examples of summative assessment in education

25 Summative Assessment Examples

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Dr. Chris Drew is the founder of the Helpful Professor. He holds a PhD in education and has published over 20 articles in scholarly journals. He is the former editor of the Journal of Learning Development in Higher Education. [Image Descriptor: Photo of Chris]

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Summative assessment is a type of achievmeent assessment that occurs at the end of a unit of work. Its goal is to evaluate what students have learned or the skills they have developed. It is compared to a formative assessment that takes place in the middle of the unit of work for feedback to students and learners.

Performance is evaluated according to specific criteria, and usually result in a final grade or percentage achieved.

The scores of individual students are then compared to established benchmarks which can result in significant consequences for the student.

A traditional example of summative evaluation is a standardized test such as the SATs. The SATs help colleges determine which students should be admitted.

However, summative assessment doesn’t have to be in a paper-and-pencil format. Project-based learning, performance-based assessments, and authentic assessments can all be forms of summative assessment.

Summative vs Formative Assessment

Summative assessments are one of two main types of assessment. The other is formative assessment.

Whereas summative assessment occurs at the end of a unit of work, a formative assessment takes place in the middle of the unit so teachers and students can get feedback on progress and make accommodations to stay on track.

Summative assessments tend to be much higher-stakes because they reflect a final judgment about a student’s learning, skills, and knowledge:

“Passing bestows important benefits, such as receiving a high school diploma, a scholarship, or entry into college, and failure can affect a child’s future employment prospects and earning potential as an adult” (States et al, 2018, p. 3).

Summative Assessment Examples

Looking for real-life examples of well-known summative tests? Skip to the next section .

1. Multiple-Choice Exam

Definition: A multiple-choice exam is an assessment where students select the correct answer from several options.

Benefit: This format allows for quick and objective grading of students’ knowledge on a wide range of topics.

Limitation: It can encourage guessing and may not measure deep understanding or the ability to synthesize information.

Design Tip: Craft distractors that are plausible to better assess students’ mastery of the material.

2. Final Essay

Definition: A final essay is a comprehensive writing assessment that requires students to articulate their understanding and analysis of a topic.

Benefit: Essays assess critical thinking, reasoning, and the ability to communicate ideas in writing.

Limitation: Grading can be subjective and time-consuming, potentially leading to inconsistencies.

Design Tip: Provide clear, detailed rubrics that specify criteria for grading to ensure consistency and transparency.

3. Lab Practical Exam

Definition: A lab practical exam tests students’ ability to perform scientific experiments and apply theoretical knowledge practically.

Benefit: It directly assesses practical skills and procedural knowledge in a realistic setting.

Limitation: These exams can be resource-intensive and challenging to standardize across different settings or institutions.

Design Tip: Design scenarios that replicate real-life problems students might encounter in their field.

4. Reflective Journal

Definition: A reflective journal is an assessment where students regularly record learning experiences, personal growth, and emotional responses.

Benefit: Encourages continuous learning and self-assessment, helping students link theory with practice.

Limitation: It’s subjective and heavily dependent on students’ self-reporting and engagement levels.

Design Tip: Provide prompts to guide reflections and ensure they are focused and meaningful.

5. Open-Book Examination

Definition: An open-book examination allows students to refer to their textbooks and notes while answering questions.

Benefit: Tests students’ ability to locate and apply information rather than memorize facts.

Limitation: It may not accurately gauge memorization or the ability to quickly recall information.

Design Tip: Focus questions on problem-solving and application to prevent students from merely copying information.

6. Group Presentation

Definition: A group presentation is an assessment where students collaboratively prepare and deliver a presentation on a given topic.

Benefit: Enhances teamwork skills and the ability to communicate ideas publicly.

Limitation: Individual contributions can be uneven, making it difficult to assess students individually.

Design Tip: Clearly define roles and expectations for all group members to ensure fair participation.

7. Poster Presentation

Definition: A poster presentation requires students to summarize their research or project findings on a poster and often defend their work in a public setting.

Benefit: Develops skills in summarizing complex information and public speaking.

Limitation: Space limitations may restrict the amount of information that can be presented.

Design Tip: Encourage the use of clear visual aids and a logical layout to effectively communicate key points.

8. Infographic

Definition: An infographic is a visual representation of information, data, or knowledge intended to present information quickly and clearly.

Benefit: Helps develop skills in designing effective and attractive presentations of complex data.

Limitation: Over-simplification might lead to misinterpretation or omission of critical nuances.

Design Tip: Teach principles of visual design and data integrity to enhance the educational value of infographics.

9. Portfolio Assessment

Definition: Portfolio assessment involves collecting a student’s work over time, demonstrating learning, progress, and achievement.

Benefit: Provides a comprehensive view of a student’s abilities and improvements over time.

