About This Course
The Specialist Assessor: Practical Assessment of Learners with Literacy Difficulties and Dyslexia (SpLD) is an assessed, non-credit-bearing Bangor University continuing professional development (CPD) course delivered through the Miles Dyslexia Centre.
The course develops specialist assessment skills, including literacy assessment, psychometric testing, diagnostic assessment and professional report writing. You will learn to administer and interpret assessments, evaluate findings and make informed, evidence-based recommendations.
The course does not carry Bangor University academic credit and successful completion does not lead to a Bangor University academic qualification.
You may study this course individually or as part of the Specialist Teacher and Assessor Professional Training Pathway.
View the Specialist Teacher and Assessor Professional Training Pathway
Who is this course suitable for?
This course may be suitable for experienced:
- teachers
- specialist literacy tutors
- Additional Learning Needs practitioners
- speech and language therapists
- other professionals involved in literacy assessment or supporting learners with literacy difficulties and dyslexia.
Before beginning this course, applicants must have successfully completed The Science of Literacy Difficulties for Intervention and Assessment and the Specialist Practitioner course, unless equivalent prior learning has been formally accepted by the Miles Dyslexia Centre.
Please contact the Miles Dyslexia Centre if you have completed relevant training with another provider or are unsure whether you meet the requirements.
What will you learn?
Through the course, you will develop your ability to:
- select and administer appropriate literacy and psychometric assessments
- score and interpret assessment results accurately
- evaluate cognitive strengths and areas of difficulty using assessment data
- integrate evidence from different sources when reaching diagnostic conclusions
- understand the principles of psychometrics and educational testing
- conduct assessments ethically and professionally
- produce clear diagnostic assessment reports that meet current professional standards
- make informed, evidence-based recommendations for support, intervention and reasonable adjustments
- reflect critically on your assessment practice.
Professional recognition
Subject to the current requirements of the relevant professional organisation, successful completion of all three pathway courses will enable eligible learners to apply separately for specialist teacher-assessor professional recognition and an Assessment Practising Certificate through a SASC-approved professional association, such as the BDA, Patoss or Dyslexia Action.
Professional recognition, membership and an Assessment Practising Certificate are not awarded automatically by Bangor University. Learners must apply separately and meet the relevant organisation’s current eligibility, membership, application and fee requirements.
Duration and study commitment
The course is delivered over six months, with an additional three months available to complete the assessed work. You should therefore allow up to nine months to complete the course.
You should plan for approximately 12 hours of independent study each week alongside scheduled teaching, practical assessment activity and assessment-focused training.
The next course is expected to begin in September 2027.
Assessment
Assessment methods may include:
- written assignments exploring the research and theoretical frameworks underpinning specialist assessment
- online assessments and activities
- reflective reports supporting ethical and professional practice
- recorded evidence demonstrating assessment and professional-interaction skills
- practice diagnostic assessment reports
- practical psychometric assessment tasks, including administration, scoring and interpretation.
Formative activities and tutor feedback are used throughout the course to support your learning and the development of your assessment practice. Summative assessment is used to determine whether you have met the course requirements.
Tutor
Ruth Elliott
CPD Lead at the Miles Dyslexia Centre
Ruth Elliott is a specialist teacher and assessor of children and adults with literacy difficulties. She is a qualified teacher and holds AMBDA with the British Dyslexia Association. She is the CPD Lead at the Miles Dyslexia Centre and is also a content creator and adviser for the CA:LON project.
Course Content
What will you study on this course?
The course develops the knowledge and practical skills needed to undertake specialist assessments of learners with literacy difficulties and dyslexia.
Topics may include:
- principles of specialist literacy and diagnostic assessment
- psychometrics and educational testing
- selecting appropriate assessment tools
- administering and scoring assessments accurately
- interpreting literacy and cognitive assessment data
- integrating evidence from different sources
- diagnostic decision-making
- ethical and professional assessment practice
- professional report writing
- making evidence-based recommendations for support and reasonable adjustments.
How is the course delivered?
The course is delivered flexibly through a combination of live online teaching, recorded learning materials, online activities, tutor support and practical assessment activity.
Learners who have access to the assessment materials used on the course may be able to complete the course fully online.
Learners who need to use assessment materials provided by the Miles Dyslexia Centre must attend face-to-face sessions at Bangor University. An additional charge of £120 for each assessment applies for using these materials and the Centre’s assessment facilities. This charge is reviewed each September.
Teaching is delivered through the medium of English, with additional specialist Welsh-medium sessions.
Some resources and assessed work are available through Welsh or English, but formal diagnostic assessment reports must be submitted in English to meet current professional requirements.
Course Cost
For the 2026/27 academic year, the fee for this individual course is £1,950.
If you book all three courses as the Specialist Teacher and Assessor Professional Training Pathway, the total discounted fee is £4,750.
View the full professional training pathway
Learners who need to use assessment materials provided by the Miles Dyslexia Centre will be charged an additional £120 for each assessment. This charge is reviewed each September.
Fees charged by external professional organisations for membership, professional recognition or an Assessment Practising Certificate are not included in the course fee.
Entry Requirements
Before beginning this course, applicants must have successfully completed:
- The Science of Literacy Difficulties for Intervention and Assessment
- Specialist Practitioner: Teaching Learners with Literacy Difficulties and Dyslexia (SpLD).
Equivalent prior learning completed with another provider may be considered, but must be formally accepted by the Miles Dyslexia Centre before the course begins.
Applicants should also:
- have at least two years’ relevant experience of working with children and young people in an educational, therapeutic or learning-support role
- have the academic skills, professional experience and capacity needed to undertake demanding part-time professional study and assessed practical work
- have strong reading, writing and communication skills
- be able to meet the practical assessment requirements of the course.
Please contact the Miles Dyslexia Centre if you are unsure whether your qualifications, experience or previous study meet the requirements.
Teaching is delivered through the medium of English, with additional specialist Welsh-medium sessions.
Some resources and assessed work are available through Welsh or English, but formal diagnostic assessment reports must be submitted in English to meet current professional requirements.
Applicants whose first language is neither Welsh nor English may be asked to provide evidence of English-language proficiency equivalent to IELTS 6.0.
Application
Apply for this course or the full pathway
To apply for the Specialist Assessor: Practical Assessment of Learners with Literacy Difficulties and Dyslexia (SpLD) as an individual CPD course, or as part of the full Specialist Teacher and Assessor Professional Training Pathway, complete the application form below.
The form will ask you to select whether you are applying for the full pathway or for an individual course.
Apply for this course or the full pathway
Need advice before applying?
If you would like to discuss your eligibility, previous specialist training, professional accreditation aims or whether this is the most appropriate course for you, complete our enquiry form or contact the Miles Dyslexia Centre:
Email: mdc-training@bangor.ac.uk
Request advice from the Miles Dyslexia Centre
Professional recognition
Applying for a Bangor University CPD course is separate from applying for professional recognition, membership or an Assessment Practising Certificate through an external professional organisation.