Why Are Assessments So Expensive?
This is a question I hear often, and I understand why. When parents see the assessment fee, R7500 in my case, there’s usually a pause, a raised eyebrow, or a quiet “that’s a lot.” And it is a lot. Parenting already feels like a continuous stream of school fees, extra murals, birthday party gifts and random emergencies. Adding an assessment on top of that can feel overwhelming.
I’m a parent too, so I get the sting. At the same time, I think parents deserve a clear explanation of why these assessments cost what they do. Not the vague “tests are expensive” answer, but the full picture.
Here’s what actually goes into it.
The assessment tools are extremely costly
The tests psychologists use are not worksheets you can print from Pinterest. They’re standardised, researched, normed on thousands of children, constantly updated and incredibly expensive. A single internationally recognised cognitive assessment can cost tens of thousands of rands. And that’s only one tool.
A proper psychoeducational assessment includes several: cognitive, scholastic, emotional and behavioural measures, each with their own licensing fees, kits and upgrades. If we want results that are accurate and defensible, we have to use tools that meet that standard. There’s simply no shortcut.
The process isn’t a quick in-and-out
The actual face-to-face assessment is usually about four hours with a child, sometimes longer, depending on their age, stamina and support needs. And those hours are intense. We’re observing, analysing, adjusting, pacing, scaffolding and constantly making tiny clinical decisions.
But the time you see is just one part of the process.
Collateral work and consultation
Before an assessment, I gather background information. I speak to parents, teachers and any relevant therapists involved. I review school reports and developmental histories. This helps me plan what to assess and why.
After the assessment, I often contact schools again, clarify concerns, and integrate information across multiple sources. All of that takes time and none of it is billed separately.
Scoring, analysis and interpretation
Once the child leaves, the numbers begin. Every test needs to be scored, compared to age norms, analysed for patterns, and interpreted within the context of their history and daily functioning.
This isn’t pressing a button on a computer. It means looking at:
How different cognitive areas interact
Why certain discrepancies might exist
Whether patterns suggest a learning disorder, attention difficulty, trauma history, or something else entirely
What is significant, and what isn’t
What can be changed through intervention, and what must be supported long-term
This is where the heart of the assessment actually lies. And again — hours of work that aren’t charged separately.
Writing the report
The report is the most time-consuming part of the entire process. It has to be clear, detailed, clinically sound and useful for parents and teachers. It needs to hold enough information to guide the next several years of a child’s schooling.
This is not something you can produce in a rush. If I charged for the full time it takes to write, score, integrate, consult, interpret and prepare recommendations, the true cost would be far higher. Private psychologists absorb a large part of this time so that assessments remain accessible to as many families as possible.
So why R7500?
Because that cost reflects:
Standardised tools worth tens of thousands
A full morning or day of 1:1 contact
Multiple hours of scoring and analysis
Collateral consultations
Integration of developmental, cognitive, emotional and scholastic information
A comprehensive written report
Practical recommendations for home and school
Follow-up communication where needed
When you look at the entire process, the fee is less about “paying for a test” and more about paying for a specialist to gather complex information, make sense of it, and give you answers you can trust.
A final thought
Educational assessments are not luxury items. For many children they are the turning point the moment someone finally puts the puzzle pieces together. A good assessment can open doors, unlock accommodations, guide interventions and protect a child from years of unnecessary academic struggle.
I wish these services were universally accessible. I wish every school had funding for them. Until that becomes reality, my role is to make sure that every assessment I do is thorough, ethical and genuinely useful.
If you’re investing in an assessment, you deserve to know exactly what you’re paying for. I hope this brings some clarity.
