Priya Mahadeo CEA

Current role and background in educational assessment

I work as a Senior Research and Development Officer (English and Languages) or more commonly known as Language Assessment Development Manager for a national awarding organisation.  My team and I work to develop examinations measuring the language ability of candidates at primary and secondary level.  We are also involved in marking at national level and providing feedback to Educators in order to improve the teaching and learning skills.

Factors encouraging me to complete the CEA course and assignment

At a personal level, the passion to learn more about assessment pushed me to take up the CEA course.

From a professional perspective, the CIEA seemed to be the only organisation to provide qualifications that are recognised internationally since the organisation works towards the standardisation of educational assessment internationally.  Moreover, it was important that I learn about the policies and procedures involved in designing effective assessments which are valid, reliable, have a positive impact, practical and of a trustworthy quality.

‘The CIEA qualifications aim to provide public assurance that all those engaged in assessment processes have a secure understanding of what is involved in high-quality assessment. This means looking at the policies and procedures and underlying processes that are in place and how the strategy for assessment is delivered in practice. The CEA programme offers support in designing and developing effective assessments that are reliable, valid, fit for purpose, transparent and fair.’

I had already completed Diploma in Educational Assessment and the status of being a Chartered Educational Assessor pushed me to move on to the next step.  The course structure and mode of delivery were made clear to the online course participants who felt encouraged to move to the next step.  The tutors were very helpful and guided us through the course which made the journey to becoming a Chartered Educational Assessor easy.

I particularly appreciated the mode of delivery which made it possible for all the aspiring CEAs to study at their own pace. In addition, everyone had the opportunity to look into assessment practices from their own contexts while carrying out work on the case study and portfolio.  The group of participants consisted of Educators, Managers and the like from diverse countries, ages, backgrounds which helped me learn about the challenges faced by examinations bodies throughout the world and the solutions to deal with those in a meticulous, calm and composed manner.

Focus of my assignment and the benefits to the Assessment Board

My assignment was based on reviewing the assessment of English at Grade 5 for first examination scheduled in November 2024 at a national level while working with stakeholders within and outside the Assessment Board where I currently work.

The Assessment Board has witnessed greater public trust with an increasing number of CEAs working in the organisation and has seen the CEAs dealing with new assessment frameworks by following the standards set by the CIEA and the over-arching principles of educational assessment.

Advice to professionals dealing with educational assessment

Since educational assessment is an on-going process having an impact on teaching and learning practices and differs from simply giving a grade or percentage to learners’ educational performance, it must be placed in a context that is consistent with the prevailing educational orientation in order to promote modern teaching methods and educational policy.