From 23 to 30 September, the first period of interim assessment is taking place in schools. In the new academic year, it will be combined with formative assessment and should show not only the result but also the progress of each child.

The first period of interim assessment for pupils in grades 2–4 has begun in the country's schools. Schoolchildren will complete work on the sections of the curriculum that have been covered. At the same time, formative assessment will continue throughout the entire educational process.

It is worth noting that the format of the interim work depends on the subject.

Thus, in Kazakh or Russian language, pupils will have to write a dictation and complete tasks on reading literacy. The main criteria are literacy and comprehension of the text's content.

In literary reading, a summary or essay is envisaged, as well as tasks on reading literacy. Here, comprehension of the text, the ability to identify its main idea, and the ability to express one's own thoughts are assessed.

In mathematics, schoolchildren complete a test. Computational skills, understanding of the problem conditions, choice of solution method, and the ability to justify the answer are checked.

Each work is allotted 40 minutes. The maximum number of points depends on the grade: 12 points in grade 2, 14 in grade 3, and 16 in grade 4.

It should be emphasised that interim works do not replace formative assessment, which continues throughout the entire quarter. The teacher must assess each pupil in no fewer than 30 percent of the lessons conducted, while covering no fewer than 50 percent of the learning objectives. The results of formative assessment are recorded on a 10-point scale.

At the same time, the appearance of the written work should not affect the result: handwriting is not grounds for lowering the score if calligraphy is not envisaged by a specific learning objective.

For the first grade, no point-based assessment is conducted.

The new system presupposes that assessment should show not only how many points a pupil has scored but also how well they have mastered the educational material. The results help to see the child's individual progress and to identify in good time which topics require additional work.

Thus, assessment becomes not an end point but a tool of feedback – for the pupil, the teacher, and the parents. Its task is to help understand what has already been mastered, where difficulties have arisen, and what needs to be worked on further.

Prepared by Almiya ASKAR