Organization of learning and teaching
Curriculum focuses
Assessment and testimony
Home
Evaluation criteriaThe assessment criteria set out in the National Curriculum Guide are a description of how well a student has mastered the skills they are aiming for. The assessment criteria identify how deeply and well a student has acquired the skills they are aiming for: excellent skills, good skills, fair skills and skills that do not meet the skills standards.
The curriculum sets out assessment criteria for both learning areas and key competences at the end of compulsory school. Competences are assessed within each learning area. Each learning area can span one or more subjects. Key competences are assessed in five areas.
In the 2011 National Curriculum Guide, the educational authorities for the first time set out provisions on how grades should be awarded at the end of compulsory school.
A six-point scale with grades A, B+, B, C+, C and D is to be used. Descriptions of the assessment criteria are provided behind the grades A, B and C. No assessment criteria are presented for B+ and C+, but rather it is the case that someone who has achieved most of the B assessment criteria and achieved individual elements in A can receive a B+, and someone who has achieved most of the C assessment criteria and individual elements in B can receive a C+. A does not mean that the student was able to complete, for example, 80% of the assignment or exam, but rather that he was able to solve those assignments or exam parts that required more complex skills than the others.
The student can demonstrate that he/she understands very well and can use spoken language on general topics in situations that he/she is familiar with. Has acquired a very diverse vocabulary and can read general texts of various types on a variety of topics for benefit and enjoyment with little effort. Is very conversational, uses natural language, pronunciation, emphasis and rhythm confidently. Uses common fixed expressions from everyday speech purposefully and can express himself/herself fluently and audibly on topics that he/she is familiar with. Can write clear and understandable continuous text on topics that he/she is familiar with, confidently follows rules of language usage and traditions regarding the structure of texts and makes systematic use of the vocabulary that has been worked on. Demonstrates that he/she knows very well about human life and culture in the relevant language area and has a very good understanding of what is similar to or different from his/her own circumstances.
The student can demonstrate that he/she understands well and can use spoken language on general topics in situations that he/she is familiar with. Has acquired a sufficiently good vocabulary to be able to read for benefit and enjoyment general texts of various kinds on a variety of topics. Is conversational, uses natural language, pronunciation, emphasis and rhythm. Uses common fixed expressions from everyday speech and can express himself/herself quite audibly on topics that he/she is familiar with. Can write fluent, coherent text on topics that he/she is familiar with, demonstrates a good command of vocabulary and the principles of language use, follows conventions regarding the structure and context of texts and uses appropriate linking words. Has a good knowledge of human life and culture in the relevant language area and has a good understanding of what is similar to or different from his/her own circumstances.
The student can demonstrate that he understands reasonably well and can use spoken language on general topics in situations that he is familiar with. Has acquired an adequate vocabulary to be able to read for benefit and pleasure, with some effort, general texts of various kinds and on a variety of topics. Is reasonably conversational and applies the rules of the language, pronunciation, emphasis and rhythm in an acceptable manner and can use the most common fixed expressions from everyday speech and can express himself reasonably well on topics that he is familiar with. Can write a coherent text on topics that he is familiar with, follow basic rules of language use and the main traditions regarding the structure of texts and make use of the vocabulary that has been worked with, demonstrate that he is familiar with human life and culture in the relevant language area and is aware of what is similar to or different from his own circumstances.
The assessment criteria described in B are based on a description of the competence criteria aimed at by the end of the 10th grade for all subjects and in Icelandic, mathematics and foreign languages for the 4th and 7th grades. They are presented in such a way that it can be assumed that the majority of students will achieve the competence specified there. Here, the focus is on what the student does with what he knows and can do.
The scale describes the extent to which a student has mastered the relevant competency. The letters are an abbreviation for a verbal description of the competency that should be included in the certificate. There are no criteria set for D, so it can be assumed that this certificate is used when a student does not meet the criteria described in C and the school then makes a specific statement about the status of the student in question in its certificate.
The abilities of students who receive a D are diverse and difficult to define in a single, specific way. For a D, teachers should record a student’s abilities based on the competency criteria that form the basis of the assessment. It is important to record what a student can and does, not what they cannot or will not do.
Schools are required to use this assessment scale when graduating students from grade 10. Schools decide, in other respects, how they will conduct assessment and grading or certificates of students in other cohorts. Certificates at the end of compulsory school are taken into account when enrolling students in upper secondary school and choosing study programmes and must describe the student’s competence so that their studies in upper secondary school are in continuity with their compulsory school studies and take into account the competences they have already acquired.
Assessment criteria and scales should be explained in the school curriculum so that students, parents and all school staff are clear about what requirements are made and how the school intends to assess how they are being met. Those involved; students, parents, teachers and other school staff, all need to be able to understand the results of assessment in a similar way. This is a prerequisite for the information to be used to improve learning and teaching.
It is important to note that it is not expected that student assessment of competence is collected during the learning process over the school year, nor that an average is taken from it and used as a measure of the competence that the student can demonstrate at the end of the study period. Assessment of competence that takes place over the school year accompanies students but is not part of the final assessment that determines the final grade at the end of the school year. The final grade at the end of the school year is determined by the skills that are assessed (final assessment) and that the student demonstrates at that point.