Entries Open for the 2026 International e-Assessment Awards: New Categories Celebrate AI Innovation, Sector Excellence and Outstanding Practitioners

The e-Assessment Association (eAA) today announces the launch of the 2026 International e-Assessment Awards, celebrating the people, projects and organisations driving assessment forward across education, professional certification and the workplace.

Now in its tenth year, the Awards continue to showcase how technology is transforming assessment from classroom feedback to global testing at scale.

For 2026, the Awards programme is expanding significantly, with new categories reflecting the evolving landscape of digital assessment, including the rapid rise of AI and the growing maturity of digital transformation across education sectors.

Matt Wingfield, Chair of the Judges, says, "Each year we see extraordinary commitment and creativity from individuals and organisations using technology to improve assessment. In 2026 we're shining an even brighter light on the people with the vision, drive and determination to make assessment more accessible, more trustworthy, and more aligned to the skills the world needs. We're also expanding our AI categories, recognising the huge potential of AI transform assessment while celebrating those who are doing this responsibly and transparently."

What's New for 2026?
This year's new awards reflect the evolution of digital assessment including three dedicated to the fast-growing role of AI:
- AI in Content & Test Development Award recognising the innovative use of AI in the creation and development of assessment content.
- AI in Marking Award celebrating innovative projects using AI to support the marking of essays, free-text responses, or handwritten scripts.
- AI in Test Delivery (Security, Online Proctoring, ID Validation) Award honouring excellence in the application of AI to secure and enhance the delivery of assessments.
Winners across these categories will be considered for the AI in Assessment Innovation Overall Award.

Recognising excellence across the education sector, three new institutional awards have also been introduced:
- Best University Digital Assessment Award celebrating universities that have implemented a digital assessment programme or initiative which has transformed assessment at scale, supporting both academic excellence and the student experience.
- Best College Digital Assessment Award recognising digital assessment programmes or initiatives delivering measurable improvements in teaching, learning, and assessment practice in vocational, technical, professional training or academic contexts.
- Best Schools Digital Assessment Award recognising a school or group of schools that has successfully implemented a digital assessment programme or initiative that has brought clear and demonstrable benefits to teaching, learning, and assessment.

2026 Award Categories
Best Summative Assessment recognising projects which bring clearly identifiable benefits to summative assessment.
- Best Formative Assessment Project recognising projects which bring clearly identifiable benefits to formative assessment.
- Best Research acknowledging the considerable contribution made to an area of research in support of e-assessment.
- The Most Innovative Use of Technology in Assessment spotlighting projects that are highly innovative in terms of new assessment technology, or how assessment technology is used in a new and different way.
- Best International Implementation recognising effective assessment programmes in one or more countries outside of the entrant's home country.
- Best Workplace or Talent Assessment Project celebrating workplace digital assessment projects or solutions bringing clearly identifiable benefits to workplace or talent assessment.
- Best Transformational Project honouring projects where technology has positively and genuinely transformed assessment practices.
- Professional Certification Programme of the Year recognising digital certification demonstrating innovation, impact, and best practices in the technology enabled assessment industry.
- Excellence in Accessibility Award - Recognising projects, institutions and initiatives that have placed accessibility and inclusivity at the centre of digital assessment design.

In addition there are three Practitioner Awards:
- The CIEA Educational Assessment Outcomes Award recognising an educational assessment project or approach drawing on appropriate theory and/or practice he use of digital assessment to improve teaching and learning.
- Best Practitioner of the Year Individual or Team Award acknowledging a team or individual using technology in an innovative way to make a difference to their students.
- Outstanding Contribution Award - Celebrating individuals whose leadership and influence continue to shape and advance digital assessment.
- Outstanding Contribution Award celebrating an individual at any stage of their career whose leadership and influence has had a significant impact on digital assessment.

All entries are reviewed by a respected global judging panel with extensive expertise across assessment, technology, policy and research.

Enter Now
Full details and entry submissions are available at: https://eassessmentawards.awardstage.com/

Key Dates
- Free Entries Close: Friday 19 December 2025, 12:00 GMT
- Final Entry Deadline: Thursday 12 February 2026, 12:00 GMT
- Winners Revealed: Tuesday 9 June 2026 at the Awards Gala Dinner during the 2026 International e-Assessment Conference in London.

PR contact: Tacey Shrimpton, pr@e-assessment.com
c/o AlphaPlus, c/o AQA Education Ltd, Devas Street, Manchester. M15 6EX

About the eAA
1. Founded in 2008, the e-Assessment Association is a not-for-profit, global membership organisation representing all industry sectors with an interest in e-Assessment including schools, FE and HE through to qualification providers, regulators, technology providers and industry consultants.
2. Membership of the e-Assessment Association is free.
3. With over 5,500 members worldwide we have three main goals:
a. to promote better assessment of knowledge, skills and capabilities of people through technology.
b. to build awareness of the benefits that technology brings to assessment, particularly around delivering better learning and assessment, rather than just greater efficiency.
c. to ensure we have a strong voice and influence in the key policy debates involving the assessment of learning, training and competency.
4. For more information about the awards, visit https://eassessmentawards.awardstage.com/
5. Find out more about the e-Assessment Association at https://www.e-assessment.com/
6. Follow us on Twitter at @eAssess and on LinkedIn at https://www.linkedin.com/company/e-assessment-association

This release was published on openPR.