It is the role of the educator to explain to the learner that this is not a pass or fail test. It is an assessment that will help educators to strengthen the learning programme. The Assessment Tool is designed for people whose literacy and numeracy skills are within the Learning Progressions. Learners who do not reach a minimum of Step 1 of the Learning Progressions should not be given a Reading Assessment. However, they are likely to benefit from the Vocabulary Assessment and can have the Numeracy Assessment questions read to them.
For learners whose literacy and numeracy skills are within the Learning Progressions Steps, an online adaptive assessment is likely to be the most appropriate assessment for a learner who is wary of being assessed. An adaptive assessment starts at about Step 2 of the Learning Progressions and adapts straightaway to the learners' results - that is, if a learner struggles to answer the first few questions correctly, the computer will choose easier questions for them.
The educators can support the learner's understanding by:
- How they introduce them to the Assessment Tool, including to the computer knowledge required
- Using the Assessment Tool as it is intended; as one measure of a learner's achievement, and with learners whose literacy and numeracy skills are within the Learning Progressions
- Discuss the report - to highlight strengths and areas to work on and follow up in their classes on areas needing work
- Leaving a useful length of time between assessments (not over-assessing).