This paper brings a discussion on issues that should be taken into account in the process of finding out what students know in the context of the Portuguese education system. That process is too dependent on external assessment tools (i.e., national standardized examinations), whose limitations are well established in related works. There is a need to seriously consider internal assessment as it has the potential to provide us with a wider and deeper understanding of what students know. The discussion of the main features of external assessment allowed reflections on some contemporary challenges that must be faced by the Portuguese society.
Students' knowledge; Learning assessment; Internal assessment; External assessment