Across Africa, education leaders keep talking about learning outcomes, teacher support, and exam pressure. Types of assessment sit right at the centre of that discussion. Diagnostic assessment, formative assessment, summative assessment, continuous assessment, and digital assessment all show up in policy notes and staff rooms. And yes, the daily reality still looks messy in many schools. That part stays true.
What Assessment Means in Teaching and Learning
Assessment means checking learning in a planned way, not guessing. It tells schools what a learner can do today, and what still needs work. It also tells teachers what to reteach, what to move faster on, and what to stop repeating. Some teachers use it lightly in class talk, others use formal tests. Both count, if done with care.
Diagnostic Assessment
Diagnostic assessment happens early, before serious teaching starts on a topic. It checks readiness and gaps. In many African classrooms, it also helps teachers manage mixed-ability groups without wasting weeks.
A simple example: a short reading passage plus five questions, done in ten minutes. Quick, direct. Sometimes awkward, but useful.
Formative Assessment
Formative assessment runs during learning, often weekly or even daily. It is the quiet work that keeps lessons honest. And it reduces surprises later.
Common classroom formats:
- 5 to 10 mark quizzes
- oral questions during lesson delivery
- exit slips on one concept
- classwork checks with short feedback
- peer checking in pairs, then teacher review
Feels small sometimes, yet it changes how students study. That’s how many teachers see it anyway.
Summative Assessment
Summative assessment sits at the end of a unit, term, or academic year. It is used for grading, promotion, and certification. Many systems across Africa still depend heavily on this stage, especially at national exam points.
The issue is not the exam itself. The issue is when one paper decides everything. That pressure shows up in attendance, coaching centres, and even family expectations, no need to pretend otherwise.
Continuous Assessment
Continuous assessment uses multiple tasks across a term to build a fuller score. It often includes tests, assignments, projects, and participation marks. Several African curricula lean this way to reduce single-exam weight.
It works best when records stay consistent. And when teachers get time to mark. That second part is the hard one, honestly.
Performance-Based Assessment
Performance-based assessment asks learners to show skills in action. It suits TVET, science, languages, and practical subjects.
Examples seen in schools and training centres:
- practical lab tasks and write-ups
- oral presentations and debates
- tool handling and workshop tests in TVET
- role-play in language learning
When done well, it exposes real skill, not memorised notes. But it needs clear rubrics, else arguments start.
Authentic Assessment
Authentic assessment focuses on real-life tasks. It checks how learners apply knowledge to situations that look familiar.
Typical formats:
- community mapping for geography
- simple business plans for entrepreneurship subjects
- local case studies for social studies
- school-based surveys with short reporting
Some people call it “real learning”. Maybe they’re right. It also builds confidence in quiet students.
Criterion-Referenced Assessment
Criterion-referenced assessment compares performance against a fixed standard. The learner either meets the standard or does not yet meet it. It supports competency-based education because it avoids ranking games.
It is useful in literacy and numeracy checks, practical skills grading, and competency statements in training programmes. It can feel strict, though. Standards do not bend for anyone.
Norm-Referenced Assessment
Norm-referenced assessment compares learners against each other. It produces ranks, percentiles, and cut-offs. It is common in competitive placement, scholarships, and limited-seat admissions.
The upside is easy selection. The downside is it can punish learners in weaker-resource schools. That tension shows up often in public debate.
Ipsative Assessment
Ipsative assessment compares a learner’s current performance with their own past performance. It tracks personal growth. Teachers use it when they want to motivate improvement without constant comparison.
A student moving from 3 out of 10 to 6 out of 10 matters. It may not top the class list, but it is real progress. Simple.
Digital and Computer-Based Assessment
Digital and computer-based assessment is growing across parts of Africa, especially in urban centres and private institutions. It includes CBT exams, online quizzes, tablets used for short tests, and learning apps with built-in scoring.
Benefits include faster marking and easier storage. Challenges include connectivity, device access, and power cuts. And yes, exam-day tech issues can cause panic. Everyone has seen it at least once.
Comparison of All Assessment Types
| Type | Timing | Main aim | Typical tool |
| Diagnostic Assessment | start | identify gaps | baseline test |
| Formative Assessment | during | improve learning | quiz, feedback |
| Summative Assessment | end | grade/certify | final exam |
| Continuous Assessment | term-long | steady scoring | tasks mix |
| Performance-Based | during/end | show skill | practical task |
| Authentic Assessment | during/end | apply knowledge | project |
| Criterion-Referenced | any time | meet standard | rubric |
| Norm-Referenced | key points | rank learners | competitive test |
| Ipsative Assessment | repeated | show growth | progress checks |
| Digital Assessment | any time | speed and scale | CBT/online quiz |
Not perfect, but it gives a quick picture.
How Educators Choose the Right Assessment Method
Educators usually look at three things: learning goal, learner level, and school capacity. A skill-heavy subject needs performance-based assessment. Early grades need diagnostic assessment plus frequent formative assessment. Exam classes need summative assessment, but teachers often add continuous assessment to reduce last-minute stress.
And school reality matters. A big class with one teacher cannot run ten projects every week. That’s just not practical.
Keep Reading
FAQs
1) What are the main types of assessment used in schools across Africa today?
Most schools use diagnostic assessment, formative assessment, summative assessment, and continuous assessment, plus practical formats where subjects demand hands-on skills.
2) Why do teachers prefer formative assessment during the term?
Formative assessment helps teachers correct misunderstandings early, so learners do not carry errors into final tests and national exams.
3) How is criterion-referenced assessment different compared to norm-referenced assessment?
Criterion-referenced assessment checks performance against a set standard, while norm-referenced assessment ranks learners against peers and cut-off marks.
4) Is digital and computer-based assessment reliable in African contexts?
It can work well with stable power and devices, yet weak connectivity and outages can disrupt testing and cause unfair results.
5) Which assessment type fits TVET and skills training programmes best?
Performance-based assessment suits TVET best because it checks real competence, tool use, safety steps, and task completion under clear rubrics.
