Assessment for confidence: Exploring the impact that low-stakes assessment design has on student retention

•Formal assessment anxiety is a key contributor to student attrition.•Innovative assessment design engages students into their communities of practice.•Innovative and low-stakes assessment design aids student confidence.•Assessment for confidence is important for student engagement and retention.

This article explores student achievement and confidence in a university Business School. The research is centred on creating innovative assessments during the key transition year focussing on creating Assessment for Confidence. This aims to eliminate barriers to success, improve student engagement with their Community Of Practice and therefore increase student retention.This study consisted of longitudinal practitioner action research over four years within the University of Cumbria Business School identifying students' perceptions of their barriers to learning. The research identified study skills, academic language, socialisation and traditional formal assessment as the main barriers to student achievement. Key conclusions were that early low-stakes assessment designed for improving confidence was an excellent vehicle for increasing student engagement and retention.