This study investigated secondary school students' conceptions of assessment and feedback. Five focus groups were conducted with 41 Year 9 and 10 students (equivalent to Grades 8 and 9 in other countries) from 4 diverse New Zealand schools. Students said that assessment was useful because it led to information and feedback. This information, in the right form, could help students and, to a lesser extent, teachers improve and it could be used to show progress to parents and employers. If assessment and feedback did not provide this information it was irrelevant. There was no indication that students thought assessment or feedback could make them or their school accountable, but some indication that teachers were accountable for student learning.