Interview Preparation
Practice answers to common assessment developer interview questions.
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Answer Practice Top 10 Questions Mock Interview
How do you ensure an assessment is valid?
What the interviewer is testing: Tests understanding of validity as a fundamental concept.
Key terms: validity, construct, assessment criteria, blueprint
Validity is established through multiple lines of evidence. First, I define the construct clearly - what exactly are we measuring? Then I ensure every assessment item maps to specific learning outcomes and criteria through a blueprint. I also check that the assessment method is appropriate for the type of construct - assessing practical skills requires practical methods, not written exams. Finally, I would involve SMEs to review content accuracy and conduct accessibility and bias reviews to remove irrelevant barriers. Validity is not a one-time check; it is built through the entire assessment design process.
I follow the specification and make sure the questions are clear.
Likely follow-up: Can you give me an example of when an assessment might appear valid but is actually not?
What is the difference between validity and reliability?
What the interviewer is testing: Tests understanding of two core assessment principles.
Key terms: validity, reliability
Reliability refers to the consistency of assessment outcomes - if a learner took the same assessment on a different day or had a different marker, would they get the same result? Validity refers to whether the assessment measures what it claims to measure. The key point is that reliability is necessary but not sufficient for validity. You can have a perfectly reliable assessment that consistently measures the wrong thing - like using a written test to assess driving ability. The test might give consistent scores, but it is not a valid measure of driving skill. Good assessment design requires both: measuring the right things consistently.
Validity is about being correct and reliability is about being repeatable.
Likely follow-up: Can an assessment be reliable but not valid? Give an example.