Learning to write effective examinations and other assessment tasks is one of a teacher's most demanding tasks. The 'trick' to writing an excellent task is to write one that discovers what the students know rather than what they don't know. This article will give you strategies to help you work towards that goal.
Your first aim is to develop a portfolio of assessment tasks*. Trainee teachers should begin this during their practice teaching sessions. The practising teacher should continue to add to their own portfolio items written by colleagues and by themselves. Most schools/subject departments would have stored past assessment tasks. These two sets of assessment tasks become the material that can be used to help the teacher write an examination/assessment task. These past papers provide:
Your first aim is to develop a portfolio of assessment tasks*. Trainee teachers should begin this during their practice teaching sessions. The practising teacher should continue to add to their own portfolio items written by colleagues and by themselves. Most schools/subject departments would have stored past assessment tasks. These two sets of assessment tasks become the material that can be used to help the teacher write an examination/assessment task. These past papers provide: