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School-based Science Practical Assessment – The Singapore Experience

Science examinations at the Singapore-Cambridge General Certificate Advanced Level (GCE ALevel) ,have always had a practical component. In 2004, Singapore embarked on a radical shift to a School-based Practical Assessment (SPA), breaking a long tradition of the once-off summative practical examination. The rationale and driving force for the switch is that school-based assessment offers the potential for formative assessment, besides a more comprehensive assessment of experimental and investigative skills. The shift created waves of challenges for various stakeholders. ,Close monitoring of the implementation enabled swift review and adjustment of the school-based assessment model to minimise its well-discussed limitations and re-focus on the positive spin-offs in learning outcomes and teachers’, professional development. The GCE A-level SPA model has since evolved to the current hybrid model of school-based assessments with the assessment of Planning skill in the written examination. This paper shares Singapore’,s experience and learning points in the ,journey of school-based science practical assessment.

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