Limitation: Can be logistically challenging to manage and time-consuming to assess thoroughly.

Design Tip: Use clear guidelines and checklists to help students know what to include and ensure consistency in assessment.

10. Project-Based Assessment

Definition: Project-based assessment evaluates students’ abilities to apply knowledge to real-world challenges through extended projects.

Benefit: Encourages practical application of skills and fosters problem-solving and critical thinking.

Limitation: Time-intensive and may require significant resources to implement effectively.

Design Tip: Align projects with real-world problems relevant to the students’ future careers to increase engagement and applicability.

11. Oral Exams

Definition: Oral exams involve students answering questions spoken by an examiner to assess their knowledge and thinking skills.

Benefit: Allows immediate clarification of answers and assessment of communication skills.

Limitation: Can be stressful for students and result in performance anxiety, affecting their scores.

Design Tip: Create a supportive environment and clear guidelines to help reduce anxiety and improve performance.

12. Capstone Project

Definition: A capstone project is a multifaceted assignment that serves as a culminating academic and intellectual experience for students.

Benefit: Integrates knowledge and skills from various areas, fostering holistic learning and innovation.

Limitation: Requires extensive time and resources to supervise and assess effectively.

Design Tip: Ensure clear objectives and support structures are in place to guide students through complex projects.

Real-Life Summative Assessments

• Final Exams for a College Course: At the end of the semester at university, there is usually a final exam that will determine if you pass. There are also often formative tests mid-way through the course (known in England as ICAs and the USA as midterms).
• SATs: The SATs are the primary United States college admissions tests. They are a summative assessment because they provide a final grade that can determine whether a student gets into college or not.
• AP Exams: The AP Exams take place at the end of Advanced Placement courses to also determine college readiness.
• Piano Exams: The ABRSM administers piano exams to test if a student can move up a grade (from grades 1 to 8), which demonstrates their achievements in piano proficiency.
• Sporting Competitions: A sporting competition such as a swimming race is summative because it leads to a result or ranking that cannot be reneged. However, as there will always be future competitions, they could also be treated as summative – especially if it’s not the ultimate competition in any given sport.
• Drivers License Test: A drivers license test is pass-fail, and represents the culmination of practice in driving skills.
• IELTS: Language tests like IELTS are summative assessments of a person’s ability to speak a language (in the case of IELTS, it’s English).
• Citizenship Test: Citizenship tests are pass-fail, and often high-stakes. There is no room for formative assessment here.
• Dissertation Submission: A final dissertation submission for a postgraduate degree is often sent to an external reviewer who will give it a pass-fail grade.
• CPR Course: Trainees in a 2-day first-aid and CPR course have to perform on a dummy while being observed by a licensed trainer.
• PISA Tests: The PISA test is a standardized test commissioned by the OECD to provide a final score of students’ mathematic, science, and reading literacy across the world, which leads to a league table of nations.
• The MCATs: The MCATs are tests that students conduct to see whether they can get into medical school. They require significant study and preparation before test day.
• The Bar: The Bar exam is an exam prospective lawyers must sit in order to be accepted as lawyers in their jurisdiction.

Summative assessment allows teachers to determine if their students have reached the defined behavioral objectives . It can occur at the end of a unit, an academic term, or academic year.

The assessment usually results in a grade or a percentage that is recorded in the student’s file. These scores are then used in a variety of ways and are meant to provide a snapshot of the student’s progress.

Although the SAT or ACT are common examples of summative assessment, it can actually take many forms. Teachers might ask their students to give an oral presentation, perform a short role-play, or complete a project-based assignment. 

Brookhart, S. M. (2004). Assessment theory for college classrooms. New Directions for Teaching and Learning , 100 , 5-14. https://doi.org/10.1002/tl.165

Dixon, D. D., & Worrell, F. C. (2016). Formative and summative assessment in the classroom. Theory into Practice , 55 , 153-159. https://doi.org/10.1080/00405841.2016.1148989

Geiser, S., & Santelices, M. V. (2007). Validity of high-school grades in predicting student success beyond the freshman year: High-school record vs. standardized tests as indicators of four-year college outcomes. Research and Occasional Paper Series. Berkeley, CA: Center for Studies in Higher Education, University of California.

Kibble J. D. (2017). Best practices in summative assessment. Advances in Physiology Education , 41 (1), 110–119. https://doi.org/10.1152/advan.00116.2016

Lungu, S., Matafwali, B., & Banja, M. K. (2021). Formative and summative assessment practices by teachers in early childhood education centres in Lusaka, Zambia. European Journal of Education Studies, 8 (2), 44-65.

