Assessment of educational achievement, whether by traditional examinations or by teachers in schools, attracts considerable public interest, particularly when it is associated with high stakes outcomes such as university entry or selection for employment. When the individual s results do not chime with their or their teachers expectations, doubts creep in about the process of assessment that has arrived at this result.

However, educational assessment is made up of many layers of complexity, which are not always clear to the general public, including teachers, students, and parents, and...