meaning of summative in education

Eberly Center

Teaching excellence & educational innovation, what is the difference between formative and summative assessment, formative assessment.

The goal of formative assessment is to monitor student learning to provide ongoing feedback that can be used by instructors to improve their teaching and by students to improve their learning. More specifically, formative assessments:

help students identify their strengths and weaknesses and target areas that need work
help faculty recognize where students are struggling and address problems immediately

Formative assessments are generally low stakes , which means that they have low or no point value. Examples of formative assessments include asking students to:

draw a concept map in class to represent their understanding of a topic
submit one or two sentences identifying the main point of a lecture
turn in a research proposal for early feedback

Summative assessment

The goal of summative assessment is to evaluate student learning at the end of an instructional unit by comparing it against some standard or benchmark.

Summative assessments are often high stakes , which means that they have a high point value. Examples of summative assessments include:

a midterm exam
a final project
a senior recital

Information from summative assessments can be used formatively when students or faculty use it to guide their efforts and activities in subsequent courses.

Faculty Support
Graduate Student Support
Canvas @ Carnegie Mellon
Quick Links

Created by the Great Schools Partnership , the GLOSSARY OF EDUCATION REFORM is a comprehensive online resource that describes widely used school-improvement terms, concepts, and strategies for journalists, parents, and community members. | Learn more »

Summative Assessment

Summative assessments are used to evaluate student learning, skill acquisition, and academic achievement at the conclusion of a defined instructional period—typically at the end of a project, unit, course, semester, program, or school year. Generally speaking, summative assessments are defined by three major criteria:

The tests, assignments, or projects are used to determine whether students have learned what they were expected to learn. In other words, what makes an assessment “summative” is not the design of the test, assignment, or self-evaluation, per se, but the way it is used—i.e., to determine whether and to what degree students have learned the material they have been taught.
Summative assessments are given at the conclusion of a specific instructional period, and therefore they are generally evaluative, rather than diagnostic—i.e., they are more appropriately used to determine learning progress and achievement, evaluate the effectiveness of educational programs, measure progress toward improvement goals, or make course-placement decisions, among other possible applications.
Summative-assessment results are often recorded as scores or grades that are then factored into a student’s permanent academic record, whether they end up as letter grades on a report card or test scores used in the college-admissions process. While summative assessments are typically a major component of the grading process in most districts, schools, and courses, not all assessments considered to be summative are graded.

Summative assessments are commonly contrasted with formative assessments , which collect detailed information that educators can use to improve instruction and student learning while it’s happening. In other words, formative assessments are often said to be for learning, while summative assessments are of learning. Or as assessment expert Paul Black put it, “When the cook tastes the soup, that’s formative assessment. When the customer tastes the soup, that’s summative assessment.” It should be noted, however, that the distinction between formative and summative is often fuzzy in practice, and educators may have divergent interpretations and opinions on the subject.

Some of the most well-known and widely discussed examples of summative assessments are the standardized tests administered by states and testing organizations, usually in math, reading, writing, and science. Other examples of summative assessments include:

End-of-unit or chapter tests.
End-of-term or semester tests.
Standardized tests that are used to for the purposes of school accountability, college admissions (e.g., the SAT or ACT), or end-of-course evaluation (e.g., Advanced Placement or International Baccalaureate exams).
Culminating demonstrations of learning or other forms of “performance assessment,” such as portfolios of student work that are collected over time and evaluated by teachers or capstone projects that students work on over extended periods of time and that they present and defend at the conclusion of a school year or their high school education.

While most summative assessments are given at the conclusion of an instructional period, some summative assessments can still be used diagnostically. For example, the growing availability of student data, made possible by online grading systems and databases, can give teachers access to assessment results from previous years or other courses. By reviewing this data, teachers may be able to identify students more likely to struggle academically in certain subject areas or with certain concepts. In addition, students may be allowed to take some summative tests multiple times, and teachers might use the results to help prepare students for future administrations of the test.

It should also be noted that districts and schools may use “interim” or “benchmark” tests to monitor the academic progress of students and determine whether they are on track to mastering the material that will be evaluated on end-of-course tests or standardized tests. Some educators consider interim tests to be formative, since they are often used diagnostically to inform instructional modifications, but others may consider them to be summative. There is ongoing debate in the education community about this distinction, and interim assessments may defined differently from place to place. See formative assessment for a more detailed discussion.

While educators have arguably been using “summative assessments” in various forms since the invention of schools and teaching, summative assessments have in recent decades become components of larger school-improvement efforts. As they always have, summative assessments can help teachers determine whether students are making adequate academic progress or meeting expected learning standards, and results may be used to inform modifications to instructional techniques, lesson designs, or teaching materials the next time a course, unit, or lesson is taught. Yet perhaps the biggest changes in the use of summative assessments have resulted from state and federal policies aimed at improving public education—specifically, standardized high-stakes tests used to make important decisions about schools, teachers, and students.

While there is little disagreement among educators about the need for or utility of summative assessments, debates and disagreements tend to center on issues of fairness and effectiveness, especially when summative-assessment results are used for high-stakes purposes. In these cases, educators, experts, reformers, policy makers, and others may debate whether assessments are being designed and used appropriately, or whether high-stakes tests are either beneficial or harmful to the educational process. For more detailed discussions of these issues, see high-stakes test , measurement error , test accommodations , test bias , score inflation , standardized test , and value-added measures .

Alphabetical Search

Teaching Commons Conference 2024

Join us for the Teaching Commons Conference 2024 – Cultivating Connection. Friday, May 10.

Summative Assessment and Feedback

Main navigation.

Summative assessments are given to students at the end of a course and should measure the skills and knowledge a student has gained over the entire instructional period. Summative feedback is aimed at helping students understand how well they have done in meeting the overall learning goals of the course.

Effective summative assessments

Effective summative assessments provide students a structured way to demonstrate that they have met a range of key learning objectives and to receive useful feedback on their overall learning. They should align with the course learning goals and build upon prior formative assessments. These assessments will address how well the student is able to synthesize and connect the elements of learning from the entirety of the course into a holistic understanding and provide an opportunity to provide rich summative feedback.

The value of summative feedback

Summative feedback is essential for students to understand how far they have come in meeting the learning goals of the course, what they need further work on, and what they should study next. This can affect later choices that students make, particularly in contemplating and pursuing their major fields of study. Summative feedback can also influence how students regard themselves and their academic disciplines after graduation.

Use rubrics to provide consistency and transparency

A rubric is a grading guide for evaluating how well students have met a learning outcome. A rubric consists of performance criteria, a rating scale, and indicators for the different rating levels. They are typically in a chart or table format.

Instructors often use rubrics for both formative and summative feedback to ensure consistency of assessment across different students. Rubrics also can make grading faster and help to create consistency between multiple graders and across assignments.

Students might be given access to the rubric before working on an assignment. No criteria or metric within a summative assessment should come as a surprise to the students. Transparency with students on exactly what is being assessed can help them more effectively demonstrate how much they have learned.

Types of summative assessments

Different summative assessments are better suited to measuring different kinds of learning.

Examinations

Examinations are useful for evaluating student learning in terms of remembering information, and understanding and applying concepts and ideas. However, exams may be less suited to evaluating how well students are able to analyze, evaluate, or create things related to what they've learned.

Presentation

A presentation tasks the student with teaching others what they have learned typically by speaking, presenting visual materials, and interacting with their audience. This can be useful for assessing a student's ability to critically analyze and evaluate a topic or content.

With projects, students will create something, such as a plan, document, artifact, or object, usually over a sustained period of time, that demonstrates skills or understanding of the topic of learning. They are useful for evaluating learning objectives that require high levels of critical thinking, creativity, and coordination. Projects are good opportunities to provide summative feedback because they often build on prior formative assessments and feedback.

With a portfolio, students create and curate a collection of documents, objects, and artifacts that collectively demonstrate their learning over a wide range of learning goals. Portfolios usually include the student's reflections and metacognitive analysis of their own learning. Portfolios are typically completed over a sustained period of time and are usually done by individual students as opposed to groups.

Portfolios are particularly useful for evaluating how students' learning, attitudes, beliefs, and creativity grow over the span of the course. The reflective component of portfolios can be a rich form of self-feedback for students. Generally, portfolios tend to be more holistic and are often now done using ePortfolios .

Search UNH.edu
Search Teaching & Learning Resource Hub

Commonly Searched Items:

Academic Calendar
Course Design
Learning Environment
Learning Resources
Student Academic Success
Teaching Modality
Active Learning
Artificial Intelligence (e.g., ChatGPT)
Authentic Learning
Collaborative Learning
Fundamentals of Online Instruction
Large Enrollment Classes
Studio and Performance
STEM Courses and Online Labs
Academic Honesty
Formative Assessment and Feedback
Summative Assessment
Cloud Storage and Sharing
Presentation Tools
Student Response Systems
Video Creation and Hosting
Virtual Whiteboard
Web Conferencing
Website Creation
myCourses (Canvas)
Resource Index

Summative assessments are used to evaluate student learning, skill acquisition, and academic achievement at the conclusion of instruction—typically at the end of a project, unit, course, semester, or program.

Summative Assessment Resources

Exam Alternatives

While exams are a frequently-employed summative assessment strategy, many alternatives provide the opportunity for more authentic assessment, better preparing students for the real-world challenges they will face when they complete their degrees. Indiana University Bloomington’s Center for Innovative Teaching and Learning lists some guiding questions to assist faculty to determine exactly the types of skills and knowledge that exam alternatives should address (Indiana University, 2020):

Do you want to assess your students’ acquisition of specific content knowledge, or their ability to apply that knowledge to new situations (or both)?
Do you want to assess a product that students produce, or the process they went through to produce it, or both?
writing ability
speaking skills
creativity
use of information technology
Is a visual component to the assessment necessary or desirable?
Is the ability for students to work in a group an important component of the assessment?
Is it important that the assessment be time-constrained?

The Center has compiled a list of alternatives to traditional exams and papers organized by purpose and performance level: creativity, comprehension, analysis or evaluation, short writing activities, and integration of many skills and types of knowledge.

Exam Alternatives Resources

In addition to those described in the resources for this section, below are a few common alternatives to exams:

The ePortfolio collects evidence of student learning in electronic form. Because students collect their work over a period of time, ePortfolios are useful in promoting student reflection on their learning over the course of their degree programs and tracking progress toward their academic goals. ePortfolios can be used for both formative and summative assessment.

ePortfolio Resources

Authentic Assessment

Internships, capstone projects, service learning opportunities, and other strategies offer learning experiences that combine the benefits of case studies and projects.

Case Studies: Long used in business, law, medicine, and the social sciences, cases can be used in any discipline to prepare students to apply what they have learned to real world problems.
Identifying a problem
Agreeing on or devising a solution and potential solution path to the problem (i.e., how to achieve the solution)
Designing and developing a prototype of the solution
Refining the solution based on feedback from experts, instructors, and/or peers (Boston University Center for Teaching & Learning, n.d.)
Student presentations: Student presentations not only assess your students' understanding but also provide the opportunity for students to practice public speaking and presentation skills. Using student presentations as part of a group project requires students to collaborate with peers in synthesizing information and constructing new knowledge. In the remote teaching environment, students can use either Zoom or Kaltura to create their presentations. Zoom works for a group setting if everyone needs to be part of the presentation, and Kaltura is an ideal tool for single-student presentations.

Authentic/Case/Project/Problem Based Learning Resources

Information Literacy, Research, and Writing Support Available for Students

These resources support students with the types of assignments you might use as exam alternatives.

Competency Based Assessment

Competency-based education focuses on what students know and can do rather than how they learned it or how long it took to learn it (Klein-Collins, 2014). Students advance through their academic programs by successfully demonstrating their skills and competencies through specially designed assessments. At the program level,

[s]ome CBE programs have been designed to allow students to learn and progress at their own pace; some are leveraging technology in new ways to facilitate student-directed learning as well as cost savings for the student and ostensibly also for the institution. In addition to these benefits, many institutions are choosing to offer CBE programs as a way to improve the quality of higher education by focusing on evidence of student learning outcomes rather than seat time (Klein-Collins, 2016).

Competency Based Assessment Resources

Value Added Assessment

Following the attention accountability received in K-12 education, accountability in higher education has become a key area of interest. Value-added assessment measures the performance difference between first-year and fourth-year students on a standardized test after controlling for student admission scores. The value-added measure indicates how much students have learned in college in writing and critical thinking after taking into consideration their prior academic achievement. Institutions are then ranked based on their value-added scores (Liu, 2011). Value Added Assessment The Office of Institutional Effectiveness and Assessment at Skidmore College (2020) describes advantages and disadvantages of pre- and post- testing as a method of value added assessment: Advantages:

Assessing the students when they first enter a program can establish a firm benchmark against which to measure growth or value-added.
Pre-testing is especially helpful for measuring student knowledge, or cognitive learning, and skills, though somewhat less so for measuring values.
Pre- and post-testing may work best with traditional four-year undergraduates rather than the more common situation now where students enter, stop-out, transfer, return, and take six years or more to graduate.
Pre- and post-testing can be easily scored.
Pre- and post-testing can be relatively easily analyzed using statistical procedures.

Disadvantages:

Pre- and post-testing offers little useful information if the students know little or nothing about the subject of the program when they first enter it.
Deciding how to develop meaningfully comparable pre- and post-assessments is difficult, since the pre-test may have to be so basic that any additional learning could be seen as "growth" or value-added.
If the assessment is not based upon a highly structured curriculum where the objectives are taught toward and adhered to across all courses in a systematic fashion, it may be difficult to demonstrate the causes of the value-added or to correlate the results of the post-test with the specific courses within the curriculum.

Other approaches are possible, including essays or research papers, embedded assessment, and standardized tests (The Office of Institutional Effectiveness and Assessment at Skidmore College, 2020).

Value Added Assessment Resources

References Boston University Center for Teaching & Learning. (n.d.) Project-Based Learning: Teaching Guide. Retrieved from https://www.bu.edu/ctl/guides/project-based-learning/

Indiana University Bloomington Center for Innovative Teaching and Learning. (2020). Alternatives to Traditional Exams and Papers. Retrieved from https://citl.indiana.edu/teaching-resources/assessing-student-learning/alternatives-traditional-exams-papers/index.html

Klein-Collins, R. (2014). Sharpening Our Focus on Learning: The Rise of Competency-Based Approaches to Degree Completion (Occasional Paper #20). National Institute for Learning Outcomes Assessment. Retrieved from https://learningoutcomesassessment.org/documents/OccasionalPaper20.pdf

Klein-Collins, R. (2016). Faculty and Administrator Views on Competency Based Education. The Council for Adult & Experiential Learning. Retrieved from https://files.eric.ed.gov/fulltext/ED597744.pdf

Liu, O. (2011). Value-added assessment in higher education: A comparison of two methods. Higher Education, 61(4), 445–461. https://unh.primo.exlibrisgroup.com/permalink/01USNH_UNH/1o8seis/cdi_gale_infotracacademiconefile_A345072375

Institutional Effectiveness and Assessment at Skidmore College. (2020). Value-Added Assessment (Pre- and Post-testing). Retrieved from https://www.skidmore.edu/assessment/archived/pre-or-post-assessment.php

Teaching & Learning Resource Hub

Assessment links
Assignments

Sustainability
Embrace New Hampshire
University News
The Future of UNH
Campus Locations
Calendars & Events
Directories
Facts & Figures
Academic Advising
Colleges & Schools
Degrees & Programs
Undeclared Students
Course Search
Study Abroad
Career Services
How to Apply
Visit Campus
Undergraduate Admissions
Costs & Financial Aid
Net Price Calculator
Graduate Admissions
UNH Franklin Pierce School of Law
Housing & Residential Life
Clubs & Organizations
New Student Programs
Student Support
Fitness & Recreation
Student Union
Health & Wellness
Student Life Leadership
Sport Clubs
UNH Wildcats
Intramural Sports
Campus Recreation
Centers & Institutes
Undergraduate Research
Research Office
Graduate Research
FindScholars@UNH
Business Partnerships with UNH
Professional Development & Continuing Education
Research and Technology at UNH
Request Information
Current Students
Faculty & Staff
Alumni & Friends

Your browser is unsupported

We recommend using the latest version of IE11, Edge, Chrome, Firefox or Safari.

