NCF 2023 Approach to Assessment: What Are the NCF Assessment Principles? 

Purpose of Assessment

Overall, Assessment has 2 purposes 

a) Evaluating the result of student learning outcomes

b) Assessing the efficiency of classroom methods and educational materials for instruction and learning.

Meanwhile, assessment is also used for certifying student learning and education completion at key stages i.e in  Grade 10 and Grade 12.

Assessment of Learning; Assessment for Learning; Assessment as Learning

Well-designed assessment serves as a potent tool for improving both student learning and teaching methods. With the help of assessment insights, teachers can adapt their approach to suit their student needs. 

According to the NCF 2023, assessment can be approached as Assessment of Learning; Assessment for Learning and Assessment as Learning.

• Assessment of learning refers to the measurement of achievement of student learning.
• Assessment for learning refers to evidence of student learning gathered by the Teacher that provides inputs to guide teaching-learning processes. 
• Assessment as learning refers to assessments being introduced as non-threatening tools for self-reflection and introspection.

Current Challenges in Assessment

• Currently, assessment in schools is often mechanised and focused on memorisation rather than measuring competencies and learning outcomes.
• Students fear assessments because it has been intimidating for them, leading to fear, labelling, and social consequences based on scores.
• Board exams for classes 10 and 12 cause extreme stress, impacting students' mental well-being.

Related: NCF 2023: How Does NCF Change the Class 10, 12 Board Exam System?

• Currently, Board exams are high-pressure events with limited scope for improvement after a bad performance.
• Ideally, exams should serve as both certification and learning experiences, fostering improvement. Current board exam structure limits holistic development, emphasising rote memorisation and coaching.

Key Principles of Effective Assessment

According to the NCF 2023, key principles that could guide our thinking on effective use of assessments to aid better teaching are:

1. Assessment should measure achievement of Competencies and Learning Outcomes in sync with Curricular Goals.
2. Assessments should be formative, developmental, and learning-focused.
3. Assessments should be Stage-appropriate.
4. Assessments should be adaptable to student diversity.
5. Assessments should be supported by timely, credible, and constructive feedback to students.
6. Assessments should support meaningful accumulation of student learning.

Formative assessments 

Summative assessments 

• Continuous and ongoing
• Low stake with no consequences
• Used as a part of and as input to the teaching-learning process

• At the end of a learning goal i.e. chapter or time period
• High stake and carry some consequences
• Evaluation of achievement of learning over a period of time

Example: 

1. Observing student behaviour in class.

2. Having students create concept maps to showcase their understanding of a topic.

3. Encouraging collaborative sentence writing about a read poem.

Example: 

1. Unit test
2. Term-end test
3. Board exam

Forms of Assessment

• Written assessments: Forms of written tests include: Objective Type Questions, Constructed Response Questions, Graphic Organisers
• Oral assessments: Reading Aloud, Listening and responding to questions, Recitation, Debates and Discussions, Group discussions, Presentations and Extempore talks are some forms of oral tests
• Practical assessments: Some key practical assessment methods are Experiments, Artefacts, Demonstration, Projects, Portfolios
• Open-book assessments: An open-book test allows students to use resources while answering questions, testing their skills in processing and applying information rather than mere recall. It emphasises application and synthesis in different contexts.

Assessment Across Stages

In NCF 2023, according to the NEP 2020, schooling has been divided into four stages based on the styles

of learning best suited for those age groups:

• Foundational Stage for ages 3-8
• Preparatory Stage for ages 8-11
• Middle Stage for ages 11-14 and
• Secondary Stage for ages 14-18

Foundational

Preparatory

• At the Foundational Stage, two primary methods of appropriate assessment are:
• Observations of the child
• Analysing what the child has created as part of their learning experience. 

• In addition to observation of students and analysis of artefacts created by students, a variety of formative oral and written assessments should be introduced.
• These assessments should test conceptual understanding, competencies and should include questions that encourage creativity.
• Each year in the Preparatory Stage should  conclude with thorough summative assessment of students' preparedness for the next grade. Strong support options must be made available during breaks between grades to enhance their readiness for next grade.

Middle

Secondary

• In addition to a variety of oral and written tests, a variety of practical tests and projects should also be introduced. 
• At the end of each year of the Middle Stage, there will be a comprehensive summative assessment of the student’s readiness to enter the next Grade, with robust options for support during the break between Grades to help ensure such readiness. 

• A variety of written tests, practical tests, projects, and open book tests should be used. 
• At the end of each year (or term) of the Secondary Stage, there will be a comprehensive summative assessment of each subject, which in relevant cases would be the Board examinations. 

Progress Reports - Holistic Progress Cards

• Holistic Progress Cards give detailed reports that show different parts of a subject instead of the subject report as  a whole. 
• They look at how students do in different activities, not just tests. 
• This holistic report card will help see how a student is getting better over time, not how they compare to other students. 
• It compares the current report card to the student's previous one, not to what other students got.

Progression across Grades - Key Points from NCF 2023

• Students should not be failed or detained in Grades 1 to 8.
• There must be clear checkpoints and support systems to help all students acquire the requisite Competencies by class 8. It is the responsibility of the education system.
• All students must take competency based examinations in Grades 3, 5, and 8, conducted by an appropriate authority that tests Competencies. This would not cover the entire curriculum, but core competencies that are crucial for study in later grades.
• The assessment of achievement of Competencies will be shared by the school with individual students and their parents/families/guardians with a developmental and improvement objective.
• Those students who have achieved satisfactory levels of Competencies will be helped by this very specific engagement and discussion on their progress.
• For students who have not achieved levels of Competencies satisfactory enough to begin the study of the next Grade, clear and definite actions will have to be taken immediately by the school with support from the system to ensure that such students achieve requisite.
• An annual report on this matter and progress on it -on the number of students achieving adequate Competencies in Grades 5 and 8, and actions taken in this regard -will be prepared by each school.
• This report must ensure that students who have not achieved requisite competencies remain anonymous.
• Data privacy will be a very important issue. This must be rigorously designed into the system, with respect to both the IT system and the process.