How to get started with building an assessment (before jumping into the platform).
It’s exciting starting an assessment. Trust us, we know. But it helps a lot to make a plan before jumping into the assessment builder. So let’s take a step back and talk through the ingredients list for making an effective assessment. Because with a clear structure, scoring system, and concept of the desired feedback, you’ll end up with something far more valuable both for you and your respondents.
Map Out Your Assessment Structure
Have you ever taken an assessment that felt completely…disorganized—jumping from topic to topic with no rhyme or reason? It’s frustrating and confusing! A well-structured assessment helps respondents stay engaged so the feedback is a true representation of the respondent (not a please let this be over, I’ll just choose option C scenario).
Here’s a really easy way to approach this:
Use Sections and Subsections: Like chapters in a book, group similar questions together. For example, if you’re running a leadership assessment, one section could focus on “Communication Skills” and another on “Decision-Making.”
Apply Segmentations to Outliers: If you need to connect questions that follow a theme but may not fit perfectly into your sections and subsections, you can use segmentations to group these.
Keep It Concise: Research from SurveyMonkey indicates that assessments longer than 15-20 minutes significantly reduce completion rates. Therefore, keep it brief and focused unless it’s a high-stakes professional evaluation.
Define Your Scoring Approach
Scoring is about making sure your results mean something. You don’t want respondents to finish the assessment and think, “Okay,… but what does this mean?”
Some questions to ask:
Should every question have the same weight, or should some be more important?
How do you want to calculate scores at the question, subsection, section, and overall assessment levels?
How do you want to group scores into ratings, like Beginner, Intermediate, and Advanced?
"The key to effective assessment is ensuring that the scoring approach truly reflects the examinee’s thinking process and real-world skills."
Dr. Jacqueline P. Leighton, Assessment Researcher
Plan the Feedback
Assessments should provide valuable feedback - that’s what makes an assessment different from a survey.
“When it comes to designing effective learning experiences, one provocative question is worth a hundred proclamations.”
Bernard Bull, Instructional Design Expert
To make your feedback as helpful as possible:
Make it Personal: Explain what a score or rating means and how respondents can improve with practical examples.
Use Benchmarks: People love to know how they compare to others! Show where respondents rank against industry standards, predefined (seeded) benchmarks, or their peers using classifiers.
Give Next Steps: If a respondent scores low in a particular area, offer resources, guides, or next steps to help them improve.
Ready to Build?
With a solid structure, scoring strategy, and feedback plan, you’re ready to create a valuable and engaging assessment. Need help? Our support team is always happy to assist. Reach out anytime at support@brilliantassessments.com.
Happy building! 🎉
