Quality Assurance

Technical Review

20 min

Simple Explanation

Technical review systematically checks that every assessment item maps correctly to the specification — right criterion, right command verb, right level, right marks. It is the specification-compliance gate.

Professional Definition

Technical review verifies specification alignment: correct criterion mapping, appropriate command verbs, level-appropriate demand, correct mark allocation, and AO balance. It ensures the assessment is specification-compliant.

Explain It to a 10-Year-Old

Technical review is like checking a completed puzzle against the picture on the box. Does every piece (question) match the picture (specification)? Are any pieces in the wrong place or missing?

Why It Matters

Technical errors — mapping to wrong criterion, using wrong verb, incorrect marks — are the most common reasons assessments fail regulatory scrutiny. Technical review catches these before they become compliance issues.

Where It Fits in the Process

This topic belongs to Quality Assurance in the assessment development journey.

Accessibility Fairness Bias SME Management Quality Assurance Technical Review Version Control

Step-by-Step Process

1

Check criterion mapping

Does each item map to the correct AC?

2

Verify command verbs

Does the question verb match the specification verb?

3

Check mark allocation

Are marks appropriate for the cognitive demand?

4

Verify AO classification

Is the AO correct for this type of question?

5

Check coverage

Are all criteria assessed? Any missing?

Worked Example

Technical review findings for Digital Administration:
Pass: Q1 maps to AC1.1, verb 'Describe' matches criterion, 6 marks appropriate.
Fail: Q8 maps to AC3.1 ('Describe') but question uses 'Analyse' — verb mismatch.
Fix: change question verb to 'Describe' or reassign to a suitable criterion.
Fail: Q12 maps to AC4.2, 2 marks allocated but evaluation needs 6+ marks.
Fix: increase marks or change question scope.

Common Mistakes

Mistake	Problem	Better Approach
Mapping to wrong criterion	Item assesses something different from what the criterion requires	Check mapping against specification for every item
Mismatched command verbs	Question uses a different verb than the criterion	Either change the question or reassign to correct criterion
Inappropriate mark allocation	Too many or too few marks for the demand	Benchmark against similar qualifications and level demands

Checklist

Every item mapped to correct criterion?
Cross-check with specification

Command verbs match?
Question verb = specification verb

Marks appropriate?
Not too high or low for the demand

All criteria covered?
No gaps in assessment coverage

of 4 complete

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Interview Connection

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Practice Interview Questions

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Summary

Technical review checks specification compliance
Every item must map to the correct criterion
Command verb in question must match specification
Mark allocation must be appropriate for the verb and demand
Technical errors are the most common regulatory compliance failure