Language Expression, and Pragmatics, as well as Gesture and Play in 3-month intervals that contain roughly 3-12 skills in each category.
What is the difference between NRT and CRT? ›
CRTs: Scores indicate whether a student has met predefined criteria or standards, typically presented as "pass" or "fail." NRTs: Scores are often reported as percentiles, stanines, or other comparative measures that show a student's rank relative to peers.
What is an example of a criterion-referenced assessment in ABA? ›
Popular criterion-referenced assessments include: The Brigance, the Assessment of Basic Language and Learning Skills (ABLLS), the Verbal Behavior Milestones Assessment and Placement Program (VB-MAPP), and the Hawaii Early Learning Profile (HELP).
What is an example of a criterion-referenced evaluation? ›
What are the examples of criterion-referenced assessment? Examples of criterion-referenced assessments include chapter tests in a textbook, driver's license written exams, many certification tests, and most classroom tests that teachers develop to assess specific topics or skills.
What is a key characteristic of criterion-referenced assessment? ›
Criterion-referenced tests compare a person's knowledge or skills against a predetermined standard, learning goal, performance level, or other criterion. With criterion-referenced tests, each person's performance is compared directly to the standard, without considering how other students perform on the test.
What are the disadvantages of criterion-referenced tests? ›
Criterion-referenced tests also have some significant disadvantages:
- Building these reliable and valid test instruments is expensive and time-consuming.
- You can't generalize findings beyond the local application, so they don't work to measure large group performance across a broad set of locations.
There are four frames of reference in providing meaning for DIBELS scores: (a) criterion-referenced benchmark goals and cut points for risk; (b) individually referenced interpretations; (c) local norm- referenced interpretations; and (d) system wide, norm-referenced interpretations.
Are criterion-referenced tests standardized? ›
Criterion-referenced tests are standardized tests that measure an individual's performance against a set of predetermined criteria or performance standards (e.g., descriptions of what an individual is expected to know or be able to do at a specific stage of development or level of education).
One of the most popular norm-referenced test examples is comparing a person's IQ to the benchmark IQ for average intelligence, which is 80. If a person taking a standardized IQ test achieves a score of 100, their intelligence level may be considered above average.
Which is the best candidate for CRT? ›
Your healthcare provider may suggest CRT if:
- You have moderate to severe heart failure symptoms.
- The pumping chambers (ventricles) of your heart are not working together and you are found to have a left bundle branch block.
- Tests show that your heart is weak and enlarged.
Nicotine replacement therapy (NRT) aims to reduce motivation to consume tobacco and the physiological and psychom*otor withdrawal symptoms through delivery of nicotine.
Is criterion-referenced test formative or summative? ›
Formative Assessments: These are ongoing, low-stakes tests like quizzes and classroom discussions that provide immediate feedback. Summative Assessments: These are high-stakes tests administered at the end of a unit or course, like final exams.
What is a criterion-referenced checklist? ›
Criterion-referenced assessment means that teacher judgements about how a student does in an assessment task are based on standards and criteria that are pre-determined and made available to students at the time the assignment is set. Standards are a specified and definite level of achievement that may be attained.
What is an example of a criterion-referenced assessment SLP? ›
These tests focus on what the individual can and cannot do concerning predefined objectives. Examples of speech therapy criterion-referenced tests include: The Functional Communication Profile - Revised (FCP - R) The Rossetti Infant-Toddler Language Scale.
What is the difference between norm-referenced and criterion-referenced quizlet? ›
What is the difference between norm-referenced and criterion-referenced testing? Criterion emphasized description of performance and norm referenced emphasizes discrimination among individuals.
What is the difference between norm-referenced test and criterion-referenced test brainly? ›
Answer. Answer: Norm referenced tests may measure the acquisition of skills and knowledge from multiple sources such as notes, texts and syllabi. Criterion referenced tests measure performance on specific concepts and are often used in a pre-test / post-test format.
What is the purpose of a norm-referenced test? ›
Most commonly, norm-referenced tests use a national peer group. The key goal of these tests is to compare one student's performance to others in a predetermined peer group. Students take an assessment. Teachers can then analyze their scores to learn more about the students' performance.
What do instructors have to ask to determine whether a test should be criterion or norm-referenced? ›
Test developers must ask "Is the test intended to assess student performance against a set standard or rank individual performance against other students?" to determine: whether the test should be criterion- or norm-referenced.
