How is traditional assessment different from competency-based assessment?

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32. How is traditional assessment different from competency-based assessment?

Competency-based assessment is not a set of examinations; it is the basis for certification of competency and it is carried out as a process in order to collect evidence about the performance and knowledge of a person with respect to a labour competency standard. Thus it becomes a very valuable diagnostic instrument both for the worker and the employer.

Traditional assessment systems usually have some or all of the following characteristics:

Assessment associated to a course or programme.

Parts of the programme are assessed by means of subjects.

Parts of the programme are included in final examinations.

Passing criteria are based on marking scales.

Questions are ignored.

It is done within limited periods of time.

Statistical comparisons are used.

On the other hand, labour competency assessment is defined as a process with several large steps:

Setting of goals.

Collection of evidence.

Comparison of evidence with objectives.

Opinion formation (competent or not yet competent).

Some of the characteristics of competency-based assessment are:

It is based on standards that describe the expected level of labour competency.

Standards include criteria that provide details of what they consider a good job.

The assessment is individual, there is no comparison among workers.

It provides a judgement for the assessed workers: competent or not yet competent.

It is done, preferably, in real working situations.

It does not take a predetermined period of time, it is a process rather than a particular moment.

It is not subject to the completion of a specific training action.

It includes the recognition of acquired competencies as a result of labour experience. This characteristic has been developed in some countries as the so-called “recognition of prior learning”.

It is a tool for the orientation of subsequent learning of the worker; as such, it plays an important role in the development of skills and abilities of the ones assessed.

It is the basis for the certification of labour competency of workers.

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