# Internal Assessment > Internal Assessment means the process where teachers or independent staff evaluate a student's academic progress or an activity's effectiveness **Term:** Internal Assessment **Last updated:** 2026-07-29 ## Definition ## What Internal Assessment Means in a Contract Internal Assessment is a contractual mechanism describing an evaluation carried out by people connected to the organization delivering a service, rather than by an outside body. In education-related agreements, this typically means teachers or academic staff judging a student's coursework, practical performance, or overall progress against defined criteria. In other commercial contexts, the phrase can be adapted to describe a business unit or independent internal staff evaluating whether an activity, product, or process is meeting its intended objectives. The key distinguishing feature of Internal Assessment is that it happens inside the contracting organization's own structure, using its own personnel and criteria, as opposed to an external audit or third-party review. This does not mean the assessment lacks rigor; many contracts specify that the internal evaluators must act independently, follow documented criteria, and avoid conflicts of interest when scoring or reporting results. Because the term touches on both educational and organizational evaluation, its meaning in any given