Which term is used for internal quality assurance within the assessment centre to ensure consistency?

• A. Standardisation
• B. Annotation
• C. Authentication
• D. Moderation Criteria

Answer: (A)

Standardisation is the process within an assessment centre that ensures all assessors apply marking criteria consistently. It involves agreeing on how each criterion should be interpreted, using a common marking scheme, and providing training and practice marking with sample responses. By calibrating assessors—sharing exemplars, discussing borderline cases, and aligning judgments—we reduce personal bias and differences in judgement, making outcomes fairer and more reliable across candidates and sessions. Annotation is just about adding notes to candidate work, authentication checks authenticity of evidence, and moderation-related ideas refer to reviewing decisions, which are separate steps from the internal alignment of marking that standardisation delivers.