III - Relationships and Differences Between Assessment

and Evaluation

Relationship between Assessment and Evaluation

Besides the differences, there are also some relationship and similarities
between assessment and evaluation. The both require criteria, use measures and
are evidence-driven.

So, what’s the difference?

Assessment Evaluation
Is ongoing Provides closure
Improves learning quality Judges learning level
Individualized Applied against standards
Ungraded Graded
Provides feedback Shows shortfalls
Process-oriented Product-oriented

10 Key Differences between Assessment and Evaluation

(August 5, 2019 By Hitesh Bhasin)

The English language is full of words whose meaning is quite close to each
other that people get confused with their usage. Many people make a mistake
with the usage of words like award and reward and attitude and aptitude.

Similarly, there is a pair of words assessment and evaluation, whose

meaning is quite close yet different from each other.

Assessment is a systematic process of collecting information from diverse

sources about something or someone to gauge the skills, knowledge, and usage,
whereas the meaning of evaluation is concerned about making a judgment about
quality, skills, or importance or something or someone. When you assess a
person, you assess the level of performance of that individual, and when you
evaluate someone, you evaluate how much goal is attained by the individual.
These two words are commonly used in the academic system, and even
teachers make the mistake of using these words interchangeably.

In this module, you will learn about the definition and usage of these words
with the help of a few examples along with the key differences between them in
tabular form.

The key differences between Assessment and Evaluation

ASSESSMENT EVALUATION

The meaning of assessment is to review The meaning of evaluation is to judge

the data about something or someone the performance of something or
from different sources in order to make someone by measuring the
improvement in the current performance on the basis of existing
performance. standards.

An assessment is an ongoing process. An evaluation provide closure on the

existing process.

The purpose of assessment is to The purpose of evaluation is to judge

improve the quality of performance. the performance.

The assessment is an individualized The evaluation is applied against the

process and is not done against already set standards.
set standards.

The orientation of assessment is process The orientation of evaluation

oriented. is product oriented.

The outcome of assessment is The outcome of evaluation is to show

constructive feedback. shortcomings.

The assessment is graded. The evaluation is not graded.

While assessing the relationship While evaluating the relationship

between two parties is reflective. between two parties is prespective.
 ASSESSMENT EVALUATION

The criteria of assessment is decided by The criteria of evaluation is solely

the mutual understanding of both decided by the evaluator.
parties involved in the process.

For example, teacher does assessment For example, the evaluation of the skills
of students’ performance and provide of a candidate is done before hiring
constructive feedback. him or her for the job.

Differences according to other authors:

Dimension of Difference Assessment Evaluation

Timing Formative Summative
Focus of Measurement Process-oriented Product-oriented
Relationship between
Reflective Prescriptive
Administrator and Recipient
Findings, Uses Thereof Diagnostic Judgmental
Ongoing Modifiability of
Flexible Fixed
Criteria, Measures Thereof
Standards of Measurement Absolute Comparative
Relation Between Objects of
Assessment/Evaluation Cooperative Competitive

Conclusion

Evaluation and assessment are both used to review the performance of an

individual. But these two terms are used in a completely different context.
The assessment is done to provide constructive feedback and the motive
behind assessment is to improve, whereas evaluation is done to judge the ability
of an individual or system to pass judgment