Time limits and speed of working in assessments
Research into when, and to what extent, speed of working should be part of what is assessed
Applies to England
Documents
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This report reviews theoretical positions and research evidence describing how and when the speed at which an individual completes tasks should be a part of what an assessment measures. A variety of different assessment contexts are discussed in which this may or may not be a design intention. For high stakes written tests of knowledge, skills and understanding, speed of working is rarely, if ever, an explicit intention. However, there is some evidence that test time limits may sometimes limit an individual’s ability to fully demonstrate what they know and can do. In other words, some tests are speeded.
The report describes the factors that may influence how fast an individual works in such tests, and the relationship between speed and ability. It goes on to consider methods that have been devised to measure test speededness, and the extent to which these may be applied to the testing context in England. It notes that it is important to be clear when speed of working is an intended part of what an assessment aims to assess, but acknowledges the challenges of including speed of working as part of the design of handwritten paper-and-pen tests.