The meaning of soil quality (SQ) and the scale for SQ assessment varies with goal of the practices of using and managing soils, and the latter has become an important perspective in the research of SQ assessment (hereinafter referred to as “the research”). Existing researches in this aspect focus mainly on SQ assessments on small and medium spatial scales under a specific land use type or farming conditions, while little has been done on the research on large spatial scales.【Objective】In order to identify core content of SQ assessment, and to analyze methodological characteristics and development trends of the research on large spatial scales.【Method】In this paper, a conceptual cognitive framework for SQ assessment was built up based on concepts discrimination, and specific scopes of the large spatial scales of the research were defined via literature statistics, and then a review was presented of some representative theoretical studies and practice in various countries.【Result】 Results show: (1) The scope of a large spatial scale for SQ assessment may vary from global to continental, national and regional scales; the research basically follows the technical route of “set goals – specify objects and related soil functions (SFs) – select indicators and models – output results”; in specifying goals, objects and indicators, focuses were laid on natural resource attributes of soils; data were obtained through soil surveys, soil sampling and sample analysis; comprehensive assessment models were often used; generally, the assessment index system encompasses the inherent quality indicators that reflect background properties of soils, and the total number of indicators is small (about 6~12). (2) Decomposition and expression of SFs has gradually become cores of SQ assessment; mapping of assessment goals to soil properties and processes based on SFs drives multi-dimensional and multi-scale development of the research. (3) SQ and arable land quality belongs separately to environmental quality and management tools, and the connotations of the two are essentially different and should be clearly distinguished.【Conclusion】At present, for large spatial scales assessment, identification of goals and acquisition and integration of data still need to have certain breakthroughs, and call urgently for deployment: (1) to characterize spatial variability of the soil resources corresponding to the composite management goals, and to realize unified spatial SQ assessment over a wide area; (2) to identify corresponding soil threats, to evaluate land suitability and to recommend strategies for zoning of wide-ranged spatial soil resources for utilization or protection, in the light of SFs distribution, soil type characteristics and land use patterns; (3) to specify occurring conditions, processes, influencing factors and mechanism of SQ evolution over a large spatial scale of area, and to explore scale effects of SQ assessment by collaborating the research on small, medium and large spatial scales through integration of multi-source geoscience datasets and based on the development of SFs assessment models. Under the new scenario of unified management of natural resources, China should absorb the experiences of other countries, unfold the third national soil survey as soon as possible, and establish a national scale soil quality assessment system.