Several respondents stated these assessments are limited in scope; the tools tend to assess reading and writing competencies, but do not fully assess other areas such as numeracy and speaking and listening skills. In summary, the general nature of authentic assessment tools impacts upon their ability to be used for placement and instructional purposes. As well, these tools cannot be used to measure progress in terms of reading levels, as they do not contain parallel forms.

Second, the respondents expressed the concern that these tools were not recognized by other institutions. This means that the assessment results have limited transferability between institutions. Consequently, these tests cannot always be used for exit assessments.

Third, effective administration and interpretation of authentic assessment is dependent upon the experience of the examiner. According to one respondent, the "the potential weakness of [authentic assessment] is that it requires an experienced educator to evaluate the work produced by the student and to begin his/her program at the appropriate level." Some educators, particularly those who are new to the field, may not possess the observational skills needed to identify a student's strengths and weaknesses. It is often difficult for educators to access generic training in how to use these tools, as each tool is unique to the agency that developed it.

Fourth, the interpretation of test results can be subjective. This can result in differences of opinion about how to place and instruct the student. One respondent stated that "the weakness is in the interpretation of the results among instructors, especially with writing assessments. There is sometimes a difference of opinion about what level the writing sample is at."

Finally, many of the respondents commented that authentic assessments are time consuming, in terms of development and administration. It is particularly challenging for part-time instructors to find the time to develop these tools. In summary, educators need to weigh the time it takes to develop and administer these tools against the information the tools provide in terms of placement and instruction.