Center for the Advancement of Teaching Excellence

Summative assessments.

Nicole Messier, CATE Instructional Designer February 7th, 2022

WHAT? Heading link Copy link

Summative assessments are used to measure learning when instruction is over and thus may occur at the end of a learning unit, module, or the entire course.

Summative assessments are usually graded, are weighted more heavily than other course assignments or comprise a substantial percentage of a students’ overall grade (and are often considered “high stakes” assessments relative to other, “lower stakes” assessments in a course), and are required assessments for the completion of a course.

Summative assessments can be viewed through two broad assessment strategies: assessments of learning and assessments as learning.

Assessment of learning (AoL) provides data to confirm course outcomes and students the opportunity to demonstrate proficiency in the learning objectives.
Assessment as learning (AaL) provides student ownership of learning by utilizing evidence-based learning strategies, promoting self-regulation, and providing reflective learning.

A summative assessment can be designed to provide both assessment of learning (AoL) and assessment as learning (AaL). The goal of designing for AaL and AoL is to create a summative assessment as a learning experience while ensuring that the data collected is valid and reliable.

Summative Assessment includes test taking

Want to learn more about these assessment strategies? Please visit the Resources Section – CATE website to review resources, teaching guides, and more.

Summative Assessments Heading link Copy link

Summative assessments (aol).

Written assignments – such as papers or authentic assessments like projects or portfolios of creative work
Mid-term exam
Performances

Although exams are typically used to measure student knowledge and skills at the end of a learning unit, module, or an entire course, they can also be incorporated into learning opportunities for students.

Example 1 - Exam Heading link Copy link

Example 1 - exam.

An instructor decides to analyze their current multiple-choice and short-answer final exam for alignment to the learning objectives. The instructor discovers that the questions cover the content in the learning objectives; however, some questions are not at the same cognitive levels as the learning objectives . The instructor determines that they need to create some scenario questions where students are asked to analyze a situation and apply knowledge to be aligned with a particular learning objective.

The instructor also realizes that this new type of question format will be challenging for students if the exam is the only opportunity provided to students. The instructor decides to create a study guide for students on scenarios (not used in the exam) for students to practice and self-assess their learning. The instructor plans to make future changes to the quizzes and non-graded formative questions to include higher-level cognitive questions to ensure that learning objectives are being assessed as well as to support student success in the summative assessment.

This example demonstrates assessment of learning with an emphasis on improving the validity of the results, as well as assessment as learning by providing students with opportunities to self-assess and reflect on their learning.

Written assignments in any form (authentic, project, or problem-based) can also be designed to collect data and measure student learning, as well as provide opportunities for self-regulation and reflective learning. Instructors should consider using a type of grading rubric (analytic, holistic, or single point) for written assignments to ensure that the data collected is valid and reliable.

Summative Assessments (AaL) Heading link Copy link

Summative assessments (aal).

Authentic assessments – an assessment that involves a real-world task or application of knowledge instead of a traditional paper; could involve a situation or scenario specific to a future career.
Project-based learning – an assessment that involves student choice in designing and addressing a problem, need, or question.
Problem-based learning – similar to project-based learning but focused on solutions to problems.
Self-critique or peer assessment

Example 2 - Authentic Assessment Heading link Copy link

Example 2 - authentic assessment.

An instructor has traditionally used a research paper as the final summative assessment in their course. After attending a conference session on authentic assessments, the instructor decides to change this summative assessment to an authentic assessment that allows for student choice and increased interaction, feedback, and ownership.

First, the instructor introduced the summative project during the first week of class. The summative project instructions asked students to select a problem that could be addressed by one of the themes from the course. Students were provided with a list of authentic products that they could choose from, or they could request permission to submit a different product. Students were also provided with a rubric aligned to the learning objectives.

Next, the instructor created small groups (three to four students) with discussion forums for students to begin brainstorming problems, themes, and ideas for their summative project. These groups were also required to use the rubric to provide feedback to their peers at two separate time points in the course. Students were required to submit their final product, references, self-assessment using the rubric, and a reflection on the peer interaction and review.

This example demonstrates an authentic assessment as well as an assessment of learning (AoL) and assessment as learning (AaL). The validity and reliability of this summative assessment are ensured using a rubric that is focused on the learning objectives of the course and consistently utilized for the grading and feedback of the summative project. Data collected from the use of grading criteria in a rubric can be used to improve the summative project as well as the instruction and materials in the course. This summative project allows for reflective learning and provides opportunities for students to develop self-regulation skills as well as apply knowledge gained in an authentic and meaningful product.

Another way to create a summative assessment as a learning opportunity is to break it down into smaller manageable parts. These smaller parts will guide students’ understanding of expectations, provide them with opportunities to receive and apply feedback, as well as support their executive functioning and self-regulation skills.

WHY? Heading link Copy link

We know that summative assessments are vital to the curriculum planning cycle to measure student outcomes and implement continuous improvements. But how do we ensure our summative assessments are effective and equitable? Well, the answer is in the research.

Validity, Reliability, and Manageability

Critical components for the effectiveness of summative assessments are the validity, reliability, and manageability of the assessment (Khaled, 2020).

Validity of the assessment refers to the alignment to course learning objectives. In other words, are the assessments in your course measuring the learning objectives?
Reliability of the assessment refers to the consistency or accuracy of the assessment used. Are the assessment practices consistent from student to student and semester to semester?
Manageability of the assessment refers to the workload for both faculty and students. For faculty, is the type of summative assessment causing a delay in timely grading and feedback to the learner? For students, is the summative assessment attainable and are the expectations realistic?

As you begin to design a summative assessment, determine how you will ensure the assessment is valid, reliable, and manageable.

Feedback & Summative Assessments

Attributes of academic feedback that improve the impact of the summative assessment on student learning (Daka, 2021; Harrison 2017) include:

Provide feedback without or before grades.
Once the grade is given, then explain the grading criteria and score (e.g., using a rubric to explain grading criteria and scoring).
Identify specific qualities in students’ work.
Describe actionable steps on what and how to improve.
Motivate and encourage students by providing opportunities to submit revisions or earn partial credit for submitting revised responses to incorrect answers on exams.
Allow students to monitor, evaluate, and regulate their learning.

Additional recommendations for feedback include that feedback should be timely, frequent, constructive (what and how), and should help infuse a sense of professional identity for students (why). The alignment of learning objectives, learning activities, and summative assessments is critical to student success and will ensure that assessments are valid. And lastly, the tasks in assessments should match the cognitive levels of the course learning objectives to challenge the highest performing students while elevating lower-achieving students (Daka, 2021).

HOW? Heading link Copy link

How do you start designing summative assessments?

Summative assessments can help measure student achievement of course learning objectives as well as provide the instructor with data to make pedagogical decisions on future teaching and instruction. Summative assessments can also provide learning opportunities as students reflect and take ownership of their learning.

So how do you determine what type of summative assessment to design? And how do you ensure that summative assessment will be valid, reliable, and manageable? Let’s dive into some of the elements that might impact your design decisions, including class size, discipline, modality, and EdTech tools .

Class Size and Modality

The manageability of summative assessments can be impacted by the class size and modality of the course. Depending on the class size of the course, instructors might be able to implement more opportunities for authentic summative assessments that provide student ownership and allow for more reflective learning (students think about their learning and make connections to their experiences). Larger class sizes might require instructors to consider implementing an EdTech tool to improve the manageability of summative assessments.

The course modality can also influence the design decisions of summative assessments. Courses with synchronous class sessions can require students to take summative assessments simultaneously through an in-person paper exam or an online exam using an EdTech tool, like Gradescope or Blackboard Tests, Pools, and Surveys . Courses can also create opportunities for students to share their authentic assessments asynchronously using an EdTech tool like VoiceThread .

Major Coursework

When designing a summative assessment as a learning opportunity for major coursework, instructors should reflect on the learning objectives to be assessed and the possible real-world application of the learning objectives. In replacement of multiple-choice or short answer questions that focus on content memorization, instructors might consider creating scenarios or situational questions that provide students with opportunities to analyze and apply knowledge gained. In major coursework, instructors should consider authentic assessments that allow for student choice, transfer of knowledge, and the development of professional skills in place of a traditional paper or essay.

Undergraduate General Education Coursework

In undergraduate general education coursework, instructors should consider the use of authentic assessments to make connections to students’ experiences, goals, and future careers. Simple adjustments to assignment instructions to allow for student choice can help increase student engagement and motivation. Designing authentic summative assessments can help connect students to the real-world application of the content and create buy-in on the importance of the summative assessment.

Summative Assessment Tools

EdTech tools can help to reduce faculty workload by providing a delivery system for students to submit work as well as tools to support academic integrity.

Below are EdTech tools that are available to UIC faculty to create and/or grade summative assessments as and of learning.

Assessment Creation and Grading Tools Heading link Copy link

Assessment creation and grading tools.

Blackboard assignments drop box and rubrics
Blackboard quizzes and exams

Assessment creation and grading tools can help support instructors in designing valid and reliable summative assessments. Gradescope can be utilized as a grading tool for in-person paper and pencil midterm and final exams, as well as a tool to create digital summative assessments. Instructors can use AI to improve the manageability of summative assessments as well as the reliability through the use of rubrics for grading with Gradescope.

In the Blackboard learning management system, instructors can create pools of questions for both formative and summative assessments as well as create authentic assessment drop boxes and rubrics aligned to learning objectives for valid and reliable data collection.

Academic Integrity Tools

SafeAssign (undergraduate)
iThenticate (graduate)
Respondus LockDown Browser and Monitoring

Academic integrity tools can help ensure that students are meeting academic expectations concerning research through the use of SafeAssign and iThenticate as well as academic integrity during online tests and exams using Respondus Lockdown Browser and Monitoring.

Want to learn more about these summative assessment tools? Visit the EdTech section on the CATE website to learn more.

Exam Guidance

Additional guidance on online exams is available in Section III: Best Practices for Online (Remote Proctored, Synchronous) Exams in the Guidelines for Assessment in Online Environments Report , which outlines steps for equitable exam design, accessible exam technology, and effective communication for student success. The framing questions in the report are designed to guide instructors with suggestions, examples, and best practices (Academic Planning Task Force, 2020), which include:

“What steps should be taken to ensure that all students have the necessary hardware, software, and internet capabilities to complete a remote, proctored exam?
What practices should be implemented to make remote proctored exams accessible to all students, and in particular, for students with disabilities?
How can creating an ethos of academic integrity be leveraged to curb cheating in remote proctored exams?
What are exam design strategies to minimize cheating in an online environment?
What tools can help to disincentive cheating during a remote proctored exam?
How might feedback and grading strategies be adjusted to deter academic misconduct on exams?”

GETTING STARTED Heading link Copy link

Getting started.

The following steps will support you as you examine current summative assessment practices through the lens of assessment of learning (AoL) and assessment as learning (AaL) and develop new or adapt existing summative assessments.

The first step is to utilize backward design principles by aligning the summative assessments to the learning objectives.
To collect valid and reliable data to confirm student outcomes (AoL).
To promote self-regulation and reflective learning by students (AaL).
Format: exam, written assignment, portfolio, performance, project, etc.
Delivery: paper and pencil, Blackboard, EdTech tool, etc.
Feedback: general (how to improve performance), personalized (student-specific), etc.
Scoring: automatically graded by Blackboard and/or EdTech tool or manual through the use of a rubric in Blackboard.
The fourth step is to review data collected from summative assessment(s) and reflect on the implementation of the summative assessment(s) through the lens of validity, reliability, and manageability to inform continuous improvements for equitable student outcomes.

CITING THIS GUIDE Heading link Copy link

Citing this guide.

Messier, N. (2022). “Summative assessments.” Center for the Advancement of Teaching Excellence at the University of Illinois Chicago. Retrieved [today’s date] from https://teaching.uic.edu/resources/teaching-guides/assessment-grading-practices/summative-assessments/

ADDITIONAL RESOURCES Heading link Copy link

Academic Planning Task Force. (2020). Guidelines for Assessment in Online Learning Environments .

McLaughlin, L., Ricevuto, J. (2021). Assessments in a Virtual Environment: You Won’t Need that Lockdown Browser! Faculty Focus.

Moore, E. (2020). Assessments by Design: Rethinking Assessment for Learner Variability. Faculty Focus.

Websites and Journals

Association for the Assessment of Learning in Higher Education website

Assessment & Evaluation in Higher Education. Taylor & Francis Online Journals

Journal of Assessment in Higher Education

REFERENCES Heading link Copy link

Daka, H., & Mulenga-Hagane, M., Mukalula-Kalumbi, M., Lisulo, S. (2021). Making summative assessment effective. 5. 224 – 237.

Earl, L.M., Katz, S. (2006). Rethinking classroom assessment with purpose in mind — Assessment for learning, assessment as learning, assessment of learning. Winnipeg, Manitoba: Crown in Right of Manitoba.

Galletly, R., Carciofo, R. (2020). Using an online discussion forum in a summative coursework assignment. Journal of Educators Online . Volume 17, Issue 2.

Harrison, C., Könings, K., Schuwirth, L. & Wass, V., Van der Vleuten, C. (2017). Changing the culture of assessment: the dominance of the summative assessment paradigm. BMC Medical Education. 17. 10.1186/s12909-017-0912-5.

Khaled, S., El Khatib, S. (2020). Summative assessment in higher education: Feedback for better learning outcomes

Other ways to search:

Events Calendar

Summative Assessments

What are summative assessments?

Summative assessments are implemented at the end of a unit, set of units, or entire course to assess and evaluate the extent to which students have achieved the learning objectives (knowledge, skills, and behaviors) for that period of instruction. Summative assessments are typically higher stakes (higher point value) than formative assessments and tend to constitute a relatively larger proportion of a student’s grade. Whereas formative assessments provide feedback on student learning while learning is in progress, summative assessments primarily evaluate how much learning has occurred by the end of an instructional period.

What makes a summative assessment equity-minded?

Equity-minded summative assessments are:

Relevant : Well-aligned with the learning objectives for that period of instruction. Some definitions also consider relevant assessments as those that reflect the goals, interests, or experiences of students (Artze-Vega et al., 2023).
Authentic : Provide students with meaningful ways to demonstrate the knowledge or skills they have acquired. For example, this could involve applying course concepts to real-world problems, topics, or careers (Wiggins, 1990). Although all authentic assessments are also relevant, authentic assessments additionally aim to simulate tasks that students will encounter in their academic, professional, or personal lives.
Rigorous : Set high expectations and encourage students to engage in cognitively demanding tasks. Designing rigorous assessments communicates the belief that all students, regardless of their background, have the potential to succeed on challenging tasks if given sufficient support. This actively counteracts the harmful practice of giving less instruction and fewer challenging tasks to minoritized students under the assumption that these students have limited capabilities (Artze-Vega et al., 2023).
Transparent : Explicitly communicate both the purpose of the assessment and the criteria for success (e.g. using rubrics). Additionally, sample assignments or questions should be made available to students where possible. Furthermore, it is important to be transparent about policies related to grading, use of technology (Generative AI, Search Tools), and collaboration. Transparency helps students achieve the high expectations set by equity-minded assessments. It has also been shown to promote student motivation, sense of belonging, and increased retention rates, particularly among first generation, BIPOC, and international students (Winkelmes, 2023).
Inclusive : Designed to mitigate cultural and other biases through the use of language and examples that are relevant to the diverse lived experiences of students in the classroom (Montenegro & Jankowski, 2020). Inclusive assessments also avoid the use of jargon and ambiguous language that could make the test difficult for students to understand (thereby also undermining transparency ). Additionally, inclusive assessments can involve giving students options and flexibility to choose from varied formats and types of assessments to demonstrate their learning.