States, J., Detrich, R., & Keyworth, R. (2018). Summative Assessment (Wing Institute Original Paper). https://doi.org/10.13140/RG.2.2.16788.19844

• Chris Drew (PhD) https://helpfulprofessor.com/author/chris-drew-phd-2/ 10 Reasons you’re Perpetually Single
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10 Summative Assessment Examples to Try This School Year

Written by Jordan Nisbet

• Teaching Strategies

• A formative and summative assessment definition
• Difference between formative and summative assessment
• Pros and cons of summative assessment
• 9 effective and engaging summative assessment examples
• Helpful summative assessment strategies

When gauging student learning, two approaches likely come to mind: a formative or summative assessment.

Fortunately, feeling pressure to choose one or the other isn’t necessary. These two types of learning assessment actually serve different and necessary purposes. 

Definitions: What’s the difference between formative and summative assessment?

Formative assessment occurs regularly throughout a unit, chapter, or term to help track not only how student learning is improving, but how your teaching can, too.

According to a WestEd article , teachers love using various formative assessments because they help meet students’ individual learning needs and foster an environment for ongoing feedback.

Take one-minute papers, for example. Giving your students a solo writing task about today’s lesson can help you see how well students understand new content.

Catching these struggles or learning gaps immediately is better than finding out during a summative assessment.

Such an assessment could include:

• In-lesson polls
• Partner quizzes
• Self-evaluations
• Ed-tech games
• One-minute papers
• Visuals (e.g., diagrams, charts or maps) to demonstrate learning
• Exit tickets

So, what is a summative assessment?

Credit: Alberto G.

It occurs at the end of a unit, chapter, or term and is most commonly associated with final projects, standardized tests, or district benchmarks.

Typically heavily weighted and graded, it evaluates what a student has learned and how much they understand.

There are various types of summative assessment. Here are some common examples of summative assessment in practice:

• End-of-unit test
• End-of-chapter test
• Achievement tests
• Standardized tests
• Final projects or portfolios

Teachers and administrators use the final result to assess student progress, and to evaluate schools and districts. For teachers, this could mean changing how you teach a certain unit or chapter. For administrators, this data could help clarify which programs (if any) require tweaking or removal.

The differences between formative and summative assessment

While we just defined the two, there are five key differences between formative and summative assessments requiring a more in-depth explanation.

Formative assessment:

• Occurs through a chapter or unit
• Improves how students learn
• Covers small content areas
• Monitors how students are learning
• Focuses on the process of student learning

Summative assessment:

• Occurs at the end of a chapter or unit
• Evaluates what students learn
• Covers complete content areas
• Assigns a grade to students' understanding
• Emphasizes the product of student learning

During vs after

Teachers use formative assessment at many points during a unit or chapter to help guide student learning.

Summative assessment comes in after completing a content area to gauge student understanding.

Improving vs evaluating

If anyone knows how much the learning process is a constant work in progress, it’s you! This is why formative assessment is so helpful — it won’t always guarantee students understand concepts, but it will improve how they learn.

Summative assessment, on the other hand, simply evaluates what they’ve learned. In her book, Balanced Assessment: From Formative to Summative, renowned educator Kay Burke writes, “The only feedback comes in the form of a letter grade, percentage grade, pass/fail grade, or label such as ‘exceeds standards’ or ‘needs improvement.’”

Little vs large

Let’s say chapter one in the math textbook has three subchapters (i.e., 1.1, 1.2 and 1.3). A teacher conducting formative assessments will assign mini tasks or assignments throughout each individual content area.

Whereas, if you’d like an idea of how your class understood the complete chapter, you’d give them a test covering a large content area including all three parts.

Monitoring vs grading

Formative assessment is extremely effective as a means to monitor individual students’ learning styles. It helps catch problems early, giving you more time to address and adapt to different problem areas.

Summative assessments are used to evaluate and grade students’ overall understanding of what you’ve taught. Think report card comments: did students achieve the learning goal(s) you set for them or not?

😮 😄 😂 #reportcard #funny #memes #comics #samecooke #schooldays #music #classic #letsgo #gooutmore #showlove pic.twitter.com/qQ2jen1Z8k — Goldstar Events (@goldstar) January 20, 2019

Process vs product

“It’s not about the destination; it’s about the journey”? This age-old saying sums up formative and summative assessments fairly accurately.

The former focuses on the process of student learning. You’ll use it to identify areas of strength and weakness among your students — and to make necessary changes to accommodate their learning needs.

The latter emphasizes the product of student learning. To discover the product’s “value”, you can ask yourself questions, such as: At the end of an instructional unit, did the student’s grade exceed the class standard, or pass according to a district’s benchmark?

In other words, formative methods are an assessment for learning whereas summative ones are an assessment of learning .

Now that you’ve got a more thorough understanding of these evaluations, let’s dive into the love-hate relationship teachers like yourself may have with summative assessments.

