the section also explores how responsibilities for assessment are distributed in different countries and how different levels of governance interact to form a coherent assessment system this includes the scope of assessment ie the areas of learning that are covered by the assessment as well as the key procedural features of student assessment across countries ie the mix of instruments used in specific student assessment systems the format of assessments and the use of ict in assessment it also reviews ways in which the design of assessments can enhance or threaten fairness and equity in education it includes issues such as the capacities students need to engage in and leam from their assessment the assessment competencies that teachers acquire in initial teacher education professional development and moderation arrangements and the expertise of the agencies involved in student assessment it describes standards of quality and reporting formats used in different contexts reviews the legal frameworks in place to regulate reporting of results and discusses the ways in which assessment results are used in different contexts to record information provide feedback to students and make decisions about their further educational trajectory