Best practices when designing summative assessments

Although high-stakes summative assessments can be useful for encouraging students to synthesize knowledge over relatively broad periods of instruction, they are also more anxiety-inducing for students in comparison with lower-stakes assessments (Hembree, 1988; Wood et al., 2016; Silaj et al., 2021). Further, high-stakes summative assessments in most courses tend to take place later during the semester which can place multiple demands on students. In such situations, students may tend to procrastinate or manage time poorly resulting in bad performance on such high stakes exams. With this in mind, there are ways to design and implement summative assessments to reduce anxiety and prepare students to succeed, while still ensuring these assessments are rigorous and promote just and equitable learning outcomes. Some examples include:

Breaking down summative assessments, such as major projects and papers, into smaller, more manageable steps. Being explicit in how students can seek feedback, can particularly benefit international and first-generation students who are getting acquainted with a new academic culture.
Providing opportunities for revisions based on self, peer, or instructor feedback.
Having students complete multiple low-stakes formative assessments (e.g., short quizzes) prior to a high-stakes summative assessment (e.g., exam).
Scaffolding assignments to provide more guidance early on but progressively increase the level of independence later on in the assignment.
Implementing course policies to allow students to drop their lowest grade or retake an exam.
Invest time in class to teach students how to use AI tools like Chat-GPT or Co-pilot , reference managers , or search engines that can aid their performance through practice. This can reduce student anxiety around tackling summative assessments and also reduce the tendency to plagiarize or inappropriately use content produced by generative AI.

All these strategies allow summative assessments to set high expectations while simultaneously lowering the stakes and providing students with ample opportunities to practice, improve, and ultimately achieve those high expectations (Schrank 2016).

References:

Artze-Vega, I., Darby, F., Dewsbury, B., & Imad, M. (2023). The Norton Guide to Equity-Minded Teaching , New York, NY: W.W. Norton & Company, Inc.

Center for Innovative Teaching and Learning. Instructional scaffolding to improve learning . Northern Illinois University.

Hembree, R. (1988). Correlates, causes, effects, and treatment of test anxiety . Review of Educational Research, 58 (1), 47–77.

Montenegro, E., & Jankowski, N. A. (2020, January). A new decade for assessment: Embedding equity into assessment praxis (Occasional Paper No. 42). Urbana, IL: University of Illinois and Indiana University, National Institute for Learning Outcomes Assessment (NILOA).

Shapiro, S., Farrelly, R., & Tomaš, Z. (2023). Chapter 4: Effective and Equitable Assignments and Assessments. Fostering International Student Success in higher education (pp, 61-87, second edition). TESOL Press.

Schrank, Z. (2016). An assessment of student perceptions and responses to frequent low-stakes testing in Introductory Sociology classes . Teaching Sociology , 44(2), 118–127.

Silaj, K. M., Schwartz, S. T., Siegel, A. L. M., Castel, A.D.(2021). Test anxiety and metacognitive performance in the classroom . Educational Psychology Review, 33 , 1809–1834.

Wiggins, G. (1990). The case for authentic assessment . Practical Assessment, Research, and Evaluation, 2 , 1–3.

Winkelmes, M. (2023). Introduction to Transparency in Learning and Teaching . Perspectives In Learning , 20 (1). Columbus, GA: CSUE Press.

Wood, S. G., Hart, S. A., Little, C. W., & Phillips, B. M. (2016). Test anxiety and a high-stakes standardized reading comprehension test: A behavioral genetics perspective . Merrill-Palmer Quarterly , 62 (3), 233–251.

Summative Assessment: Understanding its Definition, Purpose, and Importance in Education

Learn about Summative Assessment in this educational glossary entry.

Summative assessment is a method used in education to evaluate students' learning at the end of an instructional unit or period. It is a formal assessment that typically occurs after a period of learning, such as the completion of a project, a unit of study, or a course. Unlike formative assessment, which aims to provide ongoing feedback to improve learning during the instructional process, summative assessment focuses on measuring the overall learning outcomes and achievement of students.

Summative assessments come in various forms, including standardized tests, final exams, projects, essays, and presentations. These assessments are designed to measure the extent to which students have mastered the learning objectives and standards set by the curriculum. The results of summative assessments are often used to assign grades or scores to students, which are then used to evaluate their academic performance and progress.

Purpose of Summative Assessment

The primary purpose of summative assessment is to evaluate students' understanding of the material covered in a specific period of instruction. By assessing students at the end of a unit or course, educators can determine the extent to which students have achieved the learning objectives and standards set by the curriculum. Summative assessments provide a comprehensive view of students' overall performance and help educators make informed decisions about students' progress and academic success.

Summative assessment also serves as a tool for accountability in education. By measuring students' learning outcomes against established standards, summative assessments help educational institutions, policymakers, and other stakeholders assess the effectiveness of instructional programs and curriculum. These assessments provide valuable data that can be used to identify areas of improvement, make informed decisions about resource allocation, and ensure that students are meeting academic expectations.

Types of Summative Assessment

There are several types of summative assessments commonly used in education, each serving a specific purpose and providing valuable insights into students' learning. Some of the most common types of summative assessment include:

Standardized Tests: These tests are administered to all students in a standardized format and measure students' knowledge and skills against a set of predetermined criteria. Standardized tests are often used to assess students' proficiency in core subjects such as math, reading, and science.
Final Exams: Final exams are comprehensive assessments administered at the end of a course or semester to evaluate students' understanding of the material covered throughout the term. These exams typically cover a wide range of topics and require students to demonstrate their knowledge and skills.
Projects: Project-based assessments require students to apply their knowledge and skills to complete a hands-on project or task. These assessments allow students to demonstrate their creativity, critical thinking, and problem-solving abilities in a real-world context.
Essays: Essay assessments require students to write a structured response to a prompt or question, demonstrating their ability to organize and communicate their ideas effectively. Essays are often used to assess students' writing skills, critical thinking, and analytical abilities.
Presentations: Presentation assessments require students to deliver a speech or presentation on a specific topic, demonstrating their ability to communicate information clearly and persuasively. Presentations assess students' public speaking skills, research abilities, and presentation techniques.

Importance of Summative Assessment

Summative assessment plays a crucial role in the education system for several reasons:

Evaluation of Learning: Summative assessments provide educators with a comprehensive view of students' learning outcomes and achievements. By evaluating students' performance at the end of an instructional period, educators can assess the effectiveness of their teaching methods and the extent to which students have mastered the learning objectives.
Feedback for Improvement: While the primary purpose of summative assessment is to evaluate student learning, the results of these assessments can also provide valuable feedback for improvement. By analyzing students' performance on summative assessments, educators can identify areas of strength and weakness in the curriculum and make necessary adjustments to improve student learning outcomes.
Accountability and Transparency: Summative assessments help ensure accountability and transparency in education by measuring students' learning outcomes against established standards. These assessments provide objective data that can be used to assess the effectiveness of educational programs, evaluate student performance, and make data-driven decisions to improve educational quality.
Grading and Reporting: Summative assessments are often used to assign grades or scores to students, which are then used to evaluate their academic performance and progress. These grades provide valuable information to students, parents, and educators about students' achievements, strengths, and areas for improvement.
Evidence of Learning: Summative assessments serve as evidence of students' learning and achievements, demonstrating the knowledge and skills they have acquired throughout the instructional period. These assessments provide a tangible record of students' progress and can be used to showcase their academic accomplishments to others.

In conclusion, summative assessment is a valuable tool in education that helps evaluate students' learning outcomes, measure their achievements, and ensure accountability in the education system. By providing a comprehensive view of students' performance at the end of an instructional period, summative assessments play a crucial role in assessing student progress, informing instructional decisions, and improving educational quality.

Help Learning Corner Get Better

Got suggestions or feedback? Let us know through this form or drop us a comment on Facebook .

Health Science
Business Education
Computer Applications
Career Readiness
Teaching Strategies

« View All Posts

Assessment | Career and Technical Education (CTE) | Curriculum Development | Classroom Planning

Formative vs. Summative Assessments: What's the Difference?

Share This Article

March 19th, 2024 | 8 min. read

Formative vs. Summative Assessments: What's the Difference?

Brad Hummel

Coming from a family of educators, Brad knows both the joys and challenges of teaching well. Through his own teaching background, he’s experienced both firsthand. As a writer for iCEV, Brad’s goal is to help teachers empower their students by listening to educators’ concerns and creating content that answers their most pressing questions about career and technical education.

Print/Save as PDF

Whether you’re an administrator, supervisor, or teacher, you’ve heard of formative assessments and summative assessments . They're both essential parts of any curriculum map . But what do these terms actually mean?

In a nutshell, formative assessments are quizzes and tests that evaluate how someone is learning material throughout a course .

Summative assessments are quizzes and tests that evaluate how much someone has learned throughout a course .

In the classroom, that means formative assessments take place during a course, while summative assessments are the final evaluations at the course’s end.

That's the simple answer, but there's actually a lot more that makes formative and summative assessments different. To fully understand formative vs. summative assessments, you'll need to understand the details of these two important forms of assessment.

In this article, we'll take a closer look at formative and summative quizzing and assessing. When you've finished reading, you'll understand how to better test student knowledge in your classroom.

What Are Formative Assessments?

Formative assessments are evaluations of someone’s learning progress in a classroom.

Common formative assessments include:

Presentations
Group activities

Formative assessments work great when they’re used on a regular basis. That regularity could be based on a calendar (every Monday, every Thursday, etc.) or your lesson plans (every unit).

They’re also more flexible than summative assessments. You don’t always have to use pencil and paper to get a feel for your students’ progress. Instead, you can use in-class games, group presentations, and hands-on activities to evaluate student progress.

Ultimately, the formative assessments you use are up to you. After all, no one knows your classes better than you. So if you’d prefer to get an overview of how well your students are learning, you can use a group-style assessment like a game. If you want to know where each student struggles, you can use an individual assessment like a quiz.

This flexibility is perfect for keeping students engaged in your class. It lets you stick to a syllabus while mixing up the exact task each student has to perform. That way, you don’t fall into a predictable routine of teach-test-teach-test. Instead, you have a varied routine of teach-game-quiz-teach-presentation-project or another interesting format.

By the time your course ends, you’ll have a full understanding of how students are learning as you teach a subject. Then, you can keep all of your grades to look for patterns among different class sections.

Is there an area where students seem to do worse than others? Could you adjust a lesson and shoot for better results?

Naturally, you’ll never get a class that’s straight A’s from top to bottom. But you can still design your classroom assessments to work for as many students as possible!

Top 3 Formative Assessment Examples

Formative assessments are excellent opportunities to let your students flex their creative muscles.

Even if a student isn’t much of a writer or artist, they can still have a little fun with these assessments.

1. Make an Advertisement

Have your students create an advertisement for a concept they just learned. Use visuals and text to really sell an idea.

This makes students apply what they’ve learned into a creative exercise, which helps with long-term retention.

2. Idea Comparisons

Instruct students to lay out the main ideas of a new concept they learned. Then, have them compare that concept to another to see where they agree and disagree.

In addition to helping students remember these concepts, this exercise makes them apply previous knowledge to a new format so they can remember it better in the future.

3. Misconceptions

After you introduce a concept to students, introduce a popular misconception about it. Have students discuss why the misconception is false and where it may have started.

This exercise makes students think critically about what they’ve just learned while showing them how to debunk misinformation.

How Do You Track Formative Assessments?

You can track formative assessments in one of three ways: by grade, by feel, and with student data .

Let's take a closer look at using each of these methods to monitor student progress.

Track by Grade

First, you can track them by grade . This gives you a specific, concentrated view of how a student (or group of students) learns. However, graded assessments are sources of stress for many students. So if you want to make a unit fun or loose, graded assessments may not work well for you.

Track by Feel

Second, you can track them by feel . This is more based on your teacher instinct, allowing you to pick which students need additional support based on your observation. On the downside, you can’t “show” this information to your administrators. If you have certain standards to meet throughout a marking period, you won’t be able to prove you’ve fulfilled those standards without grades.

Track with Student Data

Finally, you can track formative assessments with student data . This is non-graded information that may reflect how your students are learning, such as questions they've frequently answered incorrectly or subject areas where they've had trouble. After all, not everything has to be a grade!

When you have a comprehensive data management system in place, tracking with student data can be the most effective way to measure student progress.

With all of that said and done, let’s next consider summative assessments.

What Are Summative Assessments?

Summative assessments are evaluations of what someone has learned throughout a course.

Common summative assessments include:

Final exams
End-of-class projects

Summative assessments almost always take place at the end of a course unless a teacher decides to break a course into more manageable chunks. They’re often cumulative, and they’re used to evaluate a student’s long-term information retention.

In summative assessments like final exams , you can include questions from the first week or two of a course to ensure students retained introductory information. In other assessments like papers, your students can pull from a full marking period of learning to apply to a topic.

Either way, your students have to do some serious reflecting and critical thinking to bring together the information from an entire course.

This is a great way to ensure students retain essential information from one course to another. So if you teach introductory courses, summative assessments are perfect to set students up for success in their next classes.

That’s important because a student’s success in your classroom is just one step for them. When you prepare them for the next step, you make it easier for them to succeed in the future as well.

In that way, summative assessments serve two purposes:

First , they evaluate what someone learned while they’ve been in your class.

Second , they evaluate how prepared someone is to go to the next academic level.

Combined with the rest of a student’s performance in class, summative quizzing and assessments are excellent ways to gauge progress while ensuring long-term information retention.

Top 3 Summative Assessment Examples

Summative assessments are traditionally more structured and standardized than formative assessments.

Still, you have a few options to shake things up that go beyond a pen-and-paper test.

1. In-depth reports

Instruct students to choose a topic that resonated with them in class and report in-depth on it. This is a great opportunity for students to take an idea and run with it under your supervision.

These reports often showcase a student’s interest, and you’ll be able to evaluate a student’s engagement level in the class by how they approach the report.

The goal is a passionate, intelligent, and comprehensive examination of a concept that matters to a student.

2. Cumulative, individual projects

Have your students pick a project to complete. This project should somehow reflect what they’ve learned throughout the course.

Projects are great for any practical application class from health science to physics. Creating a cross-section of the human heart, designing a diet, or creating a protective egg-drop vessel are all fun ways students can show off their knowledge of a topic.

3. Personal evaluation papers

Require students to apply principles from your class to their personal lives. These papers are excellent fits for psychology, nutrition, finance, business, and other theory-based classes.

In a nutshell, personal evaluations let students look at themselves through a different lens while exploring the nuances of the principles they learned in class. Plus, it lets students do something everyone loves — talk about themselves!

Now that you have a few ideas on summative assessments, how can you track their success?

How Do You Track Summative Assessments?

While everyone has their own ideas on this topic, grades are the best way to evaluate someone’s success with a summative assessment.

How you grade is ultimately up to you. Presentations are great ways to grade someone based on a number of factors, including soft skills like public speaking. Written exams or project-based assessments are ideal to see a student’s full-scope understand of your class after a marking period.

Whatever you choose, stick to a consistent grading scale so you can identify your own strengths and weaknesses in the classroom as students complete your course.

What’s More Important: Formative or Summative Assessments?

Many new teachers have this question — are formative or summative assessments more important?

In a perfect world, they’re equally important. Formative assessments let students show that they’re learning, and summative assessments let them show what they’ve learned.

But American public education values summative assessments over formative assessments. Standardized tests — like the SATs — are great examples of high-value summative assessments.

It’s rare to find the same emphasis on formative quizzing and assessments. That’s because formative assessments act like milestones while summative assessments show the bottom line.

We encourage teachers to look at these assessments as two sides of the same coin. Formative and summative assessments work together flawlessly when implemented properly.