Perceived disadvantages of summative assessment

The pros are plenty. However, before getting to that list, let’s outline some of its perceived cons. Summative assessment may:

1) Offer minimal room for creativity

Rigid and strict assignments or tests can lead to a regurgitation of information. Some students may be able to rewrite facts from one page to another, but others need to understand the “why” before giving an answer.

2) Not accurately reflect learning

“Teaching to the test” refers to educators who dedicate more time teaching lessons that will be emphasized on district-specific tests.

A survey conducted by Harvard’s Carnegie-Knight Task Force on the Future of Journalism asked teachers whether or not “preparing students to pass mandated standardized tests” affects their teaching.

A significant 60% said it either “dictates most of” or “substantially affects” their teaching. While this can result in higher scores, curriculum distortion can prevent students from learning other foundational subject areas.

3) Ignore (and miss) timely learning needs

Because summative assessment occurs at the end of units or terms, teachers can fail to identify and remedy students’ knowledge gaps or misconceptions as they arise.

Unfortunately, by this point, there’s often little or no time to rectify a student’s mark, which can affect them in subsequent units or grades.

4) Result in a lack of motivation

The University of London’s Evidence for Policy and Practice conducted a 19-study systematic review of the impact summative assessment and tests have on students’ motivation for learning.

Contrary to popular belief, researchers found a correlation between students who scored poorly on national curriculum tests and experienced lower self-esteem, and an unwillingness to put more effort into future test prep. Beforehand, interestingly, “there was no correlation between self-esteem and achievement.”

For some students, summative assessment can sometimes be seen as 'high stakes' testing due to the pressure on them to perform well. That said, 'low-stakes' assessments can also be used in the form of quizzes or practice tests.

Repeated practice tests reinforce the low self-image of the lower-achieving students… When test scores are a source or pride and the community, pressure is brought to bear on the school for high scores.

Similarly, parents bring pressure on their children when the result has consequences for attendance at high social status schools. For many students, this increases their anxiety, even though they recognize their parents as being supportive.

5) Be inauthentic

Summative assessment has received criticism for its perceived inaccuracy in providing a full and balanced measure of student learning.

Consider this, for example: Your student, who’s a hands-on, auditory learner, has a math test today. It comes in a traditional paper format as well as a computer program format, which reads the questions aloud for students.

Chances are the student will opt for the latter test format. What’s more, this student’s test results will likely be higher and more accurate.

The reality is that curricula — let alone standardized tests — typically don’t allow for this kind of accommodation. This is the exact reason educators and advocates such as Chuck Hitchcock, Anne Meyer, David Rose, and Richard Jackson believe:

Curriculum matters and ‘fixing’ the one-size-fits-all, inflexible curriculum will occupy both special and general educators well into the future… Students with diverse learning needs are not ‘the problem’; barriers in the curriculum itself are the root of the difficulty.

6) Be biased

Depending on a school district’s demographic, summative assessment — including standardized tests — can present biases if a group of students is unfairly graded based on their race, ethnicity, religion, gender, or social class.

In his presentation at Kansas State University, emeritus professor in the UCLA Graduate School of Education and Information Studies, Dr. W. James Popham, explained summative assessment bias:

This doesn’t necessarily mean that if minority students are outperformed on a summative test by majority students that the test is biased against that minority. It may instead indicate that the minority students have not been provided with the appropriate instruction…

An example of content bias against girls would be one in which students are asked to compare the weights of several objects, including a football. Since girls are less likely to have handled a football, they might find the item more difficult than boys, even though they have mastered the concept measured by the item.

Importance and benefits of summative assessment

Overall, these are valid points raised against summative assessment. However, it does offer fantastic benefits for teachers and students alike!

Summative assessment can:

1) Motivate students to study and pay closer attention

Although we mentioned lack of motivation above, this isn’t true for every student. In fact, you’ve probably encountered numerous students for whom summative assessments are an incredible source of motivation to put more effort into their studies.

For example, final exams are a common type of summative assessment that students may encounter at the end of a semester or school year. This pivotal moment gives students a milestone to achieve and a chance to demonstrate their knowledge.

In May 2017, the College Board released a statement about whether coaching truly boosts test scores:

Data shows studying for the SAT for 20 hours on free Official SAT Practice on Khan Academy is associated with an average score gain of 115 points, nearly double the average score gain compared to students who don’t use Khan Academy. Out of nearly 250,000 test-takers studied, more than 16,000 gained 200 points or more between the PSAT/NMSQT and SAT…

In addition to the 115-point average score increase associated with 20 hours of practice, shorter practice periods also correlate with meaningful score gains. For example, 6 to 8 hours of practice on Official SAT Practice is associated with an average 90-point increase.

