Is a single high stakes exam still the best way to demonstrate competence? As badges and microcredentials reshape how skills are recognized, this panel explores the growing shift toward workplace-based and practice-ready assessment: programs of authentic, lower stakes evaluation built into real work rather than concentrated in one high stakes sitting. Panelists will discuss what these programs look like in practice, the evidence on their validity and defensibility, the practical challenges of scaling authentic assessment, and how this shift connects with the rise of microcredentials and stacked competencies. Attendees will leave with a clearer view of how far this model can go and what to consider before building one.