With all of that in mind, you only have one question left to answer. How are you going to add these assessments to your curriculum ?

Use Formative and Summative Assessments and Meet Your Challenges

As a teacher, you’ll likely need to employ both summative and formative assessments in your curriculum. An effective balance of these assessments will help you understand your students’ needs while meeting your standards.

However, CTE teachers face challenges in the classroom each day that sometimes get in the way of connecting with students and preparing them for these assessments.

If you want to feel less overwhelmed and spend more time helping your students succeed, download your free guide . You’ll learn about five of the most significant challenges teachers face and how you can overcome them.

What is summative assessment? How to further learning with final exams

Grading can be learning, for both students and teachers.

By completing this form, you agree to Turnitin's Privacy Policy . Turnitin uses the information you provide to contact you with relevant information. You may unsubscribe from these communications at any time.

Understanding the meaning and function of summative assessment helps clarify its role within education as a critical component of bridging teaching and learning. In this post, we take a closer look at summative assessment’s qualities with the end goal of ensuring that summative assessment supports learning and informs teaching.

Assessment is a term that describes tests, quizzes, exams, and assignments that measure student learning. Each of these methodologies can provide students and teachers with insights. Educators receive data on what students have and have not learned and gain observations into teaching efficacy and exam design. Students, in turn, recognize any learning gaps they might have, and when they receive feedback, understand next steps to further learning.

The most high-stakes type of assessment is called summative assessment. Summative assessment often comes at the endpoint of learning, whether at the end of a unit, course, or curriculum, serving largely as a pure evaluation of knowledge.

It’s easy to consider summative assessments as a final chapter to learning, but summative assessments can also act as a milestone and inform next steps for both educators and students. By examining the definition of summative assessment as well as its capabilities, educators can embrace its strengths, bolster its shortcomings, and foster learning.

Summative assessment is a specific type of assessment that evaluates learning and offers little opportunity for providing student feedback because of its positioning at the end of a learning unit. They are usually high-stakes, contributing to a large portion of a student’s course grade (e.g., final exams) or an exam that has a high impact on a student’s educational outcome. (e.g., standardized exams or entrance exams). Summative assessments include heavily weighted midterm exams, final exams, licensure tests, and standardized exams like A levels in the UK, SATs in the United States, Matriculation Exams in Finland, National Boards in India, or the CSAT in South Korea.

In such a high-stakes context, failing or struggling on summative assessments can negate student effort in other areas of study. On the other hand, summative assessment can be an effective tool to evaluate student knowledge and in the realm of licensure and certification exams, determine qualification for beginning a career.

While we aim to focus discussion on summative assessment, it’s important to describe another type of assessment to provide context; formative assessments not only evaluate learning but provide feedback to students and data to instructors. While formative assessments may or may not be given a grade, they most certainly further learning and occur throughout the course to support student learning needs, and often provide a safe space for failure . Formative assessments include assignments, tests, in-class activities, quizzes, and even midterm exams when they include feedback and opportunities for instructor intervention.

Best practices in formative assessment include providing timely and actionable feedback to students before the next assessment ( Hattie & Timperley, 2007 ).

While formative assessment is the measurement and support of learning as it takes place, summative assessments are evaluations of what a student has learned at the end of a given period (e.g., semester or training course). By assessing students at the end of a module, course, or curriculum, educators gain insight into how well their students have mastered the content and how effective their teaching methods were.

Even though summative assessments are situated at a point where students will find it hard to action results, data from summative assessments can still be used to inform curriculum planning and teaching, as well as any future exam adjustments.

That said, when possible, it’s important to balance formative and summative assessments within a term or curriculum. Fortifying summative assessments with prior formative assessments can support a student’s educational journey. Students who understand what they know and what they need to know in order to move forward are more likely to be prepared for final evaluation. Furthermore, preparing students for final evaluation with frequent opportunities to fail safely and receive feedback reduces stress, increases learning outcomes, and can mitigate academic misconduct .

While every type of assessment has its function to evaluate, every type of assessment, too, can be maximized for learning and teaching. Mid-course exams, for example, have the potential for both summative and formative qualities, serving to evaluate mastery (summative) and provide feedback to promote student learning (formative).

Without feedback, a midterm exam is purely summative. And while a summative component to a mid-course exam is reasonable, there is a lot more potential to them. It is important to provide feedback on mid-course exams so that students understand what they do and do not know and have the tools to bridge learning gaps for the next assessment and ultimately their final exam.

When assessments are provided with timely and actionable feedback, students have the information they need to facilitate their own learning; in this way, even high-stakes midterm exams can pivot towards formative learning opportunities for students. Additionally, summative assessments contain information critical for teacher and curriculum intervention as well as future exam design.

While formative assessments hinge on providing students with immediate feedback to help with the learning process, summative assessments happen after the student learning occurs. However, this doesn’t mean that communicating students’ performance is any less important.

For students to understand what content they have mastered and which topics might need additional study time, they need a detailed breakdown of their performance.

Categorizing summative assessment questions can give instructors the granular performance data they (and their students) need. By tagging exam items to course topics or learning objectives, faculty can provide the detailed feedback students need to be more focused in their study efforts.

Summative assessments are an important part of the assessment process and are incredibly valuable to both students and faculty. By ensuring high-stakes exams are secure, and providing students with performance feedback, educators can gain insight into how well students have learned the content and how well instructors have presented it.

Summative assessments evaluate content mastery. Generally, they are end-of-course or end-of-year exams; however, these are not the only applicable uses of summative assessments. Evaluating student learning could also come at the end of a chapter or learning module with mid-course exams.

Summative exams can also be multi-functional, as they, like all assessments, are rich with data. When item analysis and psychometrics accompany summative assessment, instruction is bolstered. When an assessment occurs at the end of a course or year or curriculum, data insights help educators make adjustments to teaching and curriculum so that future learning can be bolstered. When category-tagging is employed in tools like ExamSoft, educators can pinpoint student preparation for things like licensure exams. And conducting item analysis can inform effective exam design.

Summative assessments are by nature, high-stakes, and very stressful.

Who hasn’t woken from a nightmare in panic about missing or failing a final exam, even decades out from school? The reality that summative assessments can make or break academic success is deeply implanted in our psyche.

Fair and inclusive assessments uphold accurate assessments. When exams are not fair nor inclusive, they become vulnerable to misconduct, resulting in missed learning opportunities. When exams do not cover what was taught, students may feel stressed and vulnerable. These missed opportunities can compound and widen learning gaps.

Assessments need to contain a variety of formats and question styles to measure different components of learning and include different learning styles. Summative assessments, when poorly designed, reward memorization rather than deep understanding of concepts. Encouraging competition between students, which can happen when grading on a curve, can also increase stress and decrease fairness.

Additionally, when test-takers are not sure how they will be evaluated, summative assessments can be unfair and inaccurate. Providing rubrics to students and graders ensures clarity of expectations and ensuing measurement of learning.

When summative assessments are stressful, do not accurately measure learning, aren’t preceded with learning opportunities beforehand, and/or don’t test what has been taught, they also become more vulnerable to academic misconduct and shortcut solutions like cheating, plagiarism, and AI Writing misuse.

Assessments are a checkpoint for student learning and teaching efficacy; consequently, accurate student responses are critical to increasing learning outcomes.

Most summative assessments are given with the understanding that the student’s score counts toward their final grade. As such, keeping these secure from academic dishonesty is paramount to providing a fair experience for all exam-takers. Though many educational institutions are moving to computer-based testing (CBT), taking exams on laptops or other devices brings a new list of potential security issues, such as access to the internet or other applications during an exam. An effective way to ensure exam integrity is testing software that does not allow use of the internet during an exam and prevents students from accessing other applications on their device.

Preventing academic dishonesty by blocking exam-takers’ information sources isn’t the only point to consider; ensuring students don’t share assessment items is also a concern. Once a test question is compromised, it’s no longer a valid measurement of student learning. Thus, keeping questions secure is vital.

Assessment security is a focus of Professor Phillip Dawson, an authority on assessment security from Deakin University in Australia, who defines assessment security as: “Measures taken to harden assessment against attempts to cheat. This includes approaches to detect and evidence attempts to cheat, as well as measures to make cheating more difficult.”

Dawson suggests a multilayered approach to assessment design, with seven standards for assessment security that institutions ought to consider:

Coverage across a program - how much of a degree should be secured?
Authentication - how do we ensure the student is who they say they are?
Control of circumstances - how can we be sure the task was done in the intended circumstances?
Difficulty to cheat metrics - we need to know how hard it may be to cheat a task.
Detection accuracy metrics - we need to know if our detection methods work.
Proof metrics - we need to be able to prove cases of cheating.
Prevalence metrics - we need to know approximate rates of undetected, detected, and proven cheating ( Dawson, 2021 ).

According to Professor Roseanna Bourke, Director of Educational Psychology programme and Institute of Education at Massey University, there is a link between student cheating and student understanding and investment in the assigned tasks; when students don’t understand questions and lack confidence, learning itself becomes the barrier ( Bourke, Integrity Matters, n.d. ).

Providing support to students throughout a course or curriculum mitigates academic dishonesty in summative assessments. When students feel seen and supported with formative feedback in their educational journey, they are less likely to cheat. Additionally, rubrics can make clear the purpose of each question.

As stated, summative assessment is useful when the data exchange is maximized and accurate. Not only should it provide information about content mastery to instructors, it can also act as a reservoir of statistics about learning trends, item analysis, and exam effectiveness. Finally, and when possible, summative exams can take on formative qualities when feedback is provided. All of these data points directly benefit student learning.

Because it is a platform to demonstrate a culmination of knowledge, designing summative assessments is particularly critical to make the test accessible and inclusive for all different types of learners, and thus promote accurate measurement and data insights. Exam design principles include:

Test what has been taught; aligning summative assessment with instruction models and promotes integrity for students.
Design assessments that focus on measuring both breadth and depth of student knowledge and consider eliminating components that do not inform learning. Offer a variety of assessment formats. Multiple-choice questions can effectively breadth of knowledge in a limited time while short-answer and long-answer formats can evaluate higher-order thinking.
Offering a variety of formats and questions styles within a summative assessment can also accommodate different learning styles. When diverse formats are offered, a larger spectrum of learning can be assessed. Additionally, diverse formats provide different ways for students to demonstrate their learning.
And consider eliminating grading on a curve, which can increase competition between students, some of whom may be cheating ( UC Berkeley, 2020 ). Researchers Schinske and Tanner state, “Moving away from curving sets the expectation that all students have the opportunity to achieve the highest possible grade” ( Schinske & Tanner, 2014 ).
A rubric, too, benefits students by clarifying expectations and acts as added assurance that tests align to previously-communicated learning goals.

Finally, the summative assessment itself is a living document, one that can be continuously optimized.

Analyze student responses to ensure assessments are fair, and to examine answer patterns to see if shortcut solutions have been utilized. Item analysis , or formally examining student responses and patterns, can show whether or not summative assessments are accurately assessing student knowledge. The data (Did every student get one particular question wrong? Did every student get one particular question correct? What kinds of answers are your test questions eliciting? Did you get the answers you expected?) can inform both exam design and teaching. Furthermore, item analysis supports exam robustness by highlighting questions on exams that may need adjustment.

Category tagging , a feature in ExamSoft assessment software, can offer more in-depth insights into future testing. A nursing program, for instance, can evaluate readiness for certification and the strength of curriculum to prepare students for standardized exams. Of course, category tagging can also fortify summative assessment within the curriculum.

In conclusion, summative assessments function largely as a way to evaluate learning at critical learning junctions, whether at the end of a term, end of a curriculum, or for advancement into the next level of schooling or licensure. The nature of summative assessments make them high-stakes, sometimes to the extent that they can negatively impact all prior learning. Moreover, they lack the opportunity for feedback, given their position in the educational journey.

That said, summative assessments are not wholly an endpoint. They are an intersection rich with data for educators to inform teaching, curriculum, and exam design. For students, too, there can be opportunities to learn, either by feedback or via data analysis, their own learning gaps and how to bridge them.

When educators maximize the potential of summative assessment, they can foster learning.

e-Learning Glossary

What is Summative Evaluation?

Unveil the key aspects of Summative Evaluation, from its definition to its role in enhancing learning. Get all your questions answered in our detailed article.

Summative evaluation is a type of evaluation that occurs at the end of a learning period or program. It assesses students' learning and whether they have met the established learning goals. It evaluates the effectiveness of a learning program or to provide a final grade for a student’s performance.

Purpose of Summative Evaluation

The purpose of summative evaluation is to measure the overall achievement of a student or a group of students at the end of a course or program.

It provides valuable information to teachers, schools, and educational institutions about the success of their teaching methods and curriculum design.

Additionally, summative evaluations offer a way for students to receive a final grade, which is important for college and university admission and future job opportunities.

What is the Difference Between Summative Evaluation and Formative Evaluation?

difference between Summative evaluation Vs Formative evaluation

While summative evaluation focuses on the outcome of educational processes, formative evaluation is characterized by its role in the ongoing improvement of the learning experience. Formative evaluations are conducted during the learning process and are designed to provide feedback to both instructors and students to inform teaching and learning adjustments.

The key differences between summative and formative evaluations lie in their timing, purpose, and application.

Summative evaluation is typically carried out at the end of an instructional unit, semester, or program, aiming to measure what students have learned.

Formative evaluation , on the other hand, is ongoing, aiming to improve the learning process through immediate feedback.

Both evaluations play complementary roles in the educational ecosystem. While formative evaluation helps in adjusting teaching methodologies and improving student engagement and understanding during the course, summative evaluation assesses whether the overall goals of the education process were achieved.

Together, they provide a comprehensive overview of educational effectiveness, catering to both immediate instructional needs and long-term learning outcomes.

Applications of Summative Evaluation

While traditionally associated with educational settings, summative evaluation finds its application in various domains, proving its versatility and effectiveness.

Educational Settings

In K-12 and higher education , summative evaluations are critical for assessing student achievement at the end of academic periods. They serve as a basis for grading, certification, and progression to subsequent levels of education. Furthermore, summative assessments are instrumental in curriculum development, helping educators refine and adjust educational content and delivery based on student outcomes.

Professional Development and Training Programs

Summative evaluations are also pivotal in professional development and training contexts. They help organizations assess the effectiveness of training programs, ensuring employees have acquired the necessary skills and knowledge to improve job performance. Through summative assessment, organizations can make informed decisions about the continuation, modification, or elimination of training programs.

Program Evaluation Outside Educational Sector

Summative evaluation extends beyond educational and training settings, playing a crucial role in the evaluation of various programs and initiatives across sectors. It provides valuable insights into the effectiveness of health promotion programs, community development projects, and policy implementations, among others, informing stakeholders about the achievement of program objectives.

Benefits and of Limitations of Summative Evaluation

Benefits of Summative Evaluation

Summative evaluation offers numerous benefits, crucial for enhancing educational quality and accountability.

Objective Measurement of Learning Outcomes: By providing a clear, measurable assessment of what students have learned, summative evaluations facilitate an objective comparison of educational outcomes across different settings and times. ‍
Decision-making for Educational Policy and Curriculum Development: The data derived from summative assessments can inform educational policy, curriculum design, and resource allocation, ensuring that teaching strategies meet the evolving educational standards and student needs. ‍
Feedback for Students and Educators: While primarily outcome-focused, summative evaluations still offer valuable feedback to students and educators. They highlight areas of strength and opportunities for improvement, guiding future educational endeavors.

Limitations of Summative Evaluation

Despite the significant benefits, summative evaluation faces several limitations and challenges that can affect its effectiveness and the educational experience of students.

