WGU C921 Assessment and Evaluation Strategies for
Measuring Student Learning – Latest Update 2026/2027 |
Complete Questions & Answers with Rationales
TABLE OF CONTENTS
Section 1 — Foundations of Educational Assessment
Section 2 — Assessment Planning and Blueprint Development
Section 3 — Validity, Reliability, and Practicality
Section 4 — Learning Outcomes, Objectives, and Alignment
Section 5 — Item Construction and Question Quality
Section 6 — Item Analysis: Difficulty and Discrimination
Section 7 — Assessment Data, Evaluation, and Decision-Making
Section 8 — Nursing Education Assessment Scenarios
SECTION 1 — FOUNDATIONS OF EDUCATIONAL ASSESSMENT
1. What is the primary purpose of assessment in nursing education?
A. To assign grades as quickly as possible
B. To determine whether learners have achieved intended outcomes
C. To reduce instructor workload
D. To rank students from highest to lowest
Answer: B
Rationale: Assessment provides evidence about student learning and whether
intended educational outcomes have been achieved.
,2. Which statement best describes assessment?
A. The process of gathering evidence about learning
B. The assignment of a final grade only
C. A student's perception of a course
D. A classroom attendance record
Answer: A
Rationale: Assessment involves systematically collecting evidence to determine
what learners know, understand, and can do.
3. What is evaluation?
A. Collecting data without interpreting it
B. Making a judgment or decision based on assessment evidence
C. Writing test questions
D. Giving students study materials
Answer: B
Rationale: Assessment generates evidence; evaluation involves interpreting that
evidence to make judgments or decisions.
4. Which example represents assessment rather than evaluation?
A. Determining that a student is ready for clinical practice
B. Assigning a final course grade
C. Administering a medication-calculation examination
D. Deciding that a curriculum should be revised
Answer: C
Rationale: Administering the examination collects evidence. Decisions based on
the results constitute evaluation.
,5. A faculty member reviews examination results to determine whether
students mastered medication administration principles. What is the faculty
member primarily doing?
A. Assessment
B. Curriculum accreditation
C. Scheduling
D. Advising
Answer: A
Rationale: The faculty member is gathering and interpreting evidence concerning
student learning.
6. Which type of assessment is administered before instruction to determine
what learners already know?
A. Summative
B. Diagnostic
C. Terminal
D. Exit
Answer: B
Rationale: Diagnostic assessment identifies learners' existing knowledge, skills,
strengths, and gaps before or early in instruction.
7. Which assessment is most commonly used during instruction to improve
learning?
A. Formative
B. Summative
C. Certification
D. Graduation
Answer: A
, Rationale: Formative assessment provides information during learning that can
be used to modify instruction and support students.
8. Which assessment is generally conducted at the end of an instructional
period?
A. Diagnostic
B. Formative
C. Summative
D. Informal
Answer: C
Rationale: Summative assessment evaluates achievement after a defined
instructional period.
9. A faculty member asks students to explain why a patient's symptoms are
consistent with a particular disease process. What type of learning is being
assessed?
A. Recall only
B. Application or higher-order reasoning
C. Attendance
D. Memorization exclusively
Answer: B
Rationale: Explaining relationships between symptoms and disease processes
requires students to apply and reason with knowledge.
10. Why should assessment be aligned with learning outcomes?
A. Alignment ensures the assessment measures intended learning
B. Alignment makes every exam easier
C. Alignment eliminates the need for instruction
D. Alignment guarantees identical scores
Measuring Student Learning – Latest Update 2026/2027 |
Complete Questions & Answers with Rationales
TABLE OF CONTENTS
Section 1 — Foundations of Educational Assessment
Section 2 — Assessment Planning and Blueprint Development
Section 3 — Validity, Reliability, and Practicality
Section 4 — Learning Outcomes, Objectives, and Alignment
Section 5 — Item Construction and Question Quality
Section 6 — Item Analysis: Difficulty and Discrimination
Section 7 — Assessment Data, Evaluation, and Decision-Making
Section 8 — Nursing Education Assessment Scenarios
SECTION 1 — FOUNDATIONS OF EDUCATIONAL ASSESSMENT
1. What is the primary purpose of assessment in nursing education?
A. To assign grades as quickly as possible
B. To determine whether learners have achieved intended outcomes
C. To reduce instructor workload
D. To rank students from highest to lowest
Answer: B
Rationale: Assessment provides evidence about student learning and whether
intended educational outcomes have been achieved.
,2. Which statement best describes assessment?
A. The process of gathering evidence about learning
B. The assignment of a final grade only
C. A student's perception of a course
D. A classroom attendance record
Answer: A
Rationale: Assessment involves systematically collecting evidence to determine
what learners know, understand, and can do.
3. What is evaluation?
A. Collecting data without interpreting it
B. Making a judgment or decision based on assessment evidence
C. Writing test questions
D. Giving students study materials
Answer: B
Rationale: Assessment generates evidence; evaluation involves interpreting that
evidence to make judgments or decisions.
4. Which example represents assessment rather than evaluation?
A. Determining that a student is ready for clinical practice
B. Assigning a final course grade
C. Administering a medication-calculation examination
D. Deciding that a curriculum should be revised
Answer: C
Rationale: Administering the examination collects evidence. Decisions based on
the results constitute evaluation.
,5. A faculty member reviews examination results to determine whether
students mastered medication administration principles. What is the faculty
member primarily doing?
A. Assessment
B. Curriculum accreditation
C. Scheduling
D. Advising
Answer: A
Rationale: The faculty member is gathering and interpreting evidence concerning
student learning.
6. Which type of assessment is administered before instruction to determine
what learners already know?
A. Summative
B. Diagnostic
C. Terminal
D. Exit
Answer: B
Rationale: Diagnostic assessment identifies learners' existing knowledge, skills,
strengths, and gaps before or early in instruction.
7. Which assessment is most commonly used during instruction to improve
learning?
A. Formative
B. Summative
C. Certification
D. Graduation
Answer: A
, Rationale: Formative assessment provides information during learning that can
be used to modify instruction and support students.
8. Which assessment is generally conducted at the end of an instructional
period?
A. Diagnostic
B. Formative
C. Summative
D. Informal
Answer: C
Rationale: Summative assessment evaluates achievement after a defined
instructional period.
9. A faculty member asks students to explain why a patient's symptoms are
consistent with a particular disease process. What type of learning is being
assessed?
A. Recall only
B. Application or higher-order reasoning
C. Attendance
D. Memorization exclusively
Answer: B
Rationale: Explaining relationships between symptoms and disease processes
requires students to apply and reason with knowledge.
10. Why should assessment be aligned with learning outcomes?
A. Alignment ensures the assessment measures intended learning
B. Alignment makes every exam easier
C. Alignment eliminates the need for instruction
D. Alignment guarantees identical scores
