CBA in Education: Curriculum-Based vs. Competency-Based Assessment Explained

Overview: What “CBA” Means in Education

In education, the acronym CBA is commonly used in two valid ways: (1) Curriculum-Based Assessment , an ongoing classroom assessment tied directly to what is taught; and (2) Competency-Based Assessment , an approach that judges whether learners have demonstrated mastery of specified skills and knowledge, typically with a judgment of “competent” or “not yet competent.” Both are used to drive instruction and improve outcomes, but they differ in focus, evidence, and decisions they support. [1] [2]

Definition 1: Curriculum-Based Assessment (CBA)

Curriculum-Based Assessment is an ongoing process that monitors a student’s daily performance on the skills and content being taught in the local curriculum. It is repeated throughout the year and used for educational decision-making, planning, and progress monitoring in the classroom. Teachers directly observe and record performance to track development, identify learning needs, and adjust instruction. [1]

How It Works

Teachers align short assessments with what they recently taught, collect frequent data (e.g., weekly probes, brief tasks), and compare a learner’s performance to expected benchmarks in the curriculum. The emphasis is on responsiveness to instruction and whether progress is adequate, enabling timely changes to pacing, grouping, or strategies. [1]

Practical Steps to Implement Curriculum-Based Assessment

Map curriculum skills : List priority standards and break them into observable, measurable skills that can be assessed in short tasks. [1]
Design brief probes : Create 3-5 minute measures aligned to weekly instruction (e.g., reading fluency passages, math computation sets) and schedule them at consistent intervals. [1]
Collect and chart data : Record scores over time to visualize growth; set aim lines to determine if progress is on track. [1]
Adjust instruction : When growth lags, modify grouping, reteach subskills, or intensify practice; when growth exceeds targets, extend complexity. [1]
Use for student planning : Summarize trends at grading periods to inform supports, accommodations, or enrichment plans. [1]

Real-World Example

In Grade 2 reading, a teacher administers a one-minute oral reading fluency probe each Friday using passages aligned to the weekly phonics pattern. Students’ words-correct-per-minute and error patterns are charted; learners below the aim line get targeted decoding practice the following week. As gains appear, the teacher gradually increases text complexity. This cycle exemplifies curriculum-anchored data driving timely instructional changes. [1]

Common Challenges and Solutions

Challenge: Time burden. Solution: Use very brief probes, standardize routines, and schedule them alongside warm-ups to minimize disruption. [1]
Challenge: Data overload. Solution: Track only priority indicators, use simple line graphs, and set clear decision rules (e.g., three points below aim line triggers intervention change). [1]
Challenge: Misalignment to instruction. Solution: Confirm every probe matches taught skills so results directly inform next steps. [1]

Definition 2: Competency-Based Assessment (CBA)

Competency-Based Assessment determines whether learners have reached the required performance standard for defined competencies. Instead of traditional letter grades, judgments state whether a learner is “competent” or “not yet competent,” with opportunities to resubmit evidence until mastery is shown. The emphasis is on demonstrable skills and knowledge aligned to explicit performance criteria. [2]

How It Works

Educators gather and evaluate evidence-performances, products, demonstrations-against clear criteria tied to each competency. Learners often engage in authentic tasks that require application, synthesis, and communication in real or realistic contexts, supporting transferable skills such as collaboration and reasoning. [2] [3]

Practical Steps to Implement Competency-Based Assessment

Define competencies and criteria : Translate program outcomes into assessable competencies with specific, observable performance indicators and proficiency thresholds. [2]
Design authentic tasks : Create tasks where students must apply skills in context (e.g., a community data report, a lab protocol, a design brief) to demonstrate mastery. [3]
Use formative checks and feedback : Provide iterative feedback and allow resubmissions so learners can close gaps and reach competency over time. [4]
Make status decisions : Determine “competent” or “not yet competent” against the rubric; document evidence sources and assessor judgments for transparency. [2]
Support continued attempts : Offer structured opportunities to reattempt after targeted practice, similar to driver licensing models that emphasize competency over seat time. [2]

Real-World Example

In a high school career-tech program, students must demonstrate the competency “Communicate findings to a nontechnical audience.” Learners produce a two-page brief and a three-minute presentation explaining a data analysis to community partners. Assessors rate evidence against criteria for clarity, accuracy, and audience alignment. Students not yet competent revise using targeted feedback and resubmit until standards are met. [2] [3]

Common Challenges and Solutions

Challenge: Defining clear, assessable competencies. Solution: Use explicit performance criteria and exemplars; pilot rubrics and calibrate assessors to improve reliability. [2]
Challenge: Shifting from grades to mastery judgments. Solution: Communicate the purpose of “competent/not yet competent,” emphasize resubmission pathways, and provide progress dashboards. [4]
Challenge: Designing authentic tasks at scale. Solution: Start with capstone competencies, use common rubrics across courses, and set manageable evidence types (e.g., presentations, portfolios). [3]

When to Use Each Type of CBA

Use Curriculum-Based Assessment when your goal is to track day-to-day learning progress aligned to the curriculum and to quickly adjust instruction for growth. It excels in early literacy, foundational math, and any context where frequent, brief measures guide teaching decisions. [1]

Use Competency-Based Assessment when your goal is to certify mastery of defined skills and knowledge, often as part of a broader competency-based education (CBE) model that enables pacing by mastery and iterative improvement through feedback and resubmissions. [2] [4]

Step-by-Step Implementation Roadmaps

A. Curriculum-Based Assessment Roadmap

Prioritize skills : Identify high-leverage skills from your scope and sequence to monitor weekly. [1]
Create probes : Build quick tasks that mirror instruction; pilot with a small group to ensure clarity and timing. [1]
Set benchmarks : Define expected growth rates and aim lines to judge adequacy of progress. [1]
Schedule collection : Administer on the same day/time weekly to standardize conditions. [1]
Analyze and act : Use simple graphs to trigger instructional responses when data fall below thresholds. [1]

B. Competency-Based Assessment Roadmap

Articulate competencies : Draft a competency map with descriptors for foundational, proficient, and advanced performance. [2]
Design rubrics and evidence types : Specify criteria and acceptable evidence (e.g., performance tasks, portfolios, demonstrations). [2]
Integrate formative loops : Build feedback cycles and resubmission windows into unit plans to support mastery. [4]
Train assessors : Calibrate judgments with common exemplars to improve inter-rater reliability. [2]
Record and report : Use “competent/not yet competent” status with narrative feedback and evidence links to maintain transparency. [2]

Choosing and Communicating Your CBA Approach

Educational teams should clarify which meaning of CBA they intend. In multi-tiered systems, both can coexist: curriculum-based assessment for frequent progress checks and competency-based assessment for end-of-unit or program-level mastery certifications. Communicate the purpose, evidence, criteria, and decision rules to students and families to build trust and support equitable outcomes. [1] [2]