Stress and Anxiety: One of the most notable drawbacks is the stress and anxiety associated with high-stakes testing. Students often feel immense pressure to perform well on summative assessments, as these scores can influence their academic future, such as grade advancement or college admissions. This pressure can lead to test anxiety, negatively impacting students' performance and well-being. ‍
Potential Limitation on Creativity and Learning Styles: Summative evaluations, particularly standardized tests , may inadvertently limit educator creativity and the accommodation of diverse student learning styles. Teachers might feel compelled to "teach to the test," focusing on test-taking skills and knowledge likely to be assessed at the expense of a more comprehensive, exploratory learning experience. This can stifle creative teaching methods and fail to address the varied ways students learn and demonstrate understanding. ‍
Issues of Bias and Fairness: Another critical concern is the potential for bias and fairness in test design and implementation. Standardized tests may not adequately account for the diverse cultural, linguistic, and socio-economic backgrounds of students. Such disparities can disadvantage certain student groups, leading to questions about the equity and validity of these assessments.

Summative Assessment Methodologies

Summative evaluation employs a variety of methodologies to assess the learning outcomes and educational achievement of students. These methodologies are designed to provide objective, measurable data on students' performance relative to the educational objectives.

Summative Assessment Meaning

At the heart of summative evaluation, summative assessment functions as the key tool for measuring learners' knowledge, skills, and academic achievements after an instructional period. Unlike formative assessments, which focus on ongoing feedback to improve learning processes, summative assessments aim to evaluate learning against set criteria or benchmarks at the end of a course or program.

This includes assessments like multiple-choice exams, essays, presentations, and projects, which are essential for grading and confirming the achievement of educational goals. Summative assessments also act as benchmarks for educational quality, aiding in curriculum design and policy development by ensuring outcomes align with curriculum intentions.

Standardized Tests

One of the most common forms of summative evaluation is standardized testing, administered and scored uniformly to compare student performance against established benchmarks. These include K-12 end-of-grade tests and college entrance exams like the SAT or ACT , providing a comprehensive measure of student knowledge and skills.

Final Projects and Portfolios

Evaluating final projects or portfolios allows for a detailed assessment of a student's application of learning. Whether through research papers, experiments, or creative endeavors, these methods showcase student growth, proficiency, and mastery, offering insight into both the depth and breadth of their educational experience.

How to Design a Summative Evaluation Plan?

To develop a summative evaluation plan that accurately measures learning outcomes and supports educational objectives, it’s crucial to follow a structured approach. These essential steps provide a roadmap for educators to design assessments that are not only effective but also meaningful and inclusive:

Define Learning Objectives: Start with clear, measurable objectives that outline the expected outcomes of the educational program or course. ‍
Select Appropriate Assessments: Choose methods, such as standardized tests, final projects, or portfolios, that align with your learning objectives to accurately evaluate student performance. ‍
Ensure Reliability and Validity: Design assessments that consistently measure what they're supposed to, ensuring they're both reliable and valid. ‍
Provide Clear Rubrics: Develop and share grading rubrics criteria with students beforehand, clarifying expectations and how assessments will be evaluated. ‍
Incorporate Diverse Methods: Use a variety of assessment types to cater to different student strengths and learning styles . ‍
Plan for Accessibility: Make assessments accessible to all students, considering those with disabilities and accommodating cultural and linguistic diversity. ‍
Reflect and Adjust: After implementation, evaluate the effectiveness of your assessments and adjust future plans based on this reflection to continually improve the evaluation process.

By carefully planning and implementing a summative evaluation plan that follows these guidelines, educators can create a robust framework for assessing student learning and program effectiveness.

In conclusion, summative evaluation is an important tool for measuring the effectiveness of teaching and learning practices. Providing valuable information about student achievement helps teachers and schools improve their teaching methods and curriculum design. However, ensuring that the evaluation is fair, accurate, and used in a meaningful way is important to impact the teaching and learning process truly.

Learn more: What is Successive Approximation Model?

Create engaging and interactive courses at scale. Start today.

Related learning terms

Discover what is Cultural Intelligence and its pivotal role in navigating diverse cultural landscapes effectively in both personal and professional settings.

Self-paced learning on mobile & browser. Learn at your own time, place, and pace.

Predictive Analytics is a method of analyzing current and historical data to make predictions about the future.

Dive into the comprehensive comparison between AICC and SCORM, two pivotal eLearning standards. Explore their unique features, historical evolution, and the implications they hold for the future of digital learning.

We empower online academies to launch engaging learning experiences and improve learning outcomes through our social learning platform.

White Label LMS
LMS for Nonprofits
Integrations
Comparisons
eLearning Glossary
Request a demo
Cohort-based learning
Collaborative learning
Corporate training
Capability academy
Group coaching
Course creators platform
Community-based learning
Free course pricing calculator
Free course revenues calculator
Become a partner
Privacy Policy
Product Updates
System Status

Formative vs. Summative Evaluation in Education: Key Differences Explained

Table of Contents

Have you ever wondered how teachers decide what grades to give, or how students understand what they need to improve on? The answer lies in the world of assessment , an integral part of the education system. There are two main types of assessment that educators use to measure student learning — formative and summative. While they may seem similar, they serve very different purposes and have distinct impacts on how students learn and how teachers instruct. In this blog post, we’ll explore the key differences between formative and summative evaluation in education, shedding light on how each approach contributes to the learning process.

What is formative evaluation ?

Formative evaluation is like a coach giving feedback during practice; it’s all about improvement and growth. This type of evaluation is ongoing and occurs during the learning process. It aims to monitor student learning and provide ongoing feedback that can be used by instructors to improve their teaching and by students to enhance their learning.

Characteristics of formative evaluation

Continuous interaction : Formative evaluation involves regular, often daily, assessment and conversations between the teacher and students.
Feedback-driven : The primary objective is to provide constructive feedback that students can use to improve their understanding and skills.
In formal methods : It often uses informal assessment methods such as quizzes, group work, and class discussions.
Adaptive teaching : Teachers use the information gathered to adapt their teaching strategies to meet the needs of their students.

Benefits of formative evaluation

Encourages active learning : Students are involved in their learning process and can see their progress over time.
Identifies learning gaps : It helps in pinpointing areas where students are struggling, allowing for timely intervention.
Reduces anxiety : With ongoing assessments, the pressure of a single high-stakes exam is reduced.
Personalized feedback : Students receive individualized feedback, which is more effective in addressing specific needs.

What is summative evaluation?

Summative evaluation, on the other hand, is like the final game of the season. It assesses the knowledge, skills, and competencies that students have gained over a period of time. This type of evaluation typically occurs at the end of a unit, term, or academic year and is used to assign grades or certify student achievement.

Characteristics of summative evaluation

Periodic : Summative evaluation is not continuous but occurs at specific points in the academic calendar.
Grading and certification : The results are often used for grading, reporting, and certifying student achievement.
Formal methods : It includes formal assessments such as standardized tests, final projects, and exams.
Less emphasis on feedback : While feedback may be provided, it is not the primary focus of summative evaluation.

Benefits of summative evaluation

Measures achievement : It evaluates how well students have met the learning objectives set at the beginning of the course.
Benchmarking : Summative evaluation helps in comparing educational outcomes across different institutions or regions.
Accountability : It holds students and teachers accountable for the learning that has or has not taken place.
Qualifications : Summative assessments often lead to qualifications that are necessary for further education or employment.

Comparing formative and summative evaluation

While both formative and summative evaluations are crucial to the educational process, they differ significantly in purpose and implementation. Let’s delve into a comparison that highlights their unique roles and effects on teaching and learning.

Timing and frequency

Formative evaluation is embedded into the daily learning process, providing real-time insights into student understanding. It’s frequent and informal, allowing for quick adjustments. Summative evaluation is periodic , marking the culmination of a learning cycle, and is more structured and formal in nature.

Feedback versus grading

The feedback provided in formative evaluation is diagnostic and meant to guide students on how to improve. In contrast, summative evaluation often concludes with a grade or score that summarizes a student’s performance but may not provide detailed insights for improvement.

Impact on learning

Formative evaluation fosters a learning environment where mistakes are part of the learning process, helping to build a growth mindset . Summative evaluation, while necessary, can sometimes create a fixed mindset where students focus on the final grade rather than the learning journey.

Striking a balance

For optimal learning outcomes, educators must strike a balance between formative and summative evaluations. A combination of both provides a comprehensive picture of student learning, with formative evaluation shaping the learning process and summative evaluation measuring its end results.

Integrating formative and summative evaluation

Teachers can integrate the insights from formative assessments to prepare students for summative evaluations. Conversely, the results of summative evaluations can inform future formative practices, creating a cyclical and dynamic approach to assessment.

In conclusion, formative and summative evaluations are not rivals but partners in the educational journey. Both are necessary to provide a full picture of a student’s academic progress and mastery of content. As we navigate the complexities of teaching and learning, understanding the differences and leveraging the strengths of each type of evaluation will empower educators to better support their students and elevate the educational experience.

What do you think? How do you see formative and summative evaluations impacting your learning or teaching experiences? Can you think of a time when formative feedback changed your approach to a subject?

How useful was this post?

Click on a star to rate it!

Average rating 0 / 5. Vote count: 0

No votes so far! Be the first to rate this post.

We are sorry that this post was not useful for you!

Let us improve this post!

Tell us how we can improve this post?

Submit a Comment Cancel reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Save my name, email, and website in this browser for the next time I comment.

Submit Comment

Assessment for Learning

1 Concept and Purpose of Evaluation

Basic Concepts
Relationships among Measurement, Assessment, and Evaluation
Teaching-Learning Process and Evaluation
Assessment for Enhancing Learning
Other Terms Related to Assessment and Evaluation

2 Perspectives of Assessment

Behaviourist Perspective of Assessment
Cognitive Perspective of Assessment
Constructivist Perspective of Assessment
Assessment of Learning and Assessment for Learning

3 Approaches to Evaluation

Approaches to Evaluation: Placement Formative Diagnostic and Summative
Distinction between Formative and Summative Evaluation
External and Internal Evaluation
Norm-referenced and Criterion-referenced Evaluation
Construction of Criterion-referenced Tests

4 Issues, Concerns and Trends in Assessment and Evaluation

What is to be Assessed?
Criteria to be used to Assess the Process and Product
Who will Apply the Assessment Criteria and Determine Marks or Grades?
How will the Scores or Grades be Interpreted?
Sources of Error in Examination
Learner-centered Assessment Strategies
Question Banks
Semester System
Continuous Internal Evaluation
Choice-Based Credit System (CBCS)
Marking versus Grading System
Open Book Examination
ICT Supported Assessment and Evaluation

5 Techniques of Assessment and Evaluation

Concept Tests
Self-report Techniques
Assignments
Observation Technique
Peer Assessment
Sociometric Technique
Project Work
School Club Activities

6 Criteria of a Good Tool

Evaluation Tools: Types and Differences
Essential Criteria of an Effective Tool of Evaluation
Reliability
Objectivity

7 Tools for Assessment and Evaluation

Paper Pencil Test
Aptitude Test
Achievement Test
Diagnostic–Remedial Test
Intelligence Test
Rating Scales
Questionnaire
Inventories
Interview Schedule
Observation Schedule
Anecdotal Records
Learners Portfolios and Rubrics

8 ICT Based Assessment and Evaluation

Importance of ICT in Assessment and Evaluation
Use of ICT in Various Types of Assessment and Evaluation
Role of Teacher in Technology Enabled Assessment and Evaluation
Online and E-examination
Learners’ E-portfolio and E-rubrics
Use of ICT Tools for Preparing Tests and Analyzing Results

9 Teacher Made Achievement Tests

Understanding Teacher Made Achievement Test (TMAT)
Types of Achievement Test Items/Questions
Construction of TMAT
Administration of TMAT
Scoring and Recording of Test Results
Reporting and Interpretation of Test Scores

10 Commonly Used Tests in Schools

Achievement Test Versus Aptitude Test
Performance Based Achievement Test
Diagnostic Testing and Remedial Activities
Question Bank
General Observation Techniques
Practical Test

11 Identification of Learning Gaps and Corrective Measures

Educational Diagnosis
Diagnostic Tests: Characteristics and Functions
Diagnostic Evaluation Vs. Formative and Summative Evaluation
Diagnostic Testing
Achievement Test Vs. Diagnostic Test
Diagnosing and Remedying Learning Difficulties: Steps Involved
Areas and Content of Diagnostic Testing
Remediation

12 Continuous and Comprehensive Evaluation

Continuous and Comprehensive Evaluation: Concepts and Functions
Forms of CCE
Recording and Reporting Students Performance
Students Profile
Cumulative Records

13 Tabulation and Graphical Representation of Data

Use of Educational Statistics in Assessment and Evaluation
Meaning and Nature of Data
Organization/Grouping of Data: Importance of Data Organization and Frequency Distribution Table
Graphical Representation of Data: Types of Graphs and its Use
Scales of Measurement

14 Measures of Central Tendency

Individual and Group Data
Measures of Central Tendency: Scales of Measurement and Measures of Central Tendency
The Mean: Use of Mean
The Median: Use of Median
The Mode: Use of Mode
Comparison of Mean, Median, and Mode

15 Measures of Dispersion

Measures of Dispersion
Standard Deviation

16 Correlation – Importance and Interpretation

The Concept of Correlation
Types of Correlation
Methods of Computing Co-efficient of Correlation (Ungrouped Data)
Interpretation of the Co-efficient of Correlation

17 Nature of Distribution and Its Interpretation

Normal Distribution/Normal Probability Curve
Divergence from Normality

Share on Mastodon

Grades 6-12
School Leaders

Free end-of-year letter templates to your students 📝!

Formative, Summative, and More Types of Assessments in Education

All the best ways to evaluate learning before, during, and after it happens.

Collage of types of assessments in education, including formative and summative

When you hear the word assessment, do you automatically think “tests”? While it’s true that tests are one kind of assessment, they’re not the only way teachers evaluate student progress. Learn more about the types of assessments used in education, and find out how and when to use them.

Diagnostic Assessments

Formative assessments, summative assessments.

Criterion-Referenced, Ipsative, and Normative Assessments

What is assessment?

In simplest terms, assessment means gathering data to help understand progress and effectiveness. In education, we gather data about student learning in variety of ways, then use it to assess both their progress and the effectiveness of our teaching programs. This helps educators know what’s working well and where they need to make changes.

Chart showing three types of assessments: diagnostic, formative, and summative

There are three broad types of assessments: diagnostic, formative, and summative. These take place throughout the learning process, helping students and teachers gauge learning. Within those three broad categories, you’ll find other types of assessment, such as ipsative, norm-referenced, and criterion-referenced.

What’s the purpose of assessment in education?

In education, we can group assessments under three main purposes:

Of learning
For learning
As learning

Assessment of learning is student-based and one of the most familiar, encompassing tests, reports, essays, and other ways of determining what students have learned. These are usually summative assessments, and they are used to gauge progress for individuals and groups so educators can determine who has mastered the material and who needs more assistance.

When we talk about assessment for learning, we’re referring to the constant evaluations teachers perform as they teach. These quick assessments—such as in-class discussions or quick pop quizzes—give educators the chance to see if their teaching strategies are working. This allows them to make adjustments in action, tailoring their lessons and activities to student needs. Assessment for learning usually includes the formative and diagnostic types.

Assessment can also be a part of the learning process itself. When students use self-evaluations, flash cards, or rubrics, they’re using assessments to help them learn.

Let’s take a closer look at the various types of assessments used in education.

Worksheet in a red binder called Reconstruction Anticipation Guide, used as a diagnostic pre-assessment (Types of Assessment)

Diagnostic assessments are used before learning to determine what students already do and do not know. This often refers to pre-tests and other activities students attempt at the beginning of a unit.

How To Use Diagnostic Assessments

When giving diagnostic assessments, it’s important to remind students these won’t affect their overall grade. Instead, it’s a way for them to find out what they’ll be learning in an upcoming lesson or unit. It can also help them understand their own strengths and weaknesses, so they can ask for help when they need it.

