What is the primary goal of a diagnostic assessment?

The primary goal of a diagnostic assessment is to determine areas of strength and weakness in a student. This type of assessment is designed to gather detailed information about a student's current skills, knowledge, and abilities in specific areas, helping educators identify individual learning needs. By pinpointing strengths, teachers can build upon them to enhance learning, while understanding weaknesses allows for targeted interventions that can support the student's development.

This focused approach helps ensure that instruction is tailored to meet the unique needs of each learner, making it especially valuable in Exceptional Student Education (ESE) settings where individualized instruction is critical for student success.