ISO/IEC 23988:2007 PDF

Overview

ISO/IEC 23988:2007 - "Information technology - A code of practice for the use of information technology (IT) in the delivery of assessments" - is an international guidance standard for the secure, fair and consistent use of IT to deliver, record and score assessments. It focuses on the specific IT aspects of assessment delivery across the full assessment life cycle, helping organisations demonstrate that IT-delivered assessments are valid, secure and do not disadvantage candidates (for example, those with limited IT literacy). The standard is advisory (code of practice), platform-agnostic and intended for both high‑stakes and low‑stakes assessments.

Key topics and technical requirements

ISO/IEC 23988:2007 concentrates on IT-related measures and good practice, including:

• Assessment life cycle coverage - guidance across lifecycle steps (identification, design, preparation/calibration, pre-registration, distribution, authentication, delivery, response return, scoring/result determination, data return, analysis, appeals and certification).
• Roles and responsibilities - recommendations for assessment sponsors, assessment distributors and assessment centres, and how responsibilities may be shared.
• Security and authenticity - measures to show summative assessments are conducted under secure conditions and that candidate responses are authentic.
• Fairness and accessibility - ensuring IT delivery does not disadvantage groups (accessibility, usability, practice materials and instructions).
• Software usability and navigation - guidance on delivery software, navigation, and candidate interface to preserve validity.
• Automated scoring and feedback - rules for instant automated scoring, result determination and feedback, and limits where human review is required.
• Data handling - preparation, transmission and storage of assessment content, candidate details and responses, including evidence for regulatory or funding bodies.
• Assessment centre operations - equipment, facilities, staffing, session preparation/conduct, and procedures for emergencies and technical failures.

Practical applications and users

ISO/IEC 23988:2007 is applicable to organisations using IT for assessments, such as:

• universities, schools and distance-learning providers
• awarding bodies, professional and vocational certification organisations
• assessment distributors and centres (testing service providers)
• developers and vendors of assessment delivery software
• employers and regulatory bodies requiring compliance testing

Practical uses include designing IT delivery processes, drafting centre regulations, assessing software quality, preparing documentation for regulators and ensuring consistent procedures across multiple distributors or centres.

Related standards and notes

• Developed by ISO/IEC JTC 1 and adopted from BS 7988, ISO/IEC 23988:2007 complements domain-specific legislation (data protection, disability, health & safety) and other ISO/IEC information‑technology standards.
• It is guidance rather than a prescriptive specification - compliance claims should reflect that this is a code of practice.

Keywords: ISO/IEC 23988:2007, IT-delivered assessments, assessment security, assessment fairness, assessment life cycle, assessment centres, automated scoring.