Teachers can use results to understand what students already know and adapt their lesson plans accordingly. There’s no point in over-teaching a concept students have already mastered. On the other hand, a diagnostic assessment can also help highlight expected pre-knowledge that may be missing.

For instance, a teacher might assume students already know certain vocabulary words that are important for an upcoming lesson. If the diagnostic assessment indicates differently, the teacher knows they’ll need to take a step back and do a little pre-teaching before getting to their actual lesson plans.

Examples of Diagnostic Assessments

Pre-test: This includes the same questions (or types of questions) that will appear on a final test, and it’s an excellent way to compare results.
Blind Kahoot: Teachers and kids already love using Kahoot for test review, but it’s also the perfect way to introduce a new topic. Learn how Blind Kahoots work here.
Survey or questionnaire: Ask students to rate their knowledge on a topic with a series of low-stakes questions.
Checklist: Create a list of skills and knowledge students will build throughout a unit, and have them start by checking off any they already feel they’ve mastered. Revisit the list frequently as part of formative assessment.

What stuck with you today? chart with sticky note exit tickets, used as formative assessment

Formative assessments take place during instruction. They’re used throughout the learning process and help teachers make on-the-go adjustments to instruction and activities as needed. These assessments aren’t used in calculating student grades, but they are planned as part of a lesson or activity. Learn much more about formative assessments here.

How To Use Formative Assessments

As you’re building a lesson plan, be sure to include formative assessments at logical points. These types of assessments might be used at the end of a class period, after finishing a hands-on activity, or once you’re through with a unit section or learning objective.

Once you have the results, use that feedback to determine student progress, both overall and as individuals. If the majority of a class is struggling with a specific concept, you might need to find different ways to teach it. Or you might discover that one student is especially falling behind and arrange to offer extra assistance to help them out.

While kids may grumble, standard homework review assignments can actually be a pretty valuable type of formative assessment . They give kids a chance to practice, while teachers can evaluate their progress by checking the answers. Just remember that homework review assignments are only one type of formative assessment, and not all kids have access to a safe and dedicated learning space outside of school.

Examples of Formative Assessments

Exit tickets : At the end of a lesson or class, pose a question for students to answer before they leave. They can answer using a sticky note, online form, or digital tool.
Kahoot quizzes : Kids enjoy the gamified fun, while teachers appreciate the ability to analyze the data later to see which topics students understand well and which need more time.
Flip (formerly Flipgrid): We love Flip for helping teachers connect with students who hate speaking up in class. This innovative (and free!) tech tool lets students post selfie videos in response to teacher prompts. Kids can view each other’s videos, commenting and continuing the conversation in a low-key way.
Self-evaluation: Encourage students to use formative assessments to gauge their own progress too. If they struggle with review questions or example problems, they know they’ll need to spend more time studying. This way, they’re not surprised when they don’t do well on a more formal test.

Find a big list of 25 creative and effective formative assessment options here.

Summative assessments are used at the end of a unit or lesson to determine what students have learned. By comparing diagnostic and summative assessments, teachers and learners can get a clearer picture of how much progress they’ve made. Summative assessments are often tests or exams but also include options like essays, projects, and presentations.

How To Use Summative Assessments

The goal of a summative assessment is to find out what students have learned and if their learning matches the goals for a unit or activity. Ensure you match your test questions or assessment activities with specific learning objectives to make the best use of summative assessments.

When possible, use an array of summative assessment options to give all types of learners a chance to demonstrate their knowledge. For instance, some students suffer from severe test anxiety but may still have mastered the skills and concepts and just need another way to show their achievement. Consider ditching the test paper and having a conversation with the student about the topic instead, covering the same basic objectives but without the high-pressure test environment.

Summative assessments are often used for grades, but they’re really about so much more. Encourage students to revisit their tests and exams, finding the right answers to any they originally missed. Think about allowing retakes for those who show dedication to improving on their learning. Drive home the idea that learning is about more than just a grade on a report card.

Examples of Summative Assessments

Traditional tests: These might include multiple-choice, matching, and short-answer questions.
Essays and research papers: This is another traditional form of summative assessment, typically involving drafts (which are really formative assessments in disguise) and edits before a final copy.
Presentations: From oral book reports to persuasive speeches and beyond, presentations are another time-honored form of summative assessment.

Find 25 of our favorite alternative assessments here.

More Types of Assessments

Now that you know the three basic types of assessments, let’s take a look at some of the more specific and advanced terms you’re likely to hear in professional development books and sessions. These assessments may fit into some or all of the broader categories, depending on how they’re used. Here’s what teachers need to know.

Criterion-Referenced Assessments

In this common type of assessment, a student’s knowledge is compared to a standard learning objective. Most summative assessments are designed to measure student mastery of specific learning objectives. The important thing to remember about this type of assessment is that it only compares a student to the expected learning objectives themselves, not to other students.

Chart comparing normative and criterion referenced types of assessment

Many standardized tests are criterion-referenced assessments. A governing board determines the learning objectives for a specific group of students. Then, all students take a standardized test to see if they’ve achieved those objectives.

Find out more about criterion-referenced assessments here.

Norm-Referenced Assessments

These types of assessments do compare student achievement with that of their peers. Students receive a ranking based on their score and potentially on other factors as well. Norm-referenced assessments usually rank on a bell curve, establishing an “average” as well as high performers and low performers.

These assessments can be used as screening for those at risk for poor performance (such as those with learning disabilities) or to identify high-level learners who would thrive on additional challenges. They may also help rank students for college entrance or scholarships, or determine whether a student is ready for a new experience like preschool.

Learn more about norm-referenced assessments here.

Ipsative Assessments

In education, ipsative assessments compare a learner’s present performance to their own past performance, to chart achievement over time. Many educators consider ipsative assessment to be the most important of all , since it helps students and parents truly understand what they’ve accomplished—and sometimes, what they haven’t. It’s all about measuring personal growth.

Comparing the results of pre-tests with final exams is one type of ipsative assessment. Some schools use curriculum-based measurement to track ipsative performance. Kids take regular quick assessments (often weekly) to show their current skill/knowledge level in reading, writing, math, and other basics. Their results are charted, showing their progress over time.

Learn more about ipsative assessment in education here.

Have more questions about the best types of assessments to use with your students? Come ask for advice in the We Are Teachers HELPLINE group on Facebook.

Plus, check out creative ways to check for understanding ..

Learn about the basic types of assessments educators use in and out of the classroom, and how to use them most effectively with students.

What is Formative Assessment? #buzzwordsexplained

What Is Formative Assessment and How Should Teachers Use It?

Check student progress as they learn, and adapt to their needs. Continue Reading

Part 2: Backwards Design and Designing Assessments

Summative assessment.

The tests, assignments, or projects are used to determine whether students have learned what they were expected to learn. In other words, what makes an assessment “summative” is not the design of the test, assignment, or self-evaluation, per se, but the way it is used—i.e., to determine whether and to what degree students have learned the material they have been taught.
Summative assessments are given at the conclusion of a specific instructional period, and therefore they are generally evaluative, rather than diagnostic—i.e., they are more appropriately used to determine learning progress and achievement, evaluate the effectiveness of educational programs, measure progress toward improvement goals, or make course-placement decisions, among other possible applications.
Summative-assessment results are often recorded as scores or grades that are then factored into a student’s permanent academic record, whether they end up as letter grades on a report card or test scores used in the college-admissions process. While summative assessments are typically a major component of the grading process in most districts, schools, and courses, not all assessments considered to be summative are graded.

Summative assessments are commonly contrasted with formative assessments , which collect detailed information that educators can use to improve instruction and student learning while it’s happening. In other words, formative assessments are often said to be for learning, while summative assessments are of learning. Or as assessment expert Paul Black put it, “When the cook tastes the soup, that’s formative assessment. When the customer tastes the soup, that’s summative assessment.” It should be noted, however, that the distinction between formative and summative is often fuzzy in practice, and educators may have divergent interpretations and opinions on the subject.

End-of-unit or chapter tests.
End-of-term or semester tests.
Standardized tests that are used to for the purposes of school accountability, college admissions (e.g., the SAT or ACT), or end-of-course evaluation (e.g., Advanced Placement or International Baccalaureate exams).
Culminating demonstrations of learning or other forms of “performance assessment,” such as portfolios of student work that are collected over time and evaluated by teachers or capstone projects that students work on over extended periods of time and that they present and defend at the conclusion of a school year or their high school education.

Summative Assessment. Authored by : S. Abbott (Ed.). Provided by : Great Schools Partnership. Located at : http://edglossary.org/summative-assessment/ . Project : The Glossary of Education Reform. License : CC BY-NC-SA: Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike

CORE CURRICULUM
LITERACY > CORE CURRICULUM > Into Literature, 6-12" data-element-type="header nav submenu" title="Into Literature, 6-12" aria-label="Into Literature, 6-12"> Into Literature, 6-12
LITERACY > CORE CURRICULUM > Into Reading, K-6" data-element-type="header nav submenu" title="Into Reading, K-6" aria-label="Into Reading, K-6"> Into Reading, K-6
INTERVENTION
LITERACY > INTERVENTION > English 3D, 4-12" data-element-type="header nav submenu" title="English 3D, 4-12" aria-label="English 3D, 4-12"> English 3D, 4-12
LITERACY > INTERVENTION > Read 180, 3-12" data-element-type="header nav submenu" title="Read 180, 3-12" aria-label="Read 180, 3-12"> Read 180, 3-12
LITERACY > READERS > Hero Academy Leveled Libraries, PreK-4" data-element-type="header nav submenu" title="Hero Academy Leveled Libraries, PreK-4" aria-label="Hero Academy Leveled Libraries, PreK-4"> Hero Academy Leveled Libraries, PreK-4
LITERACY > READERS > HMH Reads Digital Library, K-5" data-element-type="header nav submenu" title="HMH Reads Digital Library, K-5" aria-label="HMH Reads Digital Library, K-5"> HMH Reads Digital Library, K-5
LITERACY > READERS > inFact Leveled Libraries, K-5" data-element-type="header nav submenu" title="inFact Leveled Libraries, K-5" aria-label="inFact Leveled Libraries, K-5"> inFact Leveled Libraries, K-5
LITERACY > READERS > Rigby PM, K-5" data-element-type="header nav submenu" title="Rigby PM, K-5" aria-label="Rigby PM, K-5"> Rigby PM, K-5
LITERACY > READERS > Science & Engineering Leveled Readers, K-5" data-element-type="header nav submenu" title="Science & Engineering Leveled Readers, K-5" aria-label="Science & Engineering Leveled Readers, K-5"> Science & Engineering Leveled Readers, K-5
SUPPLEMENTAL
LITERACY > SUPPLEMENTAL > A Chance in the World SEL, 8-12" data-element-type="header nav submenu" title="A Chance in the World SEL, 8-12" aria-label="A Chance in the World SEL, 8-12"> A Chance in the World SEL, 8-12
LITERACY > SUPPLEMENTAL > Amira Learning, K-6" data-element-type="header nav submenu" title="Amira Learning, K-6" aria-label="Amira Learning, K-6"> Amira Learning, K-6
LITERACY > SUPPLEMENTAL > Classcraft, K-8" data-element-type="header nav submenu" title="Classcraft, K-8" aria-label="Classcraft, K-8"> Classcraft, K-8
LITERACY > SUPPLEMENTAL > JillE Literacy, K-3" data-element-type="header nav submenu" title="JillE Literacy, K-3" aria-label="JillE Literacy, K-3"> JillE Literacy, K-3
LITERACY > SUPPLEMENTAL > Waggle, K-8" data-element-type="header nav submenu" title="Waggle, K-8" aria-label="Waggle, K-8"> Waggle, K-8
LITERACY > SUPPLEMENTAL > Writable, 3-12" data-element-type="header nav submenu" title="Writable, 3-12" aria-label="Writable, 3-12"> Writable, 3-12
LITERACY > SUPPLEMENTAL > ASSESSMENT" data-element-type="header nav submenu" title="ASSESSMENT" aria-label="ASSESSMENT"> ASSESSMENT
MATH > CORE CURRICULUM > Arriba las Matematicas, K-8" data-element-type="header nav submenu" title="Arriba las Matematicas, K-8" aria-label="Arriba las Matematicas, K-8"> Arriba las Matematicas, K-8
MATH > CORE CURRICULUM > Go Math!, K-6" data-element-type="header nav submenu" title="Go Math!, K-6" aria-label="Go Math!, K-6"> Go Math!, K-6
MATH > CORE CURRICULUM > Into Algebra 1, Geometry, Algebra 2, 8-12" data-element-type="header nav submenu" title="Into Algebra 1, Geometry, Algebra 2, 8-12" aria-label="Into Algebra 1, Geometry, Algebra 2, 8-12"> Into Algebra 1, Geometry, Algebra 2, 8-12
MATH > CORE CURRICULUM > Into Math, K-8" data-element-type="header nav submenu" title="Into Math, K-8" aria-label="Into Math, K-8"> Into Math, K-8
MATH > CORE CURRICULUM > Math Expressions, PreK-6" data-element-type="header nav submenu" title="Math Expressions, PreK-6" aria-label="Math Expressions, PreK-6"> Math Expressions, PreK-6
MATH > CORE CURRICULUM > Math in Focus, K-8" data-element-type="header nav submenu" title="Math in Focus, K-8" aria-label="Math in Focus, K-8"> Math in Focus, K-8
MATH > SUPPLEMENTAL > Classcraft, K-8" data-element-type="header nav submenu" title="Classcraft, K-8" aria-label="Classcraft, K-8"> Classcraft, K-8
MATH > SUPPLEMENTAL > Waggle, K-8" data-element-type="header nav submenu" title="Waggle, K-8" aria-label="Waggle, K-8"> Waggle, K-8
MATH > INTERVENTION > Math 180, 5-12" data-element-type="header nav submenu" title="Math 180, 5-12" aria-label="Math 180, 5-12"> Math 180, 5-12
SCIENCE > CORE CURRICULUM > Into Science, K-5" data-element-type="header nav submenu" title="Into Science, K-5" aria-label="Into Science, K-5"> Into Science, K-5
SCIENCE > CORE CURRICULUM > Into Science, 6-8" data-element-type="header nav submenu" title="Into Science, 6-8" aria-label="Into Science, 6-8"> Into Science, 6-8
SCIENCE > CORE CURRICULUM > Science Dimensions, K-12" data-element-type="header nav submenu" title="Science Dimensions, K-12" aria-label="Science Dimensions, K-12"> Science Dimensions, K-12
SCIENCE > READERS > inFact Leveled Readers, K-5" data-element-type="header nav submenu" title="inFact Leveled Readers, K-5" aria-label="inFact Leveled Readers, K-5"> inFact Leveled Readers, K-5
SCIENCE > READERS > Science & Engineering Leveled Readers, K-5" data-element-type="header nav submenu" title="Science & Engineering Leveled Readers, K-5" aria-label="Science & Engineering Leveled Readers, K-5"> Science & Engineering Leveled Readers, K-5
SCIENCE > READERS > ScienceSaurus, K-8" data-element-type="header nav submenu" title="ScienceSaurus, K-8" aria-label="ScienceSaurus, K-8"> ScienceSaurus, K-8
SOCIAL STUDIES > CORE CURRICULUM > HMH Social Studies, 6-12" data-element-type="header nav submenu" title="HMH Social Studies, 6-12" aria-label="HMH Social Studies, 6-12"> HMH Social Studies, 6-12
SOCIAL STUDIES > SUPPLEMENTAL > Writable" data-element-type="header nav submenu" title="Writable" aria-label="Writable"> Writable
For Teachers
PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT > For Teachers > Coachly" data-element-type="header nav submenu" title="Coachly" aria-label="Coachly"> Coachly
PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT > For Teachers > Teacher's Corner" data-element-type="header nav submenu" title="Teacher's Corner" aria-label="Teacher's Corner"> Teacher's Corner
PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT > For Teachers > Live Online Courses" data-element-type="header nav submenu" title="Live Online Courses" aria-label="Live Online Courses"> Live Online Courses
For Leaders
PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT > For Leaders > The Center for Model Schools (formerly ICLE)" data-element-type="header nav submenu" title="The Center for Model Schools (formerly ICLE)" aria-label="The Center for Model Schools (formerly ICLE)"> The Center for Model Schools (formerly ICLE)
MORE > undefined > Assessment" data-element-type="header nav submenu" title="Assessment" aria-label="Assessment"> Assessment
MORE > undefined > Early Learning" data-element-type="header nav submenu" title="Early Learning" aria-label="Early Learning"> Early Learning
MORE > undefined > English Language Development" data-element-type="header nav submenu" title="English Language Development" aria-label="English Language Development"> English Language Development
MORE > undefined > Homeschool" data-element-type="header nav submenu" title="Homeschool" aria-label="Homeschool"> Homeschool
MORE > undefined > Intervention" data-element-type="header nav submenu" title="Intervention" aria-label="Intervention"> Intervention
MORE > undefined > Literacy" data-element-type="header nav submenu" title="Literacy" aria-label="Literacy"> Literacy
MORE > undefined > Mathematics" data-element-type="header nav submenu" title="Mathematics" aria-label="Mathematics"> Mathematics
MORE > undefined > Professional Development" data-element-type="header nav submenu" title="Professional Development" aria-label="Professional Development"> Professional Development
MORE > undefined > Science" data-element-type="header nav submenu" title="Science" aria-label="Science"> Science
MORE > undefined > undefined" data-element-type="header nav submenu">
MORE > undefined > Social and Emotional Learning" data-element-type="header nav submenu" title="Social and Emotional Learning" aria-label="Social and Emotional Learning"> Social and Emotional Learning
MORE > undefined > Social Studies" data-element-type="header nav submenu" title="Social Studies" aria-label="Social Studies"> Social Studies
MORE > undefined > Special Education" data-element-type="header nav submenu" title="Special Education" aria-label="Special Education"> Special Education
MORE > undefined > Summer School" data-element-type="header nav submenu" title="Summer School" aria-label="Summer School"> Summer School
BROWSE RESOURCES
BROWSE RESOURCES > Classroom Activities" data-element-type="header nav submenu" title="Classroom Activities" aria-label="Classroom Activities"> Classroom Activities
BROWSE RESOURCES > Customer Success Stories" data-element-type="header nav submenu" title="Customer Success Stories" aria-label="Customer Success Stories"> Customer Success Stories
BROWSE RESOURCES > Digital Samples" data-element-type="header nav submenu" title="Digital Samples" aria-label="Digital Samples"> Digital Samples
BROWSE RESOURCES > Events" data-element-type="header nav submenu" title="Events" aria-label="Events"> Events
BROWSE RESOURCES > Grants & Funding" data-element-type="header nav submenu" title="Grants & Funding" aria-label="Grants & Funding"> Grants & Funding
BROWSE RESOURCES > International" data-element-type="header nav submenu" title="International" aria-label="International"> International
BROWSE RESOURCES > Research Library" data-element-type="header nav submenu" title="Research Library" aria-label="Research Library"> Research Library
BROWSE RESOURCES > Shaped - HMH Blog" data-element-type="header nav submenu" title="Shaped - HMH Blog" aria-label="Shaped - HMH Blog"> Shaped - HMH Blog
BROWSE RESOURCES > Webinars" data-element-type="header nav submenu" title="Webinars" aria-label="Webinars"> Webinars
CUSTOMER SUPPORT
CUSTOMER SUPPORT > Contact Sales" data-element-type="header nav submenu" title="Contact Sales" aria-label="Contact Sales"> Contact Sales
CUSTOMER SUPPORT > Customer Service & Technical Support Portal" data-element-type="header nav submenu" title="Customer Service & Technical Support Portal" aria-label="Customer Service & Technical Support Portal"> Customer Service & Technical Support Portal
CUSTOMER SUPPORT > Platform Login" data-element-type="header nav submenu" title="Platform Login" aria-label="Platform Login"> Platform Login
Learn about us
Learn about us > About" data-element-type="header nav submenu" title="About" aria-label="About"> About
Learn about us > Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion" data-element-type="header nav submenu" title="Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion" aria-label="Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion"> Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion
Learn about us > Environmental, Social, and Governance" data-element-type="header nav submenu" title="Environmental, Social, and Governance" aria-label="Environmental, Social, and Governance"> Environmental, Social, and Governance
Learn about us > News Announcements" data-element-type="header nav submenu" title="News Announcements" aria-label="News Announcements"> News Announcements
Learn about us > Our Legacy" data-element-type="header nav submenu" title="Our Legacy" aria-label="Our Legacy"> Our Legacy
Learn about us > Social Responsibility" data-element-type="header nav submenu" title="Social Responsibility" aria-label="Social Responsibility"> Social Responsibility
Learn about us > Supplier Diversity" data-element-type="header nav submenu" title="Supplier Diversity" aria-label="Supplier Diversity"> Supplier Diversity
Join Us > Careers" data-element-type="header nav submenu" title="Careers" aria-label="Careers"> Careers
Join Us > Educator Input Panel" data-element-type="header nav submenu" title="Educator Input Panel" aria-label="Educator Input Panel"> Educator Input Panel
Join Us > Suppliers and Vendors" data-element-type="header nav submenu" title="Suppliers and Vendors" aria-label="Suppliers and Vendors"> Suppliers and Vendors
Divisions > Center for Model Schools (formerly ICLE)" data-element-type="header nav submenu" title="Center for Model Schools (formerly ICLE)" aria-label="Center for Model Schools (formerly ICLE)"> Center for Model Schools (formerly ICLE)
Divisions > Heinemann" data-element-type="header nav submenu" title="Heinemann" aria-label="Heinemann"> Heinemann
Divisions > NWEA" data-element-type="header nav submenu" title="NWEA" aria-label="NWEA"> NWEA
Platform Login

