Verification-based assessment

How do you know it works?

I use verification checks in everyday quizzes at St. Paul’s. This Java example lets you find a counterexample and test the repair.

Try a verification check

Java access-rule audit

The Java policy: a person needs a valid pass and either membership or a guest invitation.

Java demonstration

AccessRule.javaOriginal rule

// Should this person be allowed in?
boolean allowEntry =
  hasPass && isMember || isGuest;

Valid passhasPassfalseMemberisMemberfalseGuest invitationisGuesttrue

The code saysAllow entry

The policy saysDeny entry

A Java counterexample: the code and the policy disagree.

Java demonstration

The conversation around the code

Use the Java example to move from a test result to a student’s explanation.

In Java, try a guest invitation without a valid pass. Then check all 8 combinations.

For the teacher

The 8-case table tests every input in this Boolean model.

At St. Paul’s School

I use verification checks in my own St. Paul’s classes as everyday quizzes. The Java example above shows the kind of reasoning a check can require.

My article in CSTA’s The Voice, published September 8, 2026, explains why verification belongs in computer science assessment.