Concise Data Processing Assessment (CDPA)

The Concise Data Processing Assessment (CDPA) is a ten-question, multiple-choice diagnostic designed to measure students’ abilities with measurement, uncertainty, and data handling—skills essential in any physics or astronomy lab. Validated through expert review and student interviews, the CDPA probes how students interpret uncertainty, connect numbers to models and graphs, and make sense of real data. This session will provide an overview of the CDPA’s purpose, what it can and cannot reveal about student learning, practical tips for implementation and interpretation, and time for discussion on using it to inform instruction.

This event is free, and is offered online using Zoom.

During the 2025-2026 academic year, we are offering a series of presentation-discussion-workshops to share some of the many research-validated assessment instruments used in the physics education community. Join us to learn how you can use these instruments to inform your teaching, to assess your students' learning, and to contribute to a wider body of knowledge about physics students at two-year colleges.

Facilitator: James Day (University of British Columbia)

Resources:

• J. Day and D.A. Bonn (2011). "Development of the Concise Data Processing Assessment." PRST-PER 7, 010114. 
• J. Day, J.B. Stang, N.G. Holmes, D. Kumar, D.A. Bonn (2016). "Gender gaps and gendered action in a first-year physics laboratory." PRPER 12, 020104.