# RM targets growing shift towards digital assessment

- Link: https://www.directorstalkinterviews.com/rm-targets-growing-shift-towards-digital-assessment/4121261564
- Published: 2026-09-01T14:33:00+01:00
- Author: Amilia Stone

RM is positioning its Assessment business for a broader move towards digital examinations
as schools, awarding bodies and education authorities reconsider how assessments
should be delivered.

The company argues that the debate should not be reduced to choosing between paper
and screens. Instead, different assessment formats should be used according to the
needs of individual subjects and qualifications, creating scope for digital and 
traditional examinations to operate alongside each other. That approach gives RM
exposure to digital adoption without depending on education systems replacing paper
examinations entirely.

RM sees candidate experience as an important part of assessment reform. Traditional
fixed-format examinations remain appropriate in some circumstances, but the company
believes they can create unnecessary barriers when the assessment method differs
significantly from how students normally learn and complete their work.

A student who routinely types essays in subjects such as History and English, for
example, may be better suited to completing those examinations on screen. The same
student may still prefer paper for Mathematics, where handwritten calculations and
working through problems spatially can be more practical.

RM therefore supports a flexible model rather than an immediate move to fully digital
assessment. The focus is on using technology where it can improve accessibility 
and the assessment experience while maintaining examination standards.

International experience suggests that this type of phased adoption is possible.
RM points to New Zealand, where students can choose between paper and on-screen 
assessments. Participation in digital examinations has increased from around 14,000
students in 2019 to more than 180,000 students across 1,000 schools.

RM believes the UK could follow a similarly measured route. Rather than attempting
to change the examination system at once, digital assessment could be introduced
through pilots, followed by evaluation and refinement before wider deployment. This
reduces implementation risk for awarding organisations and education authorities
while creating a clearer path towards increased use of assessment technology.

RM argues that the UK has used this type of phased approach successfully in previous
education reforms. Testing new assessment models before wider adoption would allow
candidates, teachers and accreditation bodies to provide feedback while giving organisations
the opportunity to identify which digital approaches work in practice.

A flexible approach allows organisations to introduce digital assessment where there
is a clear benefit while retaining established formats elsewhere. It also lowers
the threshold for institutions considering technology-led assessment because implementation
can take place in stages.

_**[RM plc](https://www.directorstalkinterviews.com/company/rm-plc/rm.l)** (LON:
RM) is a global EdTech provider of learning and assessment solutions, supporting
the full learning journey, from early years through to higher education and professional
qualifications. _

Share on: