Alternative assessment is also called a performance test or authentic assessment because it is deeply rooted in one’s ability to do something by leveraging newly-gained knowledge. As part of the assessment, the student will need to perform meaningful tasks that reflect a clear understanding of the teaching and learning objectives

To better understand what alternative assessment is, let’s first look at some of the things alternative assessment is not.

Alternative assessment is not a high-stake or standardized method of evaluating students’ knowledge.
It is not a replacement for other methods of classroom assessment like formative and summative assessment methods.
Alternative assessment does not measure the learner’s performance.
Results from alternative assessments are not presented as quantitative or numerical data.