What type of assessment is characterized by being standardized and must be administered according to prescribed procedures?

The type of assessment characterized by being standardized and requiring administration according to prescribed procedures is formal assessment. Formal assessments are typically designed to measure a learner's abilities, knowledge, or skills in a consistent manner across different individuals or groups. They often involve standardized testing conditions and scoring methods, ensuring that results are comparable and reliable.

Standardized tests are a common example of formal assessments, as they follow strict guidelines for administration, timing, scoring, and interpretation. This ensures that all test-takers experience the same conditions, minimizing variability that could impact performance outcomes.

In contrast, summative assessments evaluate student learning at the end of an instructional unit by comparing it against some standard or benchmark, but they may not always follow prescribed procedures. Informal assessments are more flexible and can occur in a variety of non-standardized formats, such as observations or casual quizzes, and formative assessments are intended to monitor student learning during the instructional process to improve ongoing learning and performance. These do not typically follow stringent standardized procedures.