A senior executive at Cambridge University Press & Assessment has urged a decisive shift away from content-heavy schooling and examinations that favour memorisation, arguing assessments must instead measure application, problem-solving and creativity.
Assessments should test understanding, not recall
Arun Rajamani, Managing Director for South Asia at Cambridge University Press & Assessment, set out his position in commentary released this month, saying education systems should prioritise the development of higher-order thinking across school and higher education.
Rajamani recommended a combination of classroom approaches and assessment reforms to achieve that aim. Central to his argument is that tests must reward the ability to apply knowledge and think independently, rather than the capacity to memorise large volumes of content.
"Assessments must reward application and independent thinking rather than memorisation."
He highlighted a number of practical measures, including greater use of project-based learning, research activities and real-world challenges that allow pupils to demonstrate creativity and problem-solving. Rajamani pointed to Cambridge programmes and tools — such as project-based experiences like the Cambridge IPQ and assessment diagnostics such as CEM (Centre for Evaluation & Monitoring) — as ways to embed these skills in curriculum and assessment design.
How assessment, teacher development and employability connect
Rajamani argued that transforming assessment practices must go hand in hand with teacher professional development and attention to employability. He said assessment reform should not be limited to high-stakes examinations but should include formative assessment, skills profiling and longitudinal measurement of progress to provide a richer picture of learner growth.
Key elements he sets out include:
- Assessment diversity: combining examinations with portfolios, projects and formative feedback;
- Teacher support: continuous professional development so educators can design and mark assessments that capture higher-order skills;
- Longitudinal measurement: tools that track student potential and progress over time rather than a single end-point score.
Rajamani linked these changes to the needs of an AI-driven future, where the ability to question, analyse, collaborate and adapt will be more valuable than the ability to recall facts alone.
Evidence and implementation challenges
The commentary underlines two connected challenges. First, assessment architecture must be reworked so that it reliably measures what matters; second, classroom practice and teacher training must evolve to prepare learners for different kinds of tasks. Rajamani suggested that combining high-stakes exams with well-designed formative approaches and project work can create a more balanced system.
He also advocated using diagnostic tools to give schools data on both potential and progress, which can inform targeted support and curriculum choices.
| Current focus | Suggested shift |
|---|---|
| Memorisation and content recall | Application, critical thinking, creativity |
| Single high-stakes examinations | Combination of exams, projects and formative assessment |
| Limited longitudinal tracking | Tools to measure potential and progress over time |
Rajamani’s proposals echo a global debate about assessment reform. For countries seeking to broaden the purpose of schooling beyond certification to preparation for higher education, employment and rapid technological change, the practical question is how to implement these ideas at scale without compromising rigour.
Implementation requires investments in teacher development, assessment infrastructure and reliable diagnostic systems. It also demands clear moderation and quality assurance so that alternative assessments — projects and portfolios, for example — are comparably rigorous and fair.
For policymakers and school leaders, the commentary offers a framework: refocus curriculum aims on transferable skills, redesign assessment to capture those skills, and equip teachers with the tools and training to deliver meaningful learning experiences. The end goal, Rajamani argues, is an education system that prepares learners not only to pass exams but to thrive in university, the workplace and a changing world.
