There is growing evidence that assessment, when it is used effectively, can play a powerful and positive role in motivating learners and encouraging them to take control over their learning. Yet it can be a complex, confusing, and often controversial area which, rather than complementing learning, often detracts from it. In this new edition the author relates basic principles, purposes and practices of post-16 assessment to some of the broader developments in the qualification system within a political and theoretical context. Highlighting the main themes that make these processes problematic, she explores how to reach a balance between assessment that is flexible, accessible and inclusive yet allows for quality assurance and maintenance of standards. Offering practical strategies for improving assessment and accreditation, this book will raise the level of debate about the purposes of different assessment activities offered to learners and the best ways of providing it at a practitioner, organisational and policy level.