SOCIAL STUDIES

PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT

What Is the Purpose of Summative Assessment in Education?

We’ve covered educational assessment a lot on this blog, but that’s not surprising given its central role in education. There are a wide range of perspectives on assessment, and often disagreement. For our part, we have identified three types of educational assessments: diagnostic , formative , and summative. Here we spotlight what is arguably the more contentious of the three—summative assessment.

Although each assessment differs in its use and intent, at times the differences may seem nuanced as they are often affected by the context in which they are used. An assessment is defined as much by its function as its form, and summative assessment is no different in this regard.

What Is Summative Assessment in Education?

The Standards for Educational and Psychological Testing define summative assessment as an evaluation of a test taker’s knowledge and skills, typically carried out at the completion of a program of learning, such as the end of an instructional unit. This type of assessment tends to be more formal, with time limits and increased content coverage. Examples are final exams, standardized tests, end-of-year projects, or other comprehensive assessments that provide a summary of the learner's performance.

Due to the higher stakes (discussed later) often attributed to summative assessments, item quality is monitored closely and adjusted where appropriate. These assessments are also typically subject to greater scrutiny for test validity and reliability.

What Is the Main Purpose of Summative Assessment?

Simply put, the main purpose of summative assessment is to measure students’ learning outcomes at the completion of an instructional unit, course, or academic program. The key word here is “completion,” indicating the assessing takes place after learning. Diagnostic assessment takes place before instruction and formative assessment takes place during instruction.

The overall purpose of assessment in education is multifaceted, encompassing various goals and objectives that contribute to the overall improvement of the learning process. The different types of assessment—diagnostic, formative and summative—each has its role in helping teachers understand how students are faring in their educational pursuits. Because these assessments are differentiated in nuanced ways, they can often be confusing for administrators, teachers, students, and caregivers. This confusion is probably most prevalent in discussing formative versus summative assessments.

Summative assessment differs from formative assessment in timing, purpose, feedback, and frequency. Another key difference: summative assessment is high-stakes while formative assessment is low-stakes. Below is a comparison of the two types of tests.

All in all, summative assessment serves as a dynamic and integral part of the educational process, contributing to ongoing improvement, accountability, and the overall success of students and educational systems. Different types of assessments, including diagnostic, formative and summative, collectively support a diverse set of purposes by providing a comprehensive view of student learning.

Evaluating the Purpose and Benefits of Summative Assessment in Education

Although it's often dreaded by students and considered controversial by teachers, administrators and advocates, summative assessment does have a place in education . It is important that these assessments are part of a thoughtful system and that an understanding exists with regard to its use and, more importantly, its limitations.

But why use summative assessments at all? Here are eight key benefits. These tests can:

Measure Learning Outcomes : Summative assessments are used to measure what students have learned and to what extent they have gained specific learning outcomes, knowledge, and skills. They provide a snapshot of student understanding at a specific point in time. This snapshot identifies areas where students have demonstrated skill acquisition and areas where they need further support. In addition, an end-of-year assessment can be used to determine if they have achieved proficiency in a particular domain.
Track Growth: By comparing current performance to past performance, educators can track individual student progress as well as the aggregated progress of schools and districts. This allows educators to celebrate growth, no matter how small, and understand the degree of progress made toward achieving educational goals.
Inform Instruction : Assessment results provide valuable information to educators about students' strengths and weaknesses. This information can guide instructional decisions, allowing teachers to tailor their instruction to better meet the needs of individual students or the class as a whole. This may seem similar to the purpose of formative assessment and speaks to the point made earlier in this blog regarding how they are defined. Assessments are often defined by their use as well as function. Summative assessment, like formative assessment, can provide feedback for instruction. The difference is the level of specificity and timing. The feedback provided from summative assessment may occur at a much higher level or granularity and only intermittently throughout the year.
Guide Curriculum Design : Assessment data allows educators and curriculum designers to evaluate the effectiveness of curriculum materials and instructional strategies. Summative data can be used to explore how well students are learning the standards articulated in the current curriculum, and feedback can be used to make periodic adjustments.
Promote Accountability : Assessments play a role in ensuring accountability at various levels, including for individual students, educators, schools, and educational systems. They provide evidence of learning outcomes, demonstrating the effectiveness of educational programs. Students can compare their results against set benchmarks, motivating them to strive for improvement. For teachers, assessment offers data to inform their practice and demonstrate the effectiveness of their instruction. For administrators, it provides insights into how well programs are addressing teacher and student needs.
Facilitate Goal Setting : Assessment results can be used to set goals for individual students, classes, and educational institutions. Involving students in analyzing their results promotes self-reflection. They can identify areas for improvement, set realistic goals, and track their progress over time. This fosters a sense of ownership over learning and empowers students to become active participants in their own growth. Goal setting provides direction for improvement and achievement over the short and long term.
Support Decision Making : Assessment results are crucial for decision-making processes related to student placement, program modifications, and resource allocation. Educators and administrators rely on assessment data to make informed decisions that impact the educational experience. These evaluations are often used to provide students with the ideal system of supports to address their unique needs or to identify the need for a more thorough diagnostic assessment.
Provide Feedback to Parents and Caregivers : Assessment results should be communicated to parents, caregivers, and the broader community. This transparency helps everyone understand and support a shared set of educational goals.

A Balanced Assessment Approach

It's important to note that while summative assessments are valuable for making important decisions, a balanced assessment approach often includes diagnostic, formative, and summative assessments to support ongoing learning and improvement. But the crucial role of summative assessment in an integrated system cannot be overstated. Much of the negative perspectives on these end-of-year tests stem not from the simple act of assessing, but the use of the results and how they are framed to students and teachers. Summative assessment results do not have to be demoralizing or threatening. They can be a useful tool in measuring student achievement that can be leveraged to make the beneficial changes needed to improve learning.

F or more on data-driven assessments and instruction, explore HMH assessments that provide educators a complete picture of student achievement.

Get a free guide to choosing the right assessments for your district.

Professional Learning

School Principal Leadership Coaching

Dr. Jessica Huizenga Associate Partner, The Center for Model Schools

April 26, 2024

Strategies for Teaching Elementary Writing hero

8 Research-Based Writing Strategies for Elementary Students

Katie Risolo Radovich First-Grade Teacher, Diocese of Rockville Centre, New York

April 23, 2024

What Do Teachers Want for Teacher Appreciation Week?

Brenda Iasevoli Shaped Executive Editor

April 19, 2024

SUMMATIVE ASSESSMENTS: MEANING, EXAMPLES AND TYPES

As an educator, you must have heard of formative and summative evaluations. But, do you know what they are and…

As an educator, you must have heard of formative and summative evaluations . But, do you know what they are and how they differ from one another?

Formative and summative evaluations are two overlapping ways of assessing pupils. Both formative and summative evaluations complement each other while examining a learner’ progress. The end goal of both is to establish the strengths, weaknesses and developmental patterns of students. Formative and summative evaluations are designed so that each type of evaluation gives actionable insights to educationists.

A holistic assessment practice would combine the best features of both formative and summative evaluations , depending on how they can contribute toward the end goal. A combination of the two can improve educational attainment levels and maximize efficacy.

The Meaning Of Summative Assessments

Definition of summative assessment, summative assessment meaning, summative assessment examples, types of summative assessments, benefits of summative assessment, how to use summative assessment, characteristics of summative assessment, assess and evaluate with harappa.

Which are the most effective summative evaluations ? Which formative evaluations are more creative? It appears that summative evaluation has a much greater online presence. Educators are liberally using online tools to track summative evaluations compared to formative evaluations.

Summative assessments are evaluative instead of diagnostic and help ascertain if the stated objectives of the course are being met. They help evaluate the performance of the learner against a predetermined benchmark. The stakes for such assessments are usually very high and have a high value point. These consist of clear instructions and grading rubric to see how much the student has understood and retained. Rubric is a tool that describes the instructor’s performance expectations from an assignment.

Summative assessments can be complemented with materials that help the teacher analyze results and take better actions for strategic learning. This strategy is also now also being incorporated in a number of e-learning modules.

Let’s dive deeper by examining the key differences between summative and formative evaluations , the different types of summative evaluations, the purpose of summative assessments and how summative evaluation is essential to learner development. We’ll gloss over the advantages and disadvantages of summative assessment , and finally review some examples.

A simple definition of summative assessment is that it helps evaluate student learning, knowledge gained and proficiency at the end of an instructional course or learning program. The definition of summative assessment is better understood if we also understand the meaning of formative assessments. When both approaches are combined, chances of success are maximized.

The meaning of summative assessment is that it judges a student’s level of learning and academic prowess at the end of the year or term of learning. This is done by comparing the evaluation against a set, universal standard or benchmark that’s been established in advance.

Now that we’ve outlined the meaning of summative assessment , let’s view some examples.

You can find many examples of summative assessment . Here we’ll list some summative assessment examples that are directly related to student performance. These are:

Half-yearly, mid-term and end-of-term exams
Unit tests or chapter tests
Projects, assignments and creative portfolios
Tests that are standardized and demonstrate the proficiency of a school. These are often used in admissions. Some of these summative assessment examples are SAT, GCSEs and A-Levels

Summative assessments are indispensable within the learning framework and every individual should acknowledge their profound importance in learning and development of an individual.

There can be several types of summative assessment . Some of these are:

Teacher-designed quizzes and tests that include short essays, multiple-choice questions, short answers, matching activities and fill in the blanks
Writing and analytical skills are tested through research papers, media reviews, articles, blogs, pamphlets and brochures
Descriptive presentations for various audiences can include role play, drama, panel discussions, exhibitions, clay models, debates, musical pieces and dioramas
Technical creations such as machines, blueprints, spreadsheets, computer programs, podcasts, web pages, collages and channels
Kinesthetic practices such as aerobics and dance are a unique type of summative assessment

These different types of summative assessment should be designed to align with the goals and outcomes that are needed from these assessments.

