When introducing new modes of assessment in school in order to enhance learning, it is worthwhile to take into account modes of assessment that facilitate learning in apprenticeship training. What today may be announced as signifi cant innovations in assessment for learning in school-such as feedback, formative assessment, peer assessment, and self-assessmenthave been key parts of apprentice training in European crafts since medieval times. The introduction of new modes of assessment in schools, in line with principles of modern learning psychology, tends to run into a series of dilemmas, which will be highlighted here by addressing assessment for learning within the institutional practices of the workplace and the educational system. The societal functions of assessment for selection, for disciplining, and for learning, differ markedly within apprenticeships and schools. The dominant roles of selection and disciplining in school assessments provide major obstacles to the implementation of new modes of assessment to facilitate student learning.