Game-Based Assessment: Between Goals and Psychometric Rigor

High-quality psychometric assessment is essential in several domains, e.g., in education, where it is used for evaluating students’ knowledge and skill. However, traditional psychometric methods are often challenged due to various undesirable characteristics associated with their use in the real world (i.e., anxiety and social desirability bias) . To overcome these limitations and to provide more meaningful and realistic assessment, a class of game‐related assessments has been developed (Game-Based Assessments – GBAs). However, to develop reliable and scientifically based game tools, these new approaches require addressing interdisciplinary challenges, where the clear definition of the target constructs, the soundness of psychometric techniques, and specific aims (e.g., game-based assessment vs. game-based learning) are of capital importance. Psychometric topics, such as reliability, validity, and traditional data analysis techniques, as well as methodological and developmental aspects of GBAs, will be examined with particular attention to the benefits and challenges these new game-based approaches are posing. Furthermore, this paper focuses on digital GBAs that offer new evaluation possibilities through process data and computational psychometrics approaches. Finally, we discuss preliminary efforts by psychometricians and game designers to overcome the pitfalls inherent in developing game-based assessment approaches.