This is the third in a series of occasional papers by Carolyn Coil. Written on the assumption that most busy teachers do not have the time or energy to read lengthy academic texts, yet would like to know and understand the latest thinking in their profession, these occasional papers are short, readable and cover one issue at a time. This book discusses why and how we assess students. It explores the reasons for assessment, advantages and disadvantages of assessment practices, different types of assessments and how to construct assessment instruments that are valid, reliable and helpful to students.