Testing Times: The Uses and Abuses of Assessment - Essential

In this review of Testing Times: The Uses and Abuses of Assessment the bottom line is clear: this book is for educators, policy makers and anyone concerned with how assessment shapes learning. Gordon Stobart offers a thoughtful, critical examination of common assessment practices and why their good intentions often produce negative consequences. The single biggest reason to read it is Stobart's sustained argument that assessment can and should encourage deeper learning rather than shallow test-focused study, making it a practical and conceptual resource for rethinking assessment purpose.

Key Features

• Critical analysis: Stobart dissects five high-profile assessment issues to show where current practice undermines meaningful outcomes.
• Clear argument: The book explains why the purpose of assessment must be explicit before its fitness for purpose can be judged.
• Focus on learning: It argues convincingly that formative approaches can support deeper understanding when designed and used well.
• Coverage of accountability: Stobart addresses how accountability systems and the diploma disease distort teaching priorities.
• Practical implications: The book offers foundations for generating assessments that encourage valid evidence of learning.

Who It's For

This book is primarily aimed at school leaders, curriculum designers and educational researchers who need a rigorous framework for thinking about assessment policy and classroom practice. Those who work on national testing, school accountability or assessment design will find the sections on intelligence testing, formative assessment and the diploma disease especially relevant.

Teachers and professional development leads seeking principles for classroom assessment will benefit, but readers looking for step-by-step classroom activities or an introductory primer for parents may want a more practice-focused handbook alongside Stobart's theoretical critique.

Pros & Cons

Pros

• Provides a coherent critique linking assessment purpose to its effects on learning and schooling.
• Addresses multiple prominent topics - intelligence testing, learning skills and formative assessment - in one volume.
• Useful for informing policy debates and professional reflection on assessment design.

Cons

• The book is more analytical than prescriptive, so readers seeking detailed classroom tools may find it limited.

Specifications

Title	Testing Times: The Uses and Abuses of Assessment
Author	Gordon Stobart
Focus areas	Intelligence testing, learning skills, accountability, diploma disease, formative assessment
Primary theme	Reclaiming assessment to encourage deeper learning
Approach	Critical examination of assessment purpose and fitness for purpose

Our Verdict

Testing Times is a thoughtful, well-argued book that belongs on the shelf of anyone shaping assessment policy or professional development. It is good value for readers who need a conceptual framework tying assessment practices to learning outcomes, even if those seeking ready-made classroom tools will need additional resources.

Frequently Asked Questions

Does the book offer classroom assessment techniques?
Answer. The book is mainly analytical and offers principles rather than detailed classroom step-by-step techniques.

Which assessment topics are covered?
Answer. Stobart examines intelligence testing, learning skills, accountability, the diploma disease and formative assessment in depth.

Who will benefit most from this book?
Answer. School leaders, curriculum developers and educational researchers will get the most value from its critique and frameworks.