Limitations of Electronic Assessment: A Systematic Review

Abstract

Electronic assessment—also referred to as online, digital, or automated assessment—has become an integral component of modern education, particularly in the context of e-learning and blended learning environments. It facilitates the evaluation of students’ knowledge, skills, and attitudes while offering notable advantages such as flexibility, cost-effectiveness, and enhanced access to educational data. Despite its growing prominence, electronic assessment is not without its limitations, which can hinder its effectiveness and broader adoption in educational settings. This study aims to systematically identify and analyze the key limitations associated with electronic assessment, with the goal of informing improved practices and aligning assessment strategies with future educational demands. Employing the PRISMA framework, a systematic review was conducted using articles published between 2000 and 2024. Relevant studies were sourced from databases such as Scopus, Google Scholar, and ScienceDirect, using a comprehensive set of search terms related to electronic assessment and its constraints across various educational contexts. The review identified ten major categories of limitations: technical issues, academic integrity concerns, accessibility and equity challenges, difficulties in measuring learning outcomes, data privacy risks, student inexperience, inadequate technical infrastructure, inaccuracies in scoring and grading, challenges in assessing group work, and limited teacher familiarity with assessment technologies. These challenges underscore the need for strategic improvements to maximize the reliability, equity, and pedagogical value of electronic assessments. Furthermore, the findings reveal a predominant focus in the literature on assessing individual content knowledge, with relatively limited exploration of broader educational outcomes or diverse theoretical frameworks. Addressing these gaps—both methodological and practical—will be critical to enhancing the future role of electronic assessment in education.