2) Allow students to apply what they’ve learned

It’s one thing to memorize multiplication tables (which is a good skill), but another to apply those skills in math word problems or real-world examples.

Summative assessments — excluding, for example, multiple choice tests — help you see which students can retain and apply what they’ve learned.

3) Help identify gaps in student learning

Before moving on to a new unit, it’s vital to make sure students are keeping up. Naturally, some will be ahead while others will lag behind. In either case, giving them a summative assessment will provide you with a general overview of where your class stands as a whole.

Let’s say your class just wrote a test on multiplication and division. If all students scored high on multiplication but one quarter of students scored low on division, you’ll know to focus more on teaching division to those students moving forward.

4) Help identify possible teaching gaps

Credit: woodleywonderworks

In addition to identifying student learning gaps , summative assessment can help target where your teaching style or lesson plans may have missed the mark.

Have you ever been grading tests before, to your horror, realizing almost none of your students hit the benchmark you hoped for? When this happens, the low grades are not necessarily related to study time.

For example, you may need to adjust your teaching methods by:

• Including/excluding word problems
• Incorporating more visual components
• Innovative summative assessments (we list some below!)

5) Give teachers valuable insights

Credit: Kevin Jarrett

Summative assessments can highlight what worked and what didn’t throughout the school year. Once you pinpoint how, where and what lessons need tweaking, making informed adjustments for next year becomes easier.

In this world nothing can be said to be certain, except death and taxes… and, for teachers, new students year after year. So although old students may miss out on changes you’ve made to your lessons, new ones get to reap the benefits.

This not only improves your skills as an educator, but will ensure a more enriching educational experience for generations of students to come.

6) Contribute positively to learning outcomes

Certain summative assessments also provide valuable data at district, national, and global levels. Depending on average test scores, this can determine whether or not certain schools receive funding, programs stay or go, curriculum changes occur, and more. Burke writes:

Summative assessments also provide the public and policymakers with a sense of the results of their investment in education and give educators a forum for proving whether instruction works – or does not work.

The seven aims of summative assessment

Dr. Nancy P. Gallavan, a professor of teacher education at the University of Central Arkansas, believes teachers can use performance-based summative assessments at any grade level.

However, in an article for Corwin , she suggests crafting yours with seven aims in mind:

• Accompanied  with appropriate time and task management
• Achievable  as in-class activities and out-of-class assignments
• Active  involvement in planning, preparation, and performance
• Applicable  to academic standards and expectations
• Appropriate  to your students’ learning styles, needs, and interests
• Attractive  to your students on an individual and group level
• Authentic  to curricular content and context

Ideally, the assessment method should also measure a student’s performance accurately against the learning objectives set at the beginning of the course.

Keeping these goals in mind, here’s a list of innovative ways to conduct summative assessments in your classroom!

Summative assessment examples: 9 ways to make test time fun

If you want to switch things up this summative assessment season, keep reading. While you can’t change what’s on standardized tests, you can create activities to ensure your students are exhibiting and applying their understanding and skills to end-of-chapter or -unit assessments. In a refreshing way.

Why not give them the opportunity to express their understanding in ways that apply to different learning styles?

Note : As a general guideline, students should incorporate recognition and recall, logic and reasoning, as well as skills and application that cover major concepts and practices (including content areas you emphasized in your lessons).

1) One, two, three… action!

Write a script and create a short play, movie, or song about a concept or strategy of your choosing.

This video from Science Rap Academy is a great — and advanced — example of students who created a song about how blue-eyed children can come from two brown-eyed parents:

Using a tool such as iPhone Fake Text Generator , have students craft a mock text message conversation conveying a complex concept from the unit, or each chapter of that unit.

Students could create a back-and-forth conversation between two historical figures about a world event, or two friends helping each other with complex math concepts.

Have your students create a five to 10-minute podcast episode about core concepts from each unit. This is an exciting option because it can become an ongoing project.

Individually or in groups, specific students can be in charge of each end-of-chapter or -unit podcast. If your students have a cumulative test towards the end of the year or term, the podcast can even function as a study tool they created together.

Credit : Brad Flickinger

You can use online tools such as Record MP3 Online or Vocaroo to get your class started!

4) Infographic

Creating a detailed infographic for a final project is an effective way for students to reinforce what they’ve learned. They can cover definitions, key facts, statistics, research, how-to info, graphics, etc.

You can even put up the most impressive infographics in your classroom. Over time, you’ll have an arsenal of in-depth, visually-appealing infographics students can use when studying for chapter or unit tests.

5) Compare and contrast

Venn diagrams are an old — yet effective — tool perfect for visualizing just about anything! Whether you teach history or social studies, English or math, or something in between, Venn diagrams can help certain learners visualize the relationship between different things.

