Traditional Assessment Strategies
As stated earlier, standardized testing is the traditional assessment strategy most often used in education, both K-12 and adult. The two major types of standardized testing are norm-referenced measures and criterion-referenced measures.

Norm-referenced Measures
Norm-referenced measures compare an individual’s performance to the performance of groups of people, i.e., the norm group. Presented in terms of percentiles, stanines, or grade levels, these measures show whether a learner “knows” more or less than other persons in the group. The GED tests and the Scholastic Aptitude Test (SAT) are examples of this kind of standardized test.

Criterion-referenced measures
Criterion-referenced measures evaluate learner performance against skills they are expected to achieve. Their progress is measured against specific criteria, such as the knowledge needed to master a specific job, life-related tasks, etc. Although less common than norm-referenced measures, many adult educators will recognize the Tests of Adult Basic Education (TABE) as an example of a criterion-referenced measure.

Authentic, Performance-based Assessments
Authentic, performance-based assessments are designed to supply direct evidence of what a learner is able to do in contexts that have a real work or life purpose. In other words, learners supply answers, perform actions, and/or create products that demonstrate their mastery of the learning standards, goals, and objectives. Authentic, performance-based assessments, which may be considered less traditional, include surveys, interviews, learner self-assessment, portfolios, observation measures, etc.