Large-scale learning assessments are system-level assessments that provide a snapshot of learning achievement for a given group of learners in a given year and in a limited number of domains. They are often categorized as national or cross-national (regional/international) assessments
UNESCO. 2019. The promise of large-scale learning assessments: acknowledging limits to unlock opportunities. Paris: UNESCO.
Large-scale learning assessments are uniform and standardized in content, administration process, timing, and scoring – they are, in fact, frequently referred to as standardized tests – particularly within Anglo-Saxon countries and literature. They are generally sample-based, although, over the last decades, an increasing number of countries have adopted a census-based approach (Verger et al., 2018). They can be school- or household-based; curriculum-based or not; and generally, teachers and schools may have a stake in the outcome while they hold low/no stakes for the test-takers (UNESCO, 2009:17).
UNESCO. 2019. The promise of large-scale learning assessments: acknowledging limits to unlock opportunities. Paris: UNESCO.