Selfassessing

Self-assessing, or self-assessment, is the process of evaluating one’s own knowledge, skills, performance, or situation. It contrasts with external assessment and is used in education, work, and personal development to support learning and accountability.

The goal is to increase self-awareness, identify gaps, set goals, and guide action. Structured criteria, rubrics, checklists, rating scales, and reflective notes often accompany self-assessing, with evidence gathered from work samples, outcomes, or measurements.

Applications include education (students checking their work and progress), professional development (informing development plans), and health or personal contexts (monitoring symptoms or behaviors). In organizations, self-assessment supports continuous improvement, quality programs, and risk management by highlighting strengths and areas for change.

Limitations include cognitive biases, miscalibration, and social desirability. Over- or underestimating abilities is common if criteria are unclear. Mitigation relies on explicit criteria, training in metacognition, and triangulation with external feedback.

Best practices involve using structured criteria, providing exemplars, documenting evidence, setting SMART goals, and scheduling regular reassessment. When used with ongoing feedback, self-assessing can enhance autonomy, motivation, and learning.