Assessment Industry Trend Radar - September 2025
From AI to Equity: The Forces Redefining Assessment in 2025 and Beyond
Assessment Industry Trend Radar
Artificial Intelligence in Assessment
Are you ready for human-AI hybrid workflows? AI is moving from pilot to production in marking, item generation, and invigilation. The winning model pairs AI efficiency with human oversight.
Technology-Enhanced Assessment
Can your platform handle adaptive, continuous assessment? Digital delivery is evolving from computerised tests to intelligent systems that adapt in real-time and integrate into daily learning.
Test Security and Integrity
How will you stay ahead of AI-enabled cheating? Organised fraud operations using AI and remote access are driving layered defence strategies combining detection, analytics, and forensics.
Psychometric Standards and Quality
Do your validation methods work for AI-generated content? Traditional psychometrics need updating for adaptive delivery and algorithmic content. Hybrid validation models are emerging.
Accessibility and Universal Design
Will you build accessibility in or bolt it on? Universal design is shifting from compliance add-on to a foundational requirement, enabled by AI-powered accommodations.
Equity, Diversity and Inclusion
How will you detect and prevent algorithmic bias? EDI is moving from secondary concern to core design principle, requiring systematic bias detection and culturally responsive development.
Professional Development and Credentialing
What new skills do your assessment teams need? Staff need AI literacy, data analytics, and algorithmic governance alongside traditional psychometric expertise.
Emerging Assessment Formats
Are you moving beyond multiple choice? Formats are diversifying towards performance tasks, simulations, and portfolio evidence, requiring new development capabilities.
Performance-Based Assessment
How will you scale authentic assessment? Demand for workplace-relevant tasks creates tension between authenticity and standardisation, requiring new marking approaches.
Data Analytics and Big Data
Can you leverage assessment data responsibly? Rich data enables predictive insights and personalisation but raises privacy and bias concerns requiring governance frameworks.
Standards and Guidelines
How will you adapt to evolving AI and privacy standards? Regulatory frameworks lag behind technology, creating compliance uncertainty that requires proactive engagement and adaptable systems.
Regulatory and Compliance
Are you prepared for increased government oversight? Stricter regulation of AI use and data practices demands transparency reporting and algorithmic auditing capabilities.
Cultural and Linguistics
How will you ensure fair measurement globally? Global programmes require cultural adaptation beyond translation, including bias detection and measurement invariance validation.
Fundamentals of Testing
Which core principles endure as technology evolves? Validity, reliability, and fairness remain central but need reinterpretation for AI-enhanced, adaptive systems.