There are a host of summative assessment benefits that can help students and teachers reap long-term rewards. These are:

1. Student Motivation

The importance of summative assessment is in its ability to keep students motivated to study throughout the year. Good grades can benefit students and encourage them to put in more effort. For example, SAT practice tests are usually associated with a higher-than-average point increase.

2. Applying Learning

Summative assessments and evaluations are not just about memorizing math multiplication tables. Well-designed assessments can help students apply these skills to the real world. Tests such as multiple-choice questions help students critically analyze what they have learnt and apply that knowledge.

3. Identifying Gaps In Learning

Another importance of summative assessments is that they identify any learning gaps and help bridge them. Most teachers conduct unit tests at the end of each chapter to understand how much students have retained and then progress to the next unit. The students who lag behind can be given extra coaching or encouragement to catch up with the rest of the class.

4. Identifying Teaching Gaps

Another important benefit of summative assessments is that they reveal teaching gaps. Teaching styles may not necessarily be perfect and sometimes teachers miss their mark. One purpose of summative assessment could be making the learning program more student-friendly. If all students are faring poorly, then the grading is probably not related to study time. Some ways by which gaps in teaching can be addressed are:

Including visual aids in the program
Excluding or including word problems
Incorporating interesting and innovative teaching styles that facilitate better student assessment

5. Giving Valuable Insights

Summative assessments benefits also include giving evaluators necessary insights and feedback on student progress and performance. It can highlight what worked and what didn’t. The management can make informed and calculated decisions on which part of the curriculum needs tweaking. This makes it easier on both students and evaluators.The importance of summative assessments can’t be overlooked. Some summative assessments are so well-structured that they give valuable data to academicians at the national and global levels. The entire curriculum can be overhauled if need be. The average test scores of a particular school impact its overall grading. This also determines whether the academic institution will continue to be eligible for further funding or attract the same caliber of student.

The purpose of summative assessment is to enhance learning. The structured and standardized exams that form a part of the curriculum leave little room for innovation or imagination. However, there are other ways by which summative assessments can be made extremely interesting.

We are entering the virtual era where online platforms for student learning abound.Digital literacy can help to re-engage students and divert their attention from the conventional classroom formats. Dragging and dropping answers, MCQs and podcasts are just a few of the tools that can foster learning through summative assessments. Students should be allowed to express themselves comfortably.

Multi-modal summative assessments test the learners’ prowess in different ways. Teachers can get an accurate picture of how much the student has grasped. Final exams can be set in a format that prepares students for job applications and increases their vocational proficiency.

Ideally, a combination of formative and summative assessments is needed to get the best results.

Summative assessments usually have a higher value or stakes compared to formative assessments. Here are some characteristics of summative assessments that you need to know:

One purpose of a summative assessment is using rubric to lay out the expected criteria of performance for different grade ranges
Questions have a clear design and meaning, allowing students to creatively express themselves
Most summative assessments are structured in a way to assess comprehension. These give opportunities to students to consider courses as a holistic element, making broader connections and exhibiting specific skills
The parameters of summative assessments are usually extremely well-defined. Such parameters include response time, grading method, time and date. This allows students with disabilities to adapt and attempt tests with the right support
Blind grading techniques are also a part of summative assessments. These give unbiased feedback to students, eliminating the possibility of favoritism

While there are advantages and disadvantages of summative assessments , the pros outnumber the cons. Overall, a comprehensive summative assessment program gives the best insights into where someone stands compared to their peers. It’s a well established way of transforming the classroom environment.

For students and teachers, learning and evaluating is a continuous process. It can be liberating and empowering when you have the chance to build a new skill set. Harappa’s Inspiring faculty program teaches how to learn from experience, get critical insights, reflect on your performance and acquire a new edge.

These insights can be applied to your career and vocation. Assessment tools can open a whole new world of agile learning and adept performance. Our courses offer a strategic path to success. With resilience and diligence, you can take on newer assessment challenges that will prepare you well for the future. Push yourself to learn and grow. Enroll today and unlock expert advice from some of our leading faculty.

Summative Assessment

Summative assessment is an assessment administered at the end of an instructional unit in a course. These assessments are intended to evaluate student learning by comparing performance to a standard or benchmark. They are often high-stakes, meaning they have a high point value. Examples of summative assessments include midterm exams, a final exam or a final project.

Summative assessments are given to students at the end of an instructional period. They are evaluative rather than diagnostic and are used to measure whether a course’s learning objectives were met. Unlike formative assessments , summative assessments are formal and involve clear instructions, expectations and grading rubrics to measure student comprehension.

Product Overview

Teaching resources, more terms starting with s, sage on the stage, scaffolding in education, guide to remote assessments.

Strategies, tools and 20 assessment ideas for your course!

To save this word, you'll need to log in. Log In

Definition of summative

Examples of summative in a sentence.

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'summative.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

1881, in the meaning defined above

Dictionary Entries Near summative

summation tone

Cite this Entry

“Summative.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary , Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/summative. Accessed 14 May. 2024.

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!

Play Quordle: Guess all four words in a limited number of tries. Each of your guesses must be a real 5-letter word.

Can you solve 4 words at once?

Word of the day.

See Definitions and Examples »

Get Word of the Day daily email!

Popular in Grammar & Usage

More commonly misspelled words, your vs. you're: how to use them correctly, every letter is silent, sometimes: a-z list of examples, more commonly mispronounced words, how to use em dashes (—), en dashes (–) , and hyphens (-), popular in wordplay, the words of the week - may 10, a great big list of bread words, 10 scrabble words without any vowels, 8 uncommon words related to love, 9 superb owl words, games & quizzes.

Play Blossom: Solve today's spelling word game by finding as many words as you can using just 7 letters. Longer words score more points.

IMAGES

75 Formative Assessment Examples (2024)
The Ultimate Guide to Summative Assessments (2023)
Formative vs Summative Assessment in the Classroom: A Guide
21 Summative Assessment Examples (2024)
Formative vs Summative Assessments for K-12 Education
9 Summative Assessment Examples to Try This School Year

VIDEO

class VI.Geography. 2nd summative.ভারতের স্বাভাবিক উদ্ভিদ
class 7 1ST Summative Education 2024 #
Part
সপ্তম শ্রেণী,দ্বিতীয় পর্যায়ক্রমিক মূল্যায়ন(গণিত) সিলেবাস,প্রশ্নকাঠাম/ 2nd Unit Test syllabus
Part
class 5 poribesh 1st unit test suggestion 2024 #shorts #shortvideo

COMMENTS

Formative vs Summative Assessment
The goal of summative assessment is to evaluate student learning at the end of an instructional unit by comparing it against some standard or benchmark. Summative assessments are often high stakes, which means that they have a high point value. Examples of summative assessments include: a midterm exam. a final project. a paper. a senior recital.
Summative Assessment Definition
Summative assessments are used to evaluate student learning, skill acquisition, and academic achievement at the conclusion of a defined instructional period—typically at the end of a project, unit, course, semester, program, or school year. Generally speaking, summative assessments are defined by three major criteria: The tests, assignments, or projects are used to determine whether students
Summative Assessment
Academy for Teaching and Learning. Moody Library, Suite 201. One Bear Place. Box 97189. Waco, TX 76798-7189. [email protected]. (254) 710-4064. In contrast to formative assessment, summative assessment evaluates a student's knowledge of material at a given point in time in relation to previously determined learning goals.
Summative Assessment and Feedback
Summative Assessment and Feedback. Summative assessments are given to students at the end of a course and should measure the skills and knowledge a student has gained over the entire instructional period. Summative feedback is aimed at helping students understand how well they have done in meeting the overall learning goals of the course.
Summative assessment
Summative assessment, summative evaluation, or assessment of learning is the assessment of participants in an educational program. Summative assessments are designed to both assess the effectiveness of the program and the learning of the participants.
Summative Assessment in Schools
Summative Assessment Definition. The definition of summative assessment is any method of evaluation performed at the end of a unit that allows a teacher to measure a student's understanding ...
Summative Assessment
Summative assessments are used to evaluate student learning, skill acquisition, and academic achievement at the conclusion of instruction—typically at the end of a project, unit, course, semester, or program. ... Competency-based education focuses on what students know and can do rather than how they learned it or how long it took to learn it ...
Summative Assessments
This summative project allows for reflective learning and provides opportunities for students to develop self-regulation skills as well as apply knowledge gained in an authentic and meaningful product. ... In undergraduate general education coursework, instructors should consider the use of authentic assessments to make connections to students ...
Summative Assessments
Summative assessments are implemented at the end of a unit, set of units, or entire course to assess and evaluate the extent to which students have achieved the learning objectives (knowledge, skills, and behaviors) for that period of instruction. Summative assessments are typically higher stakes (higher point value) than formative assessments ...
Summative Assessment: Understanding its Definition, Purpose, and
Summative assessment plays a crucial role in the education system for several reasons: Evaluation of Learning: Summative assessments provide educators with a comprehensive view of students' learning outcomes and achievements. By evaluating students' performance at the end of an instructional period, educators can assess the effectiveness of ...
PDF Formative and Summative Assessment Handout
Formative assessment refers to tools used throughout a class or course that identify misconceptions, struggles, and learning gaps, while assessing ways to close such gaps. Formative assessment can help students take ownership of their learning when they understand its goals to be about improving learning, not raising final marks (Trumbull and ...
Formative vs. Summative Assessments: What's the Difference?
Summative assessments are quizzes and tests that evaluate how much someone has learned throughout a course. In the classroom, that means formative assessments take place during a course, while summative assessments are the final evaluations at the course's end. That's the simple answer, but there's actually a lot more that makes formative and ...
What is summative assessment? How to further learning with ...
Understanding the meaning and function of summative assessment helps clarify its role within education as a critical component of bridging teaching and learning. In this post, we take a closer look at summative assessment's qualities with the end goal of ensuring that summative assessment supports learning and informs teaching.
What is Summative Evaluation?
In K-12 and higher education, summative evaluations are critical for assessing student achievement at the end of academic periods. They serve as a basis for grading, certification, and progression to subsequent levels of education. ... Summative Assessment Meaning. At the heart of summative evaluation, summative assessment functions as the key ...
Formative vs. Summative Evaluation in Education: Key Differences
Timing and frequency. Formative evaluation is embedded into the daily learning process, providing real-time insights into student understanding. It's frequent and informal, allowing for quick adjustments. Summative evaluation is periodic, marking the culmination of a learning cycle, and is more structured and formal in nature.
Formative, Summative & More Types of Assessments in Education
St. Paul American School. There are three broad types of assessments: diagnostic, formative, and summative. These take place throughout the learning process, helping students and teachers gauge learning. Within those three broad categories, you'll find other types of assessment, such as ipsative, norm-referenced, and criterion-referenced.
Summative Assessment
Summative assessments are used to evaluate student learning, skill acquisition, and academic achievement at the conclusion of a defined instructional period—typically at the end of a project, unit, course, semester, program, or school year.Generally speaking, summative assessments are defined by three major criteria: The tests, assignments, or projects are used to determine whether students ...
What Is the Purpose of Summative Assessment in Education?
Simply put, the main purpose of summative assessment is to measure students' learning outcomes at the completion of an instructional unit, course, or academic program. The key word here is "completion," indicating the assessing takes place after learning. Diagnostic assessment takes place before instruction and formative assessment takes ...
An introduction to formative and summative assessment
A summative assessment may be a written test, an observation, a conversation or a task. It may be recorded through writing, through photographs or other visual media, or through an audio recording. Whichever medium is used, the assessment will show what has been achieved. It will summarise attainment at a particular point in time and may ...
Formative vs Summative
Learning and teaching. Formative vs Summative. The purpose of formative assessment is to monitor student learning and provide ongoing feedback to staff and students. It is assessment for learning. If designed appropriately, it helps students identify their strengths and weaknesses, can enable students to improve their self-regulatory skills so ...
SUMMATIVE ASSESSMENTS: MEANING, EXAMPLES AND TYPES
The definition of summative assessment is better understood if we also understand the meaning of formative assessments. When both approaches are combined, chances of success are maximized. Summative Assessment Meaning . The meaning of summative assessment is that it judges a student's level of learning and academic prowess at the end of the ...
Summative Assessment Definition and Meaning
Summative assessment is an assessment administered at the end of an instructional unit in a course. These assessments are intended to evaluate student learning by comparing performance to a standard or benchmark. They are often high-stakes, meaning they have a high point value. Examples of summative assessments include midterm exams, a final ...
Summative Definition & Meaning
The meaning of SUMMATIVE is additive, cumulative. Recent Examples on the Web But critics say relying on pass rates and summative ratings often separates schools with higher percentages of minority and low-income students, and doesn't provide a full picture of a school. — Karina Elwood, Washington Post, 3 Apr. 2024 Considering Roc's summative ability, Marciology would have been even ...
Review Conceptualizing mentoring in higher education: A systematic
Given the wide variety of definitions used and the fact that the most often used definitions stemmed from other fields of study than education, it becomes evident that there is an urgent need for a holistic definition of mentoring within the context of higher education. Therefore, a summative content analysis was performed on the 54 definitions ...
PDF Delaware Performance Appraisal System
(Components I-IV), and assign a summative rating for each component (Components I-V), and assign an overall summative rating. The Summative Evaluation Form in Section X is used to complete these steps. Step 1: Assigning PSEL rubric-level ratings for Components I-IV The evaluator reviews all of the evidence collected during the year.

Eberly Center

Summative assessment

Summative Assessment

Alphabetical Search

Teaching Commons Conference 2024

Summative Assessment and Feedback

Effective summative assessments

The value of summative feedback

Use rubrics to provide consistency and transparency

Types of summative assessments

Examinations

Presentation

Commonly Searched Items:

Exam Alternatives

Authentic Assessment

Information Literacy, Research, and Writing Support Available for Students

Competency Based Assessment

Value Added Assessment

Teaching & Learning Resource Hub

Your browser is unsupported

Center for the Advancement of Teaching Excellence

WHAT? Heading link Copy link

Summative Assessments Heading link Copy link

Example 1 - Exam Heading link Copy link

Summative Assessments (AaL) Heading link Copy link

Example 2 - Authentic Assessment Heading link Copy link

WHY? Heading link Copy link

Validity, Reliability, and Manageability

Feedback & Summative Assessments

HOW? Heading link Copy link

Class Size and Modality

Major Coursework

Undergraduate General Education Coursework

Summative Assessment Tools

Assessment Creation and Grading Tools Heading link Copy link

Academic Integrity Tools

Exam Guidance

GETTING STARTED Heading link Copy link

CITING THIS GUIDE Heading link Copy link

ADDITIONAL RESOURCES Heading link Copy link

Websites and Journals

REFERENCES Heading link Copy link

Other ways to search:

Summative Assessments

Further readings and resources:

Summative Assessment: Understanding its Definition, Purpose, and Importance in Education

Purpose of Summative Assessment

Types of Summative Assessment

Importance of Summative Assessment

Help Learning Corner Get Better

Formative vs. Summative Assessments: What's the Difference?

What Are Formative Assessments?

Top 3 Formative Assessment Examples

1. Make an Advertisement

2. Idea Comparisons

3. Misconceptions

How Do You Track Formative Assessments?

Track by Grade

Track by Feel

Track with Student Data

What Are Summative Assessments?

Top 3 Summative Assessment Examples

1. In-depth reports

2. Cumulative, individual projects

3. Personal evaluation papers

How Do You Track Summative Assessments?

What’s More Important: Formative or Summative Assessments?

Use Formative and Summative Assessments and Meet Your Challenges

What is summative assessment? How to further learning with final exams

What is Summative Evaluation?

Purpose of Summative Evaluation

What is the Difference Between Summative Evaluation and Formative Evaluation?

Applications of Summative Evaluation

Benefits and of Limitations of Summative Evaluation

Benefits of Summative Evaluation

Limitations of Summative Evaluation

Summative Assessment Methodologies

Summative Assessment Meaning

How to Design a Summative Evaluation Plan?

Create engaging and interactive courses at scale. Start today.