The significant increase in the use of large-scale assessment studies (LSAS) for education reform (Benveniste, 2002; Kellaghan & Greaney, 2001; UNESCO, 2000) can be attributed to a number of causes, including the focus on learning outcomes as an indicator for education quality, the emphasis on the results agenda as advocated by the international donor community (Lockheed, 2011), and the impact of globalisation on education in general and assessment in particular (Carnoy, 2000; Jansen, 2001). The focus on measuring learning outcomes as an indicator of education quality was advocated at the 1990 Education For All (EFA) world conference in Jomtien (UNESCO, 2000), and reinforced at the 2000 EFA world conference in Dakar (Kellaghan & Greaney, 2003). The emphasis on cognitive outcomes is best understood when viewed in the context of the following argument presented in the EFA Global Monitoring Report (UNESCO, 2004, p.43):

While LSAS have the potential to significantly impact on what is taught and how it is taught (Abu-Alhija, 2007; Black & Wiliam, 2007), there has been limited focus on the impact of these studies on the learning and teaching process (Kellaghan & Greaney, 2003; Pellegrino, Chudowsky & Glaser, 2001; UNESCO, 2000). It is also widely recognised that the number of countries conducting LSAS is likely to increase in the future (Forster, 2002). Given the significant financial and human resource investments required for conducting LSAS, there is an urgent need to ensure that these studies yield greater value for money – that is, an increase in learning outcomes. However, there is limited information pertaining to the cost benefit of these studies (Kellaghan & Greaney, 2001).