Samantha Pickering is Head of Measurement and Research Services at the NSW Education Assessment Authority (NESA). She provides the Centre for Educational Measurement and Assessment at Sydney School of Education and Social Work with advice. Dr Pickering will soon commence co-supervising of Higher Degree Research students. She lectures in postgraduate units of study offered under various Master of Education designations and collaborates in research projects that investigate constructing and validating measurement scales for cognitive and non-cognitive constructs.