For example, they can compare book characters, locations around the world, scientific concepts, and more just like the examples below:

6) Living museum

This creative summative assessment is similar to one, two, three… action! Individuals will plan and prepare an exhibit (concept) in the Living Museum (classroom). Let’s say the unit your class just completed covered five core concepts.

Five students will set up around the classroom while the teacher walks from exhibit to exhibit. Upon reaching the first student, the teacher will push an imaginary button, bringing the exhibit “to life.” The student will do a two to three-minute presentation; afterwards, the teacher will move on to the next one.

7) Ed-Tech games

Now more than ever, students are growing up saturated with smartphones, tablets, and video games. That’s why educators should show students how to use technology in the classroom effectively and productively.

More and more educators are bringing digital tools into the learning process. Pew Research Center surveyed 2,462 teachers and reported that digital technologies have helped in teaching their middle and high school students.

Some of the findings were quite eye-opening:

• 80% report using the internet at least weekly to help them create lesson plans
• 84% report using the internet at least weekly to find content that will engage students
• 69% say the internet has a “major impact on their ability to share ideas with other teachers
• 80% report getting email alerts or updates at least weekly that allow them to follow developments in their field
• 92% say the internet has a “major impact” on their ability to access content, resources, and materials for their teaching
• 67% say the internet has a “major impact” on their ability to interact with parents and 57% say it has had such an impact on enabling their interaction with students

To make the most of EdTech, find a tool that actually engages your students in learning and gives you the insightful data and reports you need to adjust your instruction

Tip: Teaching math from 1st to 8th grade? Use Prodigy!

With Prodigy Math, you can:

• Deliver engaging assessments: Prodigy's game-based approach makes assessments fun for students.
• Spot and solve learning gaps: See which students need more support at the touch of a button.
• Reduce test anxiety: Prodigy has been shown to build math confidence.

Plus, it's all available to educators at no cost. See how it works below! 👇

8) Shark Tank/Dragon’s Den

Yes, just like the reality TV show! You can show an episode or two to your class or get them to watch the show at home. Next, have students pitch a product or invention that can help change the world outside of school for the better.

This innovative summative assessment is one that’ll definitely require some more thought and creativity. But it’s important that, as educators, we help students realize they can have a huge positive impact on the world in which they live.

9) Free choice

If a student chooses to come up with their own summative assessment, you’ll need to vet it first. It’ll likely take some collaboration to arrive at something sufficient.

However, giving students the freedom to explore content areas that interest them most could surprise you. Sometimes, it’s during those projects they form a newfound passion and are wildly successful in completing the task.

We’re sure there are countless other innovative summative assessment ideas out there, but we hope this list gets your creative juices flowing.

With the exclusion of standardized state and national tests, one of the greatest misconceptions about summative assessments is that they’re all about paper and pencil. Our hope in creating this list was to help you see how fun and engaging summative assessments can truly be.

10) Group projects

Group projects aren't just a fun way to break the monotony, but a dynamic and interactive form of summative assessment. Here's why:

• Collaborative learning: Group projects encourage students to work as a team, fostering their communication and collaboration skills. They learn to listen, negotiate, and empathize, which are crucial skills in and beyond the classroom.
• Promotes critical thinking: When students interact with each other, they get to explore different perspectives. They challenge each other's understanding, leading to stimulating debates and problem-solving sessions that boost critical thinking.
• In-depth assessment: Group projects offer teachers a unique lens to evaluate both individual performances and group dynamics. It's like getting a sneak peek into their world - you get to see how they perform under different circumstances and how they interact with each other.
• Catering to different learning styles: Given the interactive nature of group projects, they can cater to different learning styles - auditory, visual, and kinesthetic. Every student gets a chance to shine!

However, it's important to set clear instructions and criteria to ensure fairness. Remember, it's not just about the final product - it's about the process too.

Some interesting examples of group projects include:

• Create a Mini Documentary: Students could work together to research a historical event and create a mini documentary presenting their findings.
• Plan a Community Service Project: This could involve identifying a problem in the local community and creating a detailed plan to address it.
• Design a Mobile App: For a more tech-focused project, students could identify a problem and design an app that solves it.

