This paper presents a brief review of the relative merits of norm-reference
d and criterion-referenced assessment of undergraduate students' written wo
rk. Acknowledging that there are both positive and negative aspects of crit
erion referencing, a generic framework for such assessment of undergraduate
essays is presented. It comprises criteria and standards (organised by 'di
mensions of achievement', i.e. content, process, affect and skills), profic
iency standards for English language and communication competence, and cart
ographic and graphic skills. Problems of implementation include the size an
d complexity of the framework and the need to interpret and clarify the cri
teria and standards for students.