Educational assessment in higher education as seen by those who have a key part in the process is considered, with reference to the British system. Ways in which the assessment of students can be categorized, and the need for every assessor to have a clear and explicit purpose are addressed, along with the principles of fairness, validity, and reliability. It is proposed that departments should declare their position in respect to the different orders of knowledge, attitudes, and skills they assess and should define the levels at which these will be assessed. In other words, knowledge, attitudes, and skills are not to be thought of purely in cognitive terms. Attention is directed to the following modes by which students may be assessed: formal and informal assessment, formative and summative assessment, continuous and terminal assessment, course work assessment, assessment by examination, process and product assessment, internal and external assessment, and convergent and divergent assessment. In addition, the specific techniques (e.g., types of examinations, dissertations) used in assessment are examined, and marking and grading is discussed in regard to disputes about relative weightings, values, and systems. It is noted that assessors have both standards and external examiners to satisfy. (SW)