Description
Summary
Purpose:
Assessment Design & Principles Leads drive excellence in AQA’s assessment design and development by championing the principles of validity, reliability, fairness, and manageability. They lead initiatives that enhance assessment quality across both new and existing products, ensuring they meet rigorous standards and minimise bias, and they act as a central authority on assessment best practice, fostering organisational knowledge and capability through collaboration with internal stakeholders.
They continuously improve assessment creation processes by developing evidence-based assessment design principles, grounded in research and best practice in assessment.
Assessment Design & Principles Leads play a pivotal role in shaping and reviewing AQA’s assessment design principles, contributing expertise to cross-functional teams and new product development. They represent AQA as a subject matter experts in assessment internally and externally. They also engage stakeholders effectively to embed assessment expertise into broader business initiatives, ensuring AQA remains a leader in high-quality assessment.Landscape:
Each year over 2000 question papers, assessment artefacts, mark schemes and modified large print papers are created, quality assured and sent to press for domestic and international qualifications by teams across Assessment. These materials are sat by 100,000s of students across three examination series and are pivotal part of their next step in education.
The Assessment Design & Principles team sits within Assessment and is accountable for leading initiatives and establishing design principles to ensure validity, reliability, fairness, and manageability of AQA GQ assessments, both paper-based and digital. The team provide assessment expertise on GQ qualifications to AQA to support work on redevelopment and reform as well as any external regulatory work. They work closely with internal teams across Assessment and EDD as well as the wider business to champion assessment quality and best practice.
The Assessment Design & Principles Lead role reports into the Head of Assessment Design & Principles or Senior Assessment Design & Principles Lead and works closely with Coordinators and Graduates in the team.
Activities:
Assessment design
Work with internal and external stakeholders to design valid, fair and reliable assessment models and SAMs through both DfE-led and AQA-driven qualification reform.
Lead the design of new digital products to ensure high-quality digital exams that align with AQA assessment design principles, including negotiating with digital assessment providers to ensure the best possible student assessment experience.
Assessment expertise & alignment
Stay current with assessment research and policy, ensuring AQA’s approach align with best practices across all products.
Act as an authority on different assessment approaches and their strengths/weaknesses.
Data analysis & evidence-based Improvement
Analyse assessment performance data to identify trends, strengths, and areas for improvement.
Oversee Assessment Coordinators and Graduate(s) to drive evidence-based decisions and share insights with stakeholders.
Leadership & Project Management
Lead assessment design & principles projects, managing cross-team collaboration, resources, budgets, and compliance with regulatory requirements.
Mentor and coach graduates and team members to build capability.
Training & knowledge sharing
Deliver induction, training, and briefings on assessment principles.
Support organisational understanding of good assessment practice and embed it into qualification design.
Quality assurance & external engagement
Review assessments for QA purposes and engage with external stakeholders (including Ofqual) to ensure valid, reliable, and comparable outcomes.
Governance & compliance
Ensure adherence to AQA policies, legislative requirements, and regulatory conditions.
Adapt to changing business needs by taking on additional responsibilities as required.
To be successful in this role, you will need to:
Behaviours
Collaborative – Work effectively with others, sharing expertise and fostering development to achieve excellence
Innovative – Challenge existing approaches and drives creative, improved ways of working
Empowered – Take ownership, accountability, and understands their role in achieving success
Positive – Maintain a flexible, solutions-focused, forward-looking mindset
Ambitious – Strive for high standards and consistently deliver for customers
Technical expertise
Strong understanding of assessment practice in England and the regulatory environment
In-depth knowledge of assessment design and delivery best practice, including AQA’s products and systems
Ability to design assessments across subjects, balancing regulatory, customer, and stakeholder needs
In-depth understanding of digital assessment design, including knowledge of inclusive design in digital exams, technical functionality of digital providers, and expertise in designing directly for digital contexts
Skilled in analysing complex data, conducting root cause analysis, and applying continuous improvement principles
Leadership & influence
Proven experience in leading change initiatives and managing assessment design & principles projects
Excellent communication, presentation, and networking skills to influence and engage stakeholders
Open-minded yet confident in constructively challenging orthodoxy and championing good assessment principles
Qualifications & experience
Degree-level education or equivalent professional experience
Experience in managing assessment creation (eg question paper setting) and delivering strategic improvements