Paper-and-Pencil Assessment

Paper-and-pencil assessment refers to traditional student assessment formats such as written tests and also to standardized tests that ask students to use pencils to fill in bubbles on a scannable answer sheet. Standardized tests are now commonly administered on computers, but classroom assessment usually requires students to submit written responses on paper. In the classroom, paper-and-pencil assessment frequently refers to tests scored objectively, which are meant to measure memorized knowledge and lower levels of understanding, as compared with performance-based assessment, which is meant to measure deeper understanding through skills and ability. The following sections discuss how assessments are developed and describe the current and future applications for paper-and-pencil assessment.