The Quest for an Effective Form of Assessment: The evolution and evaluation of a controlled assessment procedure (CAP)

The paper describes and evaluates the application of a 'controlled assessment procedure' as a holistic approach to avoiding the problems perceived in administering and evaluating traditional exams. It is analysed in terms of its key characteristics, which are that: the question is known well in advance and is broad and open ended; students are encouraged to respond in any self-selected written format; the rationale and assessment criteria are transparent and explicit; the procedure is conducted in the usual classroom supervised by the familiar lecturer, but under controlled and supervised conditions with neither books nor notes allowed. It is evaluated from both a summative and a formative perspective.