Key Stage 3 assessment: Information and Communication Technology

A new Key Stage 3 test in ICT is being developed.  It will provide a flexible tool for formative assessment, supporting teaching and learning.  It is also an important step in the development of e-assessment, which is part of the DfES's agenda for modernisation, reducing teacher workload and increasing efficiency.

Ministers had intended to introduce the test as an end of KS3 summative assessment but announced in January 2007 that it will be re-modelled as a formative assessment tool, helping schools to use assessment to drive improvement and raise standards.

The test is delivered electronically, taken on-screen and marked automatically.  This means that schools do not receive marked scripts.  Instead, the marking system generates a report about each pupil’s test performance.

The test is being developed by the National Assessment Agency (NAA).  There have been three pilots: in 2006, 1,762 schools participated and 172,225 pupils completed the pilot test and received a result.  A further pilot is planned for summer term 2007. Feedback after pilots has indicated that, for many schools, on-screen assessment is a big cultural change. It is therefore important that schools engage with the test as soon as possible and make use of opportunities for practice and familiarisation.

More information about the test, including how to get involved and the technical requirements, can be found on the NAA’s Key Stage 3 ICT Pilot website.