*Lee Yee Ling, Aishath Wadheefa, Tay Kok Jun, Vinothini Vasodavan, Moses Samuel

Abstract: In the dynamic landscape of primary education, assessment plays a pivotal role in shaping the learning journey of young students. The evolving educational paradigms and the diverse needs of students necessitates a nuanced understanding of assessment practices employed across different educational systems. In this comparative study which involves three British colonial countries, Brunei Darussalam, Malaysia and Maldives, we seek to unravel the paradigm shifts in assessment at the primary level from a historical perspective. We discuss the intricacies of assessment systems in each country and examine how policymakers reform the assessment system, while attempting to seek a balance between strengthening national identities and aligning the systems with global development. We compared and analysed the primary school assessments from four dimensions: shift from national standardised examinations to school based assessment; assessment in transdisciplinary curriculum; language policies in assessment; and reporting of assessment outcomes. The findings of this comparative analysis show that there are similarities and differences between the assessment systems in these three countries in the post-colonial era. This study also reveals the common patterns and unique trends in assessment that take place across the three countries.