evaluar
verbCEFR B1
What does “evaluar” mean in English?
to assess, to evaluate
to assess, to evaluate (a student's knowledge, progress, or performance)
Example sentences
El sistema de evaluación continua permite que los profesores evalúen el progreso del alumno a lo largo del curso, no solo al final del semestre.
The continuous assessment system allows teachers to evaluate student progress throughout the course, not only at the end of the semester.
Para evaluar la comprensión oral, el departamento utiliza grabaciones auténticas de hablantes nativos en lugar de actores de estudio.
To assess listening comprehension, the department uses authentic recordings of native speakers rather than studio actors.
Es difícil evaluar la creatividad con los mismos criterios que se usan para evaluar la gramática, ya que son competencias de naturaleza muy distinta.
It is difficult to assess creativity with the same criteria used to assess grammar, since they are competencies of a very different nature.
How to use it
Evaluar means 'to assess' or 'to evaluate' and is the formal academic term for measuring a student's knowledge or performance. It is transitive and takes either a person (evaluar al alumno) or an activity/product (evaluar el trabajo, evaluar el progreso) as its object. In Spain and Latin America, the noun evaluación is very common in official educational documents. At B1, it is important to distinguish evaluar (broader assessment process) from calificar (to give a grade/mark) and corregir (to mark/correct specific errors).
Common mistake
Evaluar (assess) and calificar (grade/mark) are not interchangeable. Evaluar refers to the broader process of measuring competence; calificar refers specifically to assigning a numerical or letter grade. In everyday teacher speech: 'voy a corregir los exámenes y luego los califico' — corregir first (mark the errors), then calificar (assign the grade). Don't use evaluar when you just mean 'give a mark'.