Every year, swathes of students around the world choose to participate in academic competitions such as spelling bees, Maths Olympiads and writing. Much like any extracurricular activity such as sports or music, taking part in competitions can take time, money …
ICAS turns 40 this year – and it’s fair to say that it has evolved and matured with plenty of character, complexity and spirit. Here, some of our key and longer-term team members reflect on the aspects of the competition …
The world keeps changing as digital technology becomes more deeply embedded in our lives, particularly in our jobs. Many jobs have disappeared, and new jobs are constantly being created. Employment and career focus is also becoming much more fluid than …
As most teachers and parents know, winning an ICAS medal means celebrating students’ academic triumphs on the international stage, in a similar way that a sports tournament does. What many schools may not realise is that the very act of …
If as a school, teacher or parent you hadn’t come across online teaching and assessment pre-2020, you almost certainly have now. Chances are, you’re probably already engaging with digital versions of exams and assessments, are making decisions about implementing them, …
The adage that ‘knowledge is power’ applies in all manner of educational contexts. It is, however, certainly true when it comes to building a picture of how your teaching is landing with your students. Routine and compulsory tests and assessments …
It was many years ago and on the other side of the world. I was a maths teacher then in South London and a student was looking at a sample test paper for the national mathematics tests. “But where do …
In the world of assessment, tests are often called “instruments”. It is a bit of a pretentious term but expresses the idea that there is a purpose to every test. Each test is an instrument intended to gather information about …
One of the exciting changes in my work over the past few years has been the wide range of new question types that are available in online tests. There are so many more ways for students to interact with assessments …