Assessment mapping in psychology programmes: a guide for educators

Objective Assessment mapping is a targeted strategy for improving alignment between assessment tasks, learning outcomes, and accreditation requirements in higher education. This paper aims to distinguish assessment mapping from curriculum mapping and provide practical guidance for its implementation within psychology education.Method Drawing on principles of constructive alignment and backward design, as well as the authors’ experiences of psychology programme (re)design within the Australian Psychology Accreditation Council (APAC) framework, the paper synthesises relevant literature and practice-based insights to develop five practical tips for implementing and sustaining assessment maps.Results The five tips address common challenges associated with assessment mapping, including defining scope and terminology, allocating workload responsibilities, visualising assessment data, and engaging students in assessment processes. Together, these strategies support more transparent, competency-based programme design and facilitate programme-level reflection.Conclusions Assessment mapping offers a practical and transferable approach to enhancing assessment quality, pedagogical coherence, and accreditation readiness. The framework presented may assist educators and programme leaders in implementing sustainable assessment mapping practices across higher education contexts.