Glossary

The assessment glossary

Plain-English definitions of the terms that matter in assessment — from Single Best Answer questions to psychometrics, proctoring and reliability.

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Assessment conceptsPedagogyThe theory and practice of teaching — how learning is designed, delivered and assessed. Read definition →AnalyticsPercentileA score's rank relative to everyone else — the percentage of candidates who scored at or below it. Read definition →LearningPersonalised learningAdapting what a learner sees next to their own strengths, gaps and pace, rather than a fixed sequence. Read definition →Exam securityPlagiarismPresenting someone else's work or words as your own — a key integrity risk in written and coursework assessment. Read definition →PlatformPortalA Synap term for an organisation's own instance of the platform — its branded, self-contained environment. Read definition →LearningPractice exams (mocks)A low-stakes run-through of an exam under realistic conditions, used to prepare and to reduce exam-day anxiety. Read definition →AnalyticsPredictive analyticsUsing past performance data to anticipate future outcomes — such as which learners are at risk of not passing. Read definition →Exam securityProctoringSupervising an exam — in person or remotely — to verify identity and deter and detect misconduct. Read definition →Assessment conceptsProfessional organisationA body that represents and regulates a profession — often setting the exams members must pass to qualify or stay certified. Read definition →MarkingProvisional (marker role)The first marker to score a response, whose mark may then be moderated or resolved against others. Read definition →PsychometricsPsychometricsThe science of measuring knowledge and ability — and of checking that a test measures fairly and reliably. Read definition →

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Standards & integrationsSCORMA long-standing standard for packaging e-learning content so it runs and reports consistently across platforms. Read definition →Question formatsShort answer questionA question where the candidate types a brief answer that is matched against a list of accepted responses. Read definition →Question formatsSingle Best Answer (SBA)A multiple-choice question with several plausible options where one is the single best answer, not merely the only correct one. Read definition →LearningSpaced LearningReviewing material at increasing intervals over time, so it's revisited just as it's about to be forgotten. Read definition →Assessment conceptsStandardised testingAssessment administered and scored in a consistent, comparable way so results mean the same thing for every candidate. Read definition →Assessment conceptsSTEMScience, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics — subjects that often need formulas, diagrams and calculation in assessment. Read definition →LearningStudyThe process of learning material for the first time — building understanding before revision and assessment. Read definition →PlatformSub-portalsSeparate, self-contained areas within one account — each with its own users, content, branding and data boundaries. Read definition →Assessment conceptsSummative assessmentAssessment of learning — higher-stakes, graded assessment that measures achievement at a point in time. Read definition →Exam securitySynopticSynap's proctoring technology — the engine that powers monitoring, lockdown and integrity checks during an exam. Read definition →

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