The central question to be addressed here is whether any test can be defended as ethical, or moral. Ethicality is defined in terms of issues such as harm, consent, confidentiality of data and fairness. Frameworks for determining equity of edu cational opportunity are presented and discussed. A statewide assessment project in Victoria, Australia (the Learning Assessment Project) is then examined in relation to these concerns, and the possibility of more ethical approaches to testing is considered.
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