Sophisticated Simplicity: Writing Reader-Friendly Assessment Reports

The authors propose that writing assessments in the classic style facilitates effective communication between assessment professionals and nonexpert readers. The classic style, with its metaphor of standing shoulder-to-shoulder at a window to the outside world, describing what one sees to an intelligent but nonexpert reader facilitates comprehension and long-term retention of report content. The purpose of an assessment report is not only to say what is true about an examinee but to communicate useful information that inspires the reader to take effective action. We contend that the best way to do this is to extend empathy toward the reader during the writing process, which in turn prepares the reader to extend empathy toward the examinee as they read the report’s content. In this way, using empathy as the primary tool in the report-writing process is consistent with and an extension of the collaborative and therapeutic assessment traditions.