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Inclusive Assessment Toolkit

A practical resource created to enable inclusive practice in Assessment and Feedback.

NEW: A vision for education and skills at Newcastle University: Education for Life 2030+

Introduction

The assessment toolkit has been created by colleagues in the Learning Teaching and Development Service (LTDS) and in collaboration with colleagues from the Student Health and Wellbeing Service and the Exams Office.
 
This guide on inclusive assessment supports Aim 1: Equity of our Education Strategy by outlining approaches that ensure all students can access fair and meaningful assessment, with tailored provision offered where needed to achieve equitable outcomes. This toolkit focuses primarily on enhancing the accessibility of assessment for students with disabilities. Many of the approaches outlined, however, will also support wider student groups, including commuters and those with caring responsibilities.

The guidance in this resource aligns with our assessment and feedback principles, defined in the University Assessment, Feedback and Marking Policy. A good assessment design will help ensure not only robust, but also inclusive assessment. Therefore, some of the advice included below will cross-reference both our programme-level assessment guidance, and assessment principles. This means that you may encounter similar recommendations in more than one place, as the principles of good practice apply across different levels of assessment design. For example, assessment principles regarding formative feedback as a part of the learning process, or providing exemplars, will naturally appear in the guidance on making specific assessment types more inclusive. This overlap is intentional, and we aim to highlight the consistency of effective assessment approaches, and encourage their application in programme-level and module-level setting.

 

Assessment Types to Explore

Exam - type assessments

Design robust and inclusive exam-based assessments.

Coursework-type assessment

Usually longer assessments that take place outside of exam conditions.

How to use the Inclusive Assessment Toolkit

You might wish to start with the general guidance across the assessment types, which introduces key principles of inclusive design, flexibility, and adjustments.

We have divided the assessment types into two pages: exams and coursework. On these pages, you will find practical, assessment-specific advice, including intended learning outcomes, inclusive design considerations, and examples of alternatives.

Revisit resources regularly, as this toolkit will continue to evolve alongside the Education Strategy and expanding case studies of effective practice.

Assessment types covered in this guide:

Exams

 

Coursework:

 

Competence Standards and Learning Outcomes

Throughout this resource, we refer to 'competence standards' and 'learning outcomes'. An explanation of these is provided to help you understand the distinction between the two.

Universities routinely impose various requirements and conditions in respect of courses. However, not all these requirements and conditions are competence standards.  

The Equality Act defines a ‘competence standard’ as “an academic, medical or other standard applied for the purpose of determining whether or not a person has a particular level of competence or ability”. A competence standard is distinct from an academic standard or course requirement.

A competency standard should:

  • Contain a set of defined skills or ability and apply a clear objective metric for assessing the required skill or ability
  • Be objectively justifiable
  • Relate to more than just pedagogic preferences
  • Be genuine and necessary, bearing in mind that a competence standard that is necessary or relevant in one context may not be relevant in another
  • Not be discriminatory; for example, by excluding, even inadvertently, more disabled candidates than non-disabled candidates from progressing within a particular programme – and if that disproportionate impact cannot be justified, based on evidence, as a proportionate means to a legitimate aim – it may itself be discriminatory. 

Consider the example of a history module, in which a specific level of assessed knowledge of a certain period in history is a clearly stated learning outcome. Assuming this outcome meets all the required criteria stated above for a competence standard, then this competence standard itself may be outside the scope of the duty to make reasonable adjustments. However, all other aspects of teaching, assessing and supporting students on this module will still need to comply with the duty to make reasonable adjustments.  

As a result, the institution could not argue that their decision to assess the module using a time-limited test is outside the scope of the duty, since it is only the knowledge of this period of history that is the competence standard, not the ability to do something within a limited amount of time.

As the assessment method would still be subject to the duty to make reasonable adjustments, the university would still need to consider adjustments to make sure that the way it assesses the competence standard is fully accessible to a disabled student – for example, through the provision of extra time, alternative or modified forms of assessment, the use of a computer or support worker during the test, etc., depending on the individual requirements of a disabled student. 

General Guidance Across Assessment Types

Designing for inclusion
  • Ensure constructive alignment. To make assessment inclusive you need to start with the intended learning outcome: what skill or competency is being assessed? Reflection on this helps ensure that the assessment method is appropriate and avoids overloading students with tasks that measure skills that are not relevant to intended learning outcomes. On the page for each assessment type, you will find guidance on intended learning outcomes specific to that assessment type.  
  • A good programme-level assessment design takes into consideration both the overall assessment load for students, and the holistic view of the programme-level skills and knowledge outcomes. Consider the overall student journey to avoid multiple deadlines in the same week. Equally, balance long, high-stakes coursework with shorter, scaffolded tasks that build confidence. These can be also assessed formatively, or using peer-review.  
  • Make assessment criteria visible and transparent. As well as publishing assessment criteria (including the marking rubric if you are using one), provide opportunities for students to engage with the criteria and discuss or ask questions to help them understand how they will be applied. 
Offering choice & flexibility 

  • Giving students agency in the choice of assessment format, topic, or mode of expression reduces anxiety and allows them to demonstrate competence in a format that suits their strengths. Make it clear that all options are equally valued and assessed against the same criteria.

  • Using alternative or flexible forms of assessment can make them more inclusive by recognising that students can demonstrate knowledge and skills in various ways. Diversifying assessment at a programme level can help reduce over-reliance on one method, which can create barriers to some groups of students. Flexibility within a module (e.g. providing a choice between an essay and a poster), can also help assess students' learning outcomes when reducing barriers associated with some assessment types.

  • Programmes should provide structure by designing the variety carefully, setting clear deadlines for assessment choices, and ensuring fair marking practices. In our guide, we have included advice on alternatives to specific assessment types. 

Anticipating & offering adjustment for specific groups 
  • Deferrals: if a student experiences circumstances that affect their ability to complete an assessment at a specific time, they may, through the PEC process, be permitted an extension to a deadline, or to defer an exam. Consideration must be given to the impact this will have on the student’s workload at the time of the deferred deadline or exam, as having multiple deferrals may result in coursework deadlines or exam dates being clustered closer together, resulting in further negative impacts for the student.
  • Reasonable adjustments: some students will have a Student Support Plan (SSP) that sets out adjustments such as extra time in exams, rest breaks, or alternative formats. Ensure assessment design anticipates these adjustments.
  • Physical and sensory accessibility: consider the location and setup of in-person assessments (e.g. exam venues, labs, fieldwork sites) to ensure they are accessible to all students.  
Preparation & opportunities to practice 
  • Ensure assessment information (briefs, tasks, questions, and instructions) is clear, accessible, and released well in advance. Release exemplars and grading rubrics to show what good looks like, and how it is graded. 
  • Where possible, integrate formative assessments and practice tasks that mirror the format of the summative assessment. Mock assessments are particularly valuable in reducing uncertainty, building familiarity, and highlighting areas for improvement. 
  • Signpost students to resources available, e.g. Study Skills on ASK, DSA study skills, School Student Wellbeing Advisers, module leader office hours, drop-in times. Use Canvas, assessment briefs, and lectures to remind students about support available.   
  • Build in time for students to ask questions about the assessment in lectures, seminars, via discussion boards, or during office hours. Addressing common queries helps clarify expectations and reduces uncertainty. 
Find out more
  • The Student Health and Wellbeing Service provides Disability Support, and works with learners individually to develop a Student Support Plan (SSP), which sets out the individual support and adjustment that the learner needs. 

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