Interview Preparation

Practice answers to common assessment developer interview questions.

Categories

Assessment Design Blueprinting Item Writing Quality Assurance Regulation Constructs SMEs Version Control Career Transition Assessment Methods Mark Schemes Accessibility Project Management Behavioural How do you decide the total marks for an assessment paper? Explain the difference between norm-referenced and criterion-referenced assessment. What would you do if you discovered after a paper is published that one criterion was not assessed? What evidence would you provide to demonstrate that an assessment is valid? How would you investigate if marking consistency drops between two exam series? How do you ensure an assessment is fair for a learner with dyslexia? How do you avoid writing leading questions? How do you handle a situation where a learner gives a correct answer that is not in the mark scheme? How do you ensure consistency when different assessors observe the same practical task? A centre reports that their learners consistently score lower than the national average. How do you respond? What data would you collect after an assessment series to inform improvements? What transferable skills from your current role would you bring to assessment development? Describe a time you managed a complex project with multiple stakeholders. How did you keep it on track? Tell me about a time you identified an error that others had missed. What did you do? Describe a situation where you had to learn something complex quickly. An SME provides feedback that contradicts the specification requirements. How do you respond? What would you do if you suspected an assessment was disadvantaging a particular group of learners? When would you choose a portfolio over a timed examination? How do you know when standardisation has been successful? What is the difference between a technical review and an SME review? How do you ensure Paper A and Paper B in the same series are comparable?

Answer Practice Top 10 Questions Mock Interview

Constructs Top 10

How do you define and map a construct for assessment purposes?

What the interviewer is testing: Tests understanding of construct definition.

Key terms: construct, construct map, validity

Strong Answer

Defining a construct starts with the specification but goes deeper. I ask: what exactly does competent performance look like? For each construct, I identify the intended knowledge (what learners must know), intended skill (what learners must be able to do), and intended behaviour (how learners must conduct themselves). I then map each to the qualification level using level descriptors to ensure the demand is appropriate. I identify what evidence would demonstrate the construct, what irrelevant barriers might prevent learners from showing their ability, and what validity risks exist. The construct map then guides method selection - ensuring the assessment method genuinely tests the construct, not something else.

Weak Answer (Avoid)

I just read what the specification says and write questions about it.

Likely follow-up: How would you know if your construct definition was wrong?