Pathways: Assessing learning

If you want to boost your skills in assessing learning, this is the perfect place to get started.  

The free tools and resources below have been specially selected to help you: 

• understand and apply the principles and practices of assessment when designing tasks, planning courses or making curriculum choices and to explain the relevance of the assessment to the learners regarding their progress
• use different types of assessment (formative; summative; self-assessment; peer assessment) at different stages of the learning process and define and apply appropriate criteria for your learning context
• analyse errors and grade assessment appropriately to give constructive feedback to learners, as well as recording and using the data to reflect on the effectiveness of the assessment to improve subsequent learner outcomes. 

There is no set order for the resources below. Choose what to do according to the time you have and the topics that are most interesting for you. 

An assessment course runs once a year and will complement the content you find here.

Video: English Teaching Talks: Assessing learning (25 minutes)

In this series of six short videos, Richard Spiby and Carolyn Westbrook explain how assessment results should reflect learners' abilities and how they can be used to guide them in their learning. Each video includes practical ideas on how to integrate both formative and summative assessment effectively in all four language skills to increase the success of our learners.  

You can watch the rest of the series and develop effective techniques and ideas for assessing your learners.

Watch the rest of the assessing learning series

Video: Inclusive assessment (7 minutes)

In this session, Susan Douglas discusses how assessments can be made inclusive for all learners. She explains how 'Assessment for learning' (AfL), or 'formative assessment', is a more inclusive assessment method as it focuses on growth and development of individual students, and she shares some practical ideas on how to implement it in your classroom. 

Article: Introduction to assessment (10 minutes)

Assessment is a key part of teaching and learning, but what different types of assessment can we use, and what do teachers and learners need to know about assessment? In this article Gary Motteram gives an introduction to the basics of assessing your learners.

Read Introduction to assessment

Article: How can I give constructive feedback on speaking tasks? (10 minutes)

In this article, Cath McLellan talks about the importance of providing constructive feedback to learners during speaking activities in class. She gives practical suggestions for when and how to give feedback to increase learners' confidence and encourage self-awareness and reflection. 

Read How can I give constructive feedback on speaking tasks?

Podcast: How can we assess more fairly and effectively? (30 minutes)

This podcast (series 3, episode 5) discusses the ideas of validity, reliability and accessibility in assessment. Professor Barry O'Sullivan, Head of Assessment Research and Development at the British Council, explores current and future issues around fair assessment, while Massamba Seck, a teacher and trainer from Senegal, provides practical ways to make assessment fair and effective and explains how this can help learners to succeed. 

Webinar: What do teachers want to know about assessment? (60 minutes)

In this webinar, Susan Sheehan presents materials from an online toolkit on assessment and discusses the research behind it. Suggestions are given as to how these materials can be used for self-study or as group work. Susan also talks about the focus groups of EFL teachers based in Europe, who were asked what they wanted to know about assessment, and the webinar concludes with the key findings of this project. 

Watch the webinar - What do teachers want to know about assessment?

Webinar: Assessment for learning: The road to improvement (60 minutes)

In this webinar, Annie Altamirano helps teachers reflect on the importance of introducing assessment to help learners improve their learning strategies. She explains different types of assessment and looks at the benefits of formative assessment, focusing on the ten principles on which it is based and how it can be embedded in the learning–teaching cycle. 

As you watch the webinar, make notes: which of these ideas could you use with your classes, and why?

After watching the webinar, share your answer to the discussion question in the comments section below. 

If you watch the recording and comment on it, we'll be happy to send you the link to an attendance certificate for the session.

This webinar is the first in a series from a week-long TeachingEnglish event on Assessment for learning.

Watch all five webinars in the series

Lesson plans: Assessment for learning activities (30 minutes)

A series of short, but highly effective, activities to use in your classroom to support assessment for learning. The activities focus on ways of collecting information, the strategic use of questioning, giving feedback and introducing peer and self-assessment. 

Explore assessment for learning activities

Workbook: Assessing learning

If you want to develop further in Assessing learning, this workbook will help you take your skills to the next level. It's designed to help you create a regular learning habit and apply what you've learned in the classroom. You'll find an overview of the theme and recommended learning materials. You'll also find support to reflect on and personalise your learning. You can use the workbook in different ways – do what works for you! We hope you find it beneficial.

Access the workbook

We explored Assessing learning in July, August and September 2025. When our teacher community explored this theme, they had a lot to say. This roundup highlights real voices and experiences from educators around the world. Which ones speak to you? Tell us what you think in the comments.