Interviews with teams of teachers at two Australian technical and further education (TAFE) institutes (the Lawson Institute of TAFE Motor Mechanics and the Franklin Institute of TAFE Disability and Aged Care) were used to examine the theoretical and practical tensions experienced by TAFE teachers when making assessment judgments within the original competency-based training paradigm and according to the assessment criteria incorporated into training packages. Both teams stated that assessment judgments are not simple, consistent, reliable, or reproducible. The study established that individuals and teams were making judgments within a social and historical context and that a range of problems must be solved during the judgment process. The Lawson staff freely acknowledged that individuals in the team apply differing standards when assessing students. Team members appeared proud of their own professional standards, and most believed that their practice of assessing students differently prepares students for the "real world," where standards vary markedly. The Franklin staff members were distinctly committed to being a strong team that consciously works through issues together and seeks to have a collective response. The unit of judgment at Lawson was the individual teacher, whereas at Franklin, the unit of judgment was the team. (Contains 11 references.) (MN)