Educators assess students by gathering evidence about what students know, understand, and can do with their knowledge.  Some assessment approaches and tools may include observations and discussions in the classroom, assignments, tests and exams. Students’ achievements are recorded and communicated on report cards.

Below you will find information about assessments in the Northwest Territories (NWT). 

• Student Assessment, Evaluation and Reporting (SAER)
  • ​It is important for students’ progress to be consistently evaluated and reported in relation to the NWT’s curriculum. The information gathered from assessing and evaluating students’ achievement provides valuable data on student academic progress. It also identifies challenges and areas of strength not just for each student, but at the school, education body, and territory-wide level as well.
• Systemic Assessments in the NWT
  • The Department of Education, Culture and Employment has a responsibility for establishing the standards for educational achievement at the territorial and local levels and tracking systemic academic progress. To meet this need, ECE has relied on Alberta Diploma Examinations and Alberta Achievement Tests as NWT systemic assessments. As part of the implementation of a new, adapted curriculum, the territory is phasing out Alberta’s assessment tools and gradually introducing British Columbia’s tools.
• Alberta Diploma Examinations
  • Alberta Diploma Examinations are Alberta-developed examinations in selected Grade 12 courses. The purpose of the exams is to certify the level of individual student achievement in selected Grade 12 courses to ensure that standards of achievement are maintained, and to report individual and group results. Diploma exams may make up to 30% of a student’s grade in selected Grade 12 courses.
    • Grade 12 courses that require diploma exams include: English Language Art 30-1, English Language Arts 30-2, Francais 30-1, French Language Arts 30-1, Social Studies 30-1, Social Studies 30-2, Applied Mathematics 30, Biology 30, Chemistry 30, Physics 30, and Science 30.
    • For more information on Diploma Examinations: https://www.alberta.ca/diploma-exams.aspx
  • The last administration session for the Grade 12 Diploma Exams in the NWT will be June 2026, as the territory phases out Alberta’s assessment tools and gradually introduces British Columbia’s tools.

Alberta Achievement Tests (AATs)

• Alberta Achievement Tests were assessments for NWT students in grades 6 and 9 in the subject areas of Language Arts, Mathematics, Français, and Mathematiques.
• The final administration of the AATs in the NWT was in June 2023, as the territory implements a new, adapted curriculum and gradually introduces BC’s assessment tools.

BC’s assessment tools

NWT schools will begin to phase-in BC’s Foundational Skills Assessments (FSAs) in Grade 4 and 7, and Graduation Assessments in Grades 10 and 12.

This will begin with the Grade 4 FSA and Grade 10 Literacy and Numeracy graduation assessments in the 2024-25 school year.

For more information on BC provincial assessment tools please visit: https://curriculum.gov.bc.ca/provincial/assessment.