This short article explains the key principles of "rich tasks," a version of authentic assessment developed in Queensland, Australia, as part of a major curriculum development called the "New Basics." In various documents, the project leaders recognised the danger that inappropriate assessment would undermine the proposed curriculum and pedagogy. Under the rubric "rich tasks" they developed a range of interdisciplinary challenges for the end of each stage of education which could serve as summative assessment. The article is an amalgamation of explanations, and a selection of examples, derived from various documents from the New Basics project.