FTCE Professional Education Practice Exam

Which of the following is NOT a key component of performance-based assessment?

1. Critical thinking

2. Creativity

3. Standardized criteria

4. Real-world applications

The correct answer is: Standardized criteria

Performance-based assessment is designed to evaluate students' application of knowledge and skills in real-world scenarios. A core component of this form of assessment involves using standardized criteria to measure students' performance consistently and objectively. Therefore, the emphasis on how students think critically, apply their creativity, and utilize real-world applications speaks to the essence of performance-based assessment. Critical thinking is essential because it encourages students to analyze and evaluate solutions rather than just recall information. Creativity is also vital as students often need to generate innovative solutions and demonstrate their understanding through unique approaches. Real-world applications are foundational in performance-based assessments since they aim to connect students' learning with practical situations, encouraging them to apply what they have learned in meaningful contexts. In this context, standardized criteria serve to ensure fairness and consistency across assessments, but they are not a distinctive feature of performance-based assessment itself. Instead, they are a method for evaluating performance that can apply to various assessment types. Thus, while performance-based assessment utilizes standardized criteria to grade or evaluate, it is not itself a defining characteristic of the type of assessment; the emphasis lies on the students’ ability to demonstrate skills through critical thinking, creativity, and real-world applications.