# Setting up junior assessment

> Academium SMS Help › Exam Center
> For: School Owner, School Admin
> Web page: https://helpcenter.academium.com.ng/academium-sms/article/sms-setting-up-junior-assessment
> Last updated: 2026-10-06

A mark out of 100 means little for a four-year-old. **Junior assessment** lets teachers rate younger learners on **skills** instead, such as communication or motor skills, using a scale your school chooses. It is under **Exam Center → Jr Assessment**, and needs a plan that includes it.

Set it up in this order.

## 1. Skills categories

Categories group skills together, for example *Communication*, *Motor Skills* or *Social Development*. You name them, and they **print on the report card**. Open **Skills Categories**.

## 2. Skills items

Items are the individual skills inside a category, for example *Listens attentively* under *Communication*. Open **Skills Items**.

## 3. Rating scale

The rating scale is the set of ratings teachers choose from, such as *Developing*, *Progressing* and *Proficient*. Open **Rating Scale**. Each rating has a **value** (used to rank learners) and a **display order**. Academium flags ratings that share the same value or position.

## 4. Allocating categories to classes

Choose which categories each class is rated on. The rating sheet only shows the categories allocated to the class.

The quickest way: in **Academics → Classes**, turn on **Assessed on skills** for a class. Every active category is allocated to it. See [Classes and sections](https://helpcenter.academium.com.ng/academium-sms/article/sms-classes-and-sections.md).

## Good to know

Categories, items and ratings that have already been used for learners **cannot be deleted**, so past reports stay correct.

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