An effective assessment must have the following characteristics:
Personal opinions or biases should never be included in any assessment. It needs to focus specifically on the objective that is being measured.
The context of the assessment needs to be taken into account and the variables should be considered.
Learners do not like negative feedback. A way to ameliorate this is by being sincere and maintaining a positive attitude.
The degree to which an assessment covers every aspect of a performance is at the discretion of the instructor. It should cover whichever elements would be most beneficial to improving performance in the future.
Without aiding a learner to improve, they gain nothing from an assessment. Simply stating that they did something incorrectly will also be demotivating. Make sure to guide a learner towards better performance.
This can come in many different ways, but any assessment should be organized in a logical way. An example would be following the steps taken throughout a maneuver.
Never minimize the dignity or importance of the learner being assessed. No assessment should include ridicule, anger, or fun at the expense of the learner.
All comments should relate to a specific action. Additionally, make sure to avoid using abstractions.