Summative assessment strategies for keeping tests clear and fair

In addition to using the summative assessment examples above to accommodate your students’ learning styles, these tips and strategies should also help:

• Use a rubric  — Rubrics help set a standard for how your class should perform on a test or assignment. They outline test length, how in-depth it will be, and what you require of them to achieve the highest possible grades.
• Design clear, effective questions  — When designing tests, do your best to use language, phrases, and examples similar to those used during lessons. This’ll help keep your tests aligned with the material you’ve covered.
• Try blind grading  — Most teachers prefer knowing whose tests they’re grading. But if you want to provide wholly unbiased grades and feedback, try blind grading. You can request your students write their names on the bottom of the last test page or the back.
• Assess comprehensiveness  — Make sure the broad, overarching connections you’re hoping students can make are reasonable and fluid. For example, if the test covers measurement, geometry and spatial sense, you should avoid including questions about patterning and algebra.
• Create a final test after, not before, teaching the lessons  — Don’t put the horse before the carriage. Plans can change and student learning can demand different emphases from year to year. If you have a test outline, perfect! But expect to embrace and make some changes from time to time.
• Make it real-world relevant  — How many times have you heard students ask, “When am I going to use this in real life?” Far too often students assume math, for example, is irrelevant to their lives and write it off as a subject they don’t need. When crafting test questions, use  culturally-relevant word problems  to illustrate a subject’s true relevance.

Enter the Balanced Assessment Model

Throughout your teaching career, you’ll spend a lot of time with formative and summative assessments. While some teachers emphasize one over the other, it’s vital to recognize the extent to which they’re interconnected.

In the book Classroom Assessment for Student Learning , Richard Stiggins, one of the first educators to advocate for the concept of assessment for learning, proposes something called “a balanced assessment system that takes advantage of assessment of learning and assessment for learning.”

If you use both effectively, they inform one another and “assessment becomes more than just an index of school success. It also serves as the cause of that success.”

In fact, Stiggins argues teachers should view these two types of assessment as “in sync.”

They can even be the  exact same thing — only the purpose and the timing of the assessment determine its label. Formative assessments provide the training wheels that allow students to practice and gain confidence while riding their bikes around the enclosed school parking lot.

Once the training wheels come off, the students face their summative assessment as they ride off into the sunset on only two wheels, prepared to navigate the twists and turns of the road to arrive safely at their final destination.

Conclusion: Going beyond the test

Implementing these innovative summative assessment examples should engage your students in new and exciting ways.

What’s more, they’ll have the opportunity to express and apply what they’ve learned in creative ways that solidify student learning.

So, what do you think — are you ready to try out these summative assessment ideas? Prodigy is a game-based learning platform teachers use to keep their students engaged.

Sign up for a free teacher account  and set an  Assessment  today!

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Formative, Summative, and More Types of Assessments in Education

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

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.

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.

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. ADVERTISEMENT

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.

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.

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 ..

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Summative Assessment

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 is often more formal and higher-stakes than formative assessment and used to inform judgments about student competency or learning.

Designing Summative Assessments

There are multiple ways to assess students’ learning, and these methods do not necessarily differ between formative and summative assessment. Rather, the distinction between the two mostly depends on how an instructor plans to use the gathered information (Brookhart, 2004).  Common forms of assessment include paper-and-pencil assessments (e.g., multiple-choice tests, short-answer tests), performance assessments (e.g., essays, research projects, laboratory practical exams, oral exams), as well as less-common forms like instructor observations, portfolios, and peer- and self-assessments (Brookhart, 2004; Dixon and Worrell, 2016; Kibble, 2017). The type of assessment an instructor should use depends predominantly on the learning goals the instructor has set for the course, the level of learning the instructor plans to evaluate, and the type of feedback the instructor plans to provide (Brookhart, 2004). Learning taxonomies, such as Bloom’s taxonomy, may be helpful for instructors to review as they design their summative assessments.

There are two main concerns when creating or evaluating a measure of summative assessment:  validity  and  reliability . For a summative assessment tool to have  validity , it should effectively measure what an instructor has intended for it to measure. For instance, instructors should make sure that their summative assessments are adequately capturing student learning both in relation to the overall learning objectives and the level of knowledge the student should be demonstrating (e.g., lower- versus higher-order thinking; (Brookhart, 2004; Dolin, Black, Harlen, & Tiberghien, 2017). 

Reliability , on the other hand, relates to how well a student’s learning is being assessed. It is commonly thought of as how reproducible or consistent the outcomes will be from test to test. Instructors must ensure that measures of student learning will not change based on the context of the assessment, e.g., if another rater is used. When decisions made from the test are high-stakes, the reliability of a given assessment should be as high as possible.

After instructors have assessed student learning, they must decide what information to provide back to the students. Common forms of  feedback  include objective scores (e.g., using an answer key to determine if a response is correct), subjective judgments (e.g., using a rubric to make decisions about the quality of a response), or written feedback (Brookhart, 2004). Instructors should seek to provide feedback that is informative for both themselves and their students. Feedback that informs instructor decisions as well as student learning is not only more useful to all involved but can also be used to create a foundation of mutual respect and transparency in the classroom.

Challenges of Summative Assessment

The decisions a teacher makes based on summative assessment tools such as exams and presentations have real-world consequences on students, instructors, and academic organizations. In addition to more traditional assessment outcomes (e.g., grades), summative assessments can also affect students’ ability to pursue certain coursework (e.g., introductory courses or courses required for advancement into a major) and occupations, as well as affecting their self-perceptions (Kibble, 2017).

