An effective assessment must have the following characteristics: # Objective Personal opinions or biases should never be included in any assessment. It needs to focus specifically on the objective that is being measured. # Flexible The context of the assessment needs to be taken into account and the variables should be considered. # Acceptable Learners do not like negative feedback. A way to ameliorate this is by being sincere and maintaining a positive attitude. # Comprehensive The degree to which an assessment covers every aspect of a performance is at the discretion of the instructor. It should cover whichever elements would be most beneficial to improving performance in the future. # Constructive Without aiding a learner to improve, they gain nothing from an assessment. Simply stating that they did something incorrectly will also be demotivating. Make sure to guide a learner towards better performance. # Organized This can come in many different ways, but any assessment should be organized in a logical way. An example would be following the steps taken throughout a maneuver. # Thoughtful Never minimize the dignity or importance of the learner being assessed. No assessment should include ridicule, anger, or fun at the expense of the learner. # Specific All comments should relate to a specific action. Additionally, make sure to avoid using abstractions.