Qualification reform is prompting us to look again not just at what we teach, but how we assess. Through our live series in partnership with FE News, Rewriting the rules: the future of qualifications, we are exploring how the system can better support opportunity, progression and employment.
In our second episode, Rethinking the future of assessment, we focused on how assessment must evolve to assess skills and competence and be flexible enough to meet the needs of a diverse cohort of learners.
I co-hosted the discussion alongside Gavin O’Meara, CEO of FE News, and we were joined by Anthony Painter, Director of Strategic Engagement at Ufi VocTech Trust, and Julie Kaye, Vice Principal at DN Colleges Group. Together, we explored where current approaches work, where they fall short, and what the future could look like.
Here, I’ve highlighted three key takeaways from that conversation.
1. Assessment shapes teaching and learning, so it can’t be designed in isolation
One of the most important points we discussed is the influence assessment has on teaching and learning. Quite simply, what we assess determines what gets taught, how it is taught, and how learners experience their programmes.
This “washback effect” can be positive or negative. On one hand, it can help focus learning on essential knowledge and skills. On the other, it can encourage teaching to the test and reduce opportunities for deeper skill development.
There was strong agreement that, going forward, assessment needs to be more fully integrated into the learning process, rather than something bolted on at the end. This means creating approaches that support development over time, rather than relying heavily on high-stakes, end-point testing.
Technology has a potential role here, too. As Anthony highlighted, it can enable more continuous, responsive forms of assessment which offer real-time feedback and support personalised learning journeys. But this must be done carefully, with teachers and practitioners remaining at the centre.
Ultimately, the goal should be to design assessment that actively supports good teaching and learning – not one that constrains it.
2. Real competence goes beyond exams,and assessment needs to reflect that
A consistent theme throughout the discussion was the importance of assessing what learners can actually do – not just what they can recall in an exam.
Julie shared powerful examples of employer-led projects and WorldSkills UK competition methodologies, where learners demonstrate their skills in realistic, pressured environments. These approaches allow learners to showcase not only technical ability, but also behaviours, teamwork, and problem-solving – the attributes employers consistently value.
By contrast, more traditional and highly prescriptive assessment methods can sometimes limit how learners demonstrate their competence. There was a clear call for greater flexibility in how assessment is designed and delivered, including more use of:
- professional conversations
- observation and practical assessment
- applied, real-world tasks.
At the same time, we cannot ignore the role of knowledge. The challenge is finding the right balance between assessing knowledge, skills, and behaviours in a coherent way.
A useful analogy raised in the discussion was learning to drive; learners build knowledge, practise over time, and are ultimately assessed on their ability to apply skills safely and competently in a real-world context. This kind of model offers a helpful way of thinking about how assessment could evolve across technical education.
3. Innovation brings opportunity – but trust and clarity are critical
Innovation in assessment, particularly through AI and digital technologies, is moving quickly and opens up significant opportunities.
We discussed how technology could support more personalised, inclusive, and continuous assessment, particularly for learners with additional needs. It can also enable new types of assessment, such as immersive simulations or dynamic feedback on performance.
However, this opportunity comes with important considerations. Firstly, trust is essential. Learners and educators need confidence in how technology is used, how decisions are made, and how fairness is ensured. Without this, even the most advanced solutions will struggle to gain traction.
Secondly, we need to consider how AI is changing the skills we value. If learners are already using AI as a tool in the workplace and in their studies, then assessment must adapt accordingly. This includes placing greater emphasis on critical thinking, judgement, and the ability to work effectively alongside technology.
Finally, inclusion must remain central. Innovative assessment approaches should reduce barriers and support progression for all learners, rather than creating new challenges. Flexibility in assessment methods will be key here, particularly for those who do not perform well in traditional exam settings.
Looking to the future
What came through clearly in this discussion is that rethinking assessment is not about discarding everything that already works – there is much in the current system that remains valuable.
But if we wish to create a qualifications system that reflects real skills, supports progression, and meets the needs of employers, then assessment must evolve.
That evolution will need to balance innovation with trust, flexibility with consistency, and knowledge with real-world application. Just as importantly, it must involve all those within the system – learners, teachers, employers and awarding organisations – in its design.
As our Rewriting the rules series continues, we will keep exploring how these ideas translate into practice, including how they connect to wider reforms across technical and vocational education.
