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In recent years, education, across vocational education (VET), universities of applied sciences, and research universities, has seen a clear shift toward formative assessment and feedback-driven learning. Concepts such as learning-oriented qualification and programmatic assessment are moving the focus away from a single high-stakes exam toward a continuous development process. Students are given multiple opportunities to demonstrate growth, build competencies, and take ownership of their learning journey.
These developments regularly raise the question of whether the traditional proficiency test still has a place in modern education. Across different sectors, the idea is emerging that if feedback and formative assessment take centre stage, tests that primarily measure knowledge may lose their relevance.
Yet knowledge tests remain an essential instrument, not as a standalone endpoint, but as a valuable and logical component within a coherent assessment strategy.
1. Knowledge remains the foundation of professional practice
Acting, reasoning, and decision-making are inseparably linked to knowledge. Skills and competencies only gain meaning when supported by a solid knowledge base. A student may appear to act adequately in a practical situation, but without sufficient underlying knowledge, that performance becomes vulnerable, inefficient, or even unsafe, for example, when candidates cannot explain why their decision is the correct one.
Proficiency tests help make this foundation explicit and measurable. They provide insight into whether the required theoretical understanding is present to enable professional, responsible, and consistent performance. In doing so, proficiency tests directly contribute to both educational quality and professional standards.
2. Certain professions and disciplines require demonstrable knowledge
In many domains, demonstrable knowledge is mandatory, not optional. Consider fields in which medical procedures, safety regulations, legal accuracy, or ethical responsibility play a central role. In such contexts, students must be able to prove they possess specific knowledge before they are permitted to act independently.
Proficiency tests play a crucial role here. Both formatively and summatively, they provide a reliable instrument to determine whether minimum knowledge requirements have been met. In these fields, knowledge tests are not only desirable but essential and often legally required.
3. Proficiency tests fit within learning-oriented qualification and programmatic assessment
A common misconception is that proficiency tests do not align with learning-oriented qualifications or programmatic assessments. In reality, variation in assessment formats strengthens these approaches, as different assessment methods complement one another within the overall process.
Within these frameworks, the knowledge test functions as one of several data points that provide insight into student development. Results can be used to deliver targeted feedback, inform progress and advisory conversations, and support students in self-reflection and goal setting.
The value of a knowledge test, therefore, lies not solely in the grade but in what the student does with the outcomes.
4. Objective assessment of a core component of competence
Competent performance consists of multiple components, including knowledge, skills, and attitudes. While not all components are equally easy to assess objectively, knowledge lends itself particularly well to reliable measurement. Compared to behavioural or attitude-based assessments, proficiency tests offer a clear, transparent, and reproducible evaluation method.
Moreover, knowledge tests can be efficiently deployed for larger groups of students and help identify differences in mastery levels. With digital assessment formats, knowledge tests can also be adaptive, varied, and contextualised. As a result, they provide valuable information that may not always — or not exclusively be obtained through practical assessments.
5. Proficiency tests are evolving in form and function
With the rise of digital assessment, the format of knowledge testing has evolved significantly. Where multiple-choice questions once dominated, it is now possible to assess knowledge through case studies, interactive elements, video, audio, and visually rich question types. This allows knowledge to be assessed at various cognitive levels, aligned with taxonomies such as Bloom’s.
Furthermore, proficiency tests no longer need to function solely as summative end exams. By breaking assessments into smaller components and using them formatively, they can serve as powerful learning tools. The feedback generated supports students' development and makes learning more visible and purposeful.
Conclusion: Proficiency tests as a foundation for responsible education
Proficiency tests retain their value within vocational and higher education as part of a coherent assessment program in which learning, feedback, and evaluation reinforce one another. In various forms and at different moments, proficiency tests remain a vital foundation for responsible, high-quality, and future-oriented education.
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