The major objective of this paper is to demonstrate the effectiveness of dynamic assessment (DA) in revealing outcomes of cognitive education programmes. Three programmes based on "mediated learning experience" theory are reviewed: "Feuerstein's Instrumental Enrichment", "Bright Start", and "Peer Mediation with Young Children". In all three programmes DA was more effective than standardised tests in revealing their effects. The paper includes discussion of mediated learning experience theory and its relation to DA. The content and focus of the cognitive education programmes are described as are the specific test instruments selected for use in the DA sessions. The paper concludes by considering reasons why DA is not used more frequently in educational research. (Contains 1 table and 4 figures.)