Remote Assessment Practices in Post-Pandemic Education (2020-2025): A Scoping Review of Trends, Challenges, and Policy Implications

Despite the rapid shift to remote education during the COVID-19 pandemic, a clear synthesis of assessment practices, their implementation patterns, and associated challenges across educational contexts remains limited. Although contemporary approaches are often described as authentic and competency based, there is still a need to identify how they have been applied and with what outcomes. The transition to distance learning necessitated the adoption of diverse remote assessment methods, revealing gaps in understanding their frequency, effectiveness, and contextual challenges. This study presents a scoping literature review analyzing remote assessment practices and their use between 2020 and 2025. It examines challenges faced by educators and students, alongside the effectiveness and outcomes of various methods. A total of 39 studies were reviewed using thematic analysis supported by MAXQDA through both deductive and inductive coding, applying a qualitative summative content analysis approach. The findings indicate that formative assessment was the most frequently reported assessment method among studies explicitly distinguishing assessment types (92%; 11 of 12 studies), with far less emphasis on assignment and summative methods. It supports learning continuity, enhances engagement, and promotes interactive and reflective learning through digital formats such as feedback, peer assessment, and self-assessment. However, its effectiveness is constrained by recurring challenges related to teacher preparedness, student readiness, technological limitations, and ethical concerns. The study recommends integrating technology to develop flexible digital assessment resources aligned with diverse learning needs and contexts. It also emphasizes the need for continuous teacher training and immediate technical support to enable effective assessment design. Notably, this need is consistently reported across both developed and developing countries.