What type of assessment emphasizes checking off certain skills to gauge a student's readiness?

Competency assessments are designed to evaluate whether a student has mastered specific skills necessary for a particular task or role. This assessment method focuses on the application of practical skills in real-world or simulated scenarios, ensuring that the learner is capable of performing certain competencies confidently and effectively. By checking off skills as they are demonstrated, instructors can gauge readiness for more advanced tasks or evaluations.

In a competency assessment, the emphasis is placed on measurable outcomes, specific skills, and the demonstration of these abilities, which is essential in fields such as firefighting where practical skills can be life-saving. This type of assessment helps ensure that learners meet predetermined standards before progressing further in their training.

Other types of assessments, such as formative assessments, focus on ongoing feedback to improve student learning throughout the educational process, while summative assessments typically evaluate overall learning at the end of a course or program. Peer assessments involve evaluation from fellow students and are less structured in terms of specific skill check-offs.