'assessment-driven' originates from Modern English, specifically the words 'assessment' and 'driven', where 'assessment' ultimately comes from Latin 'assessare' (via Old French) meaning 'to evaluate/assess' and 'driven' is the past participle of 'drive' from Old English 'drīfan' meaning 'to drive'.

'assessment' developed from Latin 'assessare' → Old French forms (e.g. 'assesser') → Middle English 'assessen' and eventually the noun 'assessment'; 'driven' is the past participle form of Old English 'drīfan' → Middle English 'drive'; these elements were combined in modern English to form the compound adjective 'assessment-driven'.

Initially, the components referred separately to 'the act of assessing' and 'being driven/propelled'; over time the compound came to mean 'guided or motivated primarily by assessment' in contexts such as education, policy, or management.