Because of its higher-stakes nature and role in judgments of student learning, summative assessment tends to be linked to feelings of fear and anxiety (Harrison, Könings, Schuwirth, Wass, & van der Vleuten, 2015). Students often view summative assessments as opportunities for failure rather than opportunities to demonstrate their skills or competencies. As a result, students who achieve their desired outcome (e.g., a passing grade) have low or no motivation to consider the feedback they receive through these assessments. Separately, students often have difficulty understanding the relationship between summative assessment and real-world applications. Instead, these assessments are seen as hurdles to be overcome in order to progress to the next course or program. By better tying summative assessment and its associated judgments to proficiencies, instructors can make the utility of summative assessment clearer for their students.

Integrating Formative and Summative Assessment

Although formative and summative assessment are often discussed as dichotomous concepts, the two are more appropriately conceived as being on a continuum. Many original conceptualizations of formative assessment include summative assessment as a necessary component before any feedback can be provided (Taras, 2005). More recent thinking about the relationship between the two suggests more of a cyclical relationship. Formative assessments that measure students’ individual progress can be used to set the stage for later more summative, criterion-based assessment (Dolin, Black, Harlen, & Tiberghien, 2017).

Rather than being opposed to one another, formative and summative assessment can often take the same form or can be collected in combination (Brookhart, 2004; Dolin, Black, Harlen, & Tiberghien, 2017). Instructors can combine formative and summative assessments by collecting more formal types of formative assessment during the course and summatively assessing students’ most recent or most demonstrative work after a period of time. Alternatively, instructors can connect their formative and summative assessments by using similar or aligned measures throughout the course. In this case, students are overtly aware of the competencies and skills being taught and are not surprised by the material during more formal testing.

Fig. 1  Example of the Assessment Cycle

Brookhart, S. M. (2004). Assessment theory for college classrooms.  New Directions for Teaching and Learning ,  100 , 5-14. doi: 10.1002/tl.165

Dixon, D. D., & Worrell, F. C. (2016). Formative and summative assessment in the classroom.  Theory into Practice ,  55 , 153-159. doi: 10.1080/00405841.2016.1148989

Dolin, J., Black, P., Wynne, H., & Tiberghien, A. (2017). Exploring relations between formative and summative assessment. In J. Dolin & R. Evans (Eds.),  Transforming assessment: Through an interplay between practice, research, and policy . Cham, Switzerland: Springer International Publishing, pp. 54-80.

Harrison, C. J., Könings, K. D., Schuwirth, L., Wass, V., & van der Vleuten, C. (2015). Barriers to the uptake and use of feedback in the context of summative assessment.  Advances in Health Sciences Education ,  20 , 229-245. doi: 10.1007/s10459-014-9524-6

Kibble, J. D. (2017). Best practices in summative assessment.  Advances in Physiology Education ,  41 , 110-119. doi: 10.1152/advan.00116.2016

Taras, M. (2005). Assessment – summative and formative – Some theoretical reflections.  British Journal of Educational Studies ,  53 , 466-478. doi: 10.1111/j.1467-8527.2005.00307.

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Summative Assessment and Feedback

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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 .

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Weeks or months of study in a classroom generally culminate in a summative assessment. This refers to a test that evaluates a student’s comprehension of the material covered thus far. While other measures, such as homework and quizzes, cover potential or progress made, the essence of a summative assessment is more black and white — either the material has been learned (and taught) or not. As a result, these necessary but controversial assessments bring a lot of stress to both educators and students. Below are some of the key points about end of year assessments and tips for success.

Though they aren’t necessarily fun for teachers and students, summative assessments have a lot of advantages. They provide motivation for students to study and pay attention in class, particularly as they get older and grades become a major indicator of success in college or the working world. They also give great insight to teachers: if none of the children in a class score above a 2 or 3 on an AP exam, it is much more likely to be the result of poor or off-topic instruction than a class of students unable to complete the work.

Precisely because summative assessments reflect so closely on teacher performance, many instructors are accused of “teaching to the test.” In other words, if a state test is known to heavily favor anagrams or analogies, students may be asked to spend hours drilling those exercises instead of reading and writing to grow their vocabularies naturally. Conversely, no assessment is perfect, so even students with excellent knowledge of the material may run into questions that trip them up, especially if they get nervous under pressure. As a result, summative assessment is not always the most accurate reflection of learning.

Measurements and markers

Summative assessment gives students a level, usually numerical, and placement in which they can be compared against both other students and the standards for their grade. This is most commonly seen in:

• Literacy tests
• College entrance exams like the SAT or ACT
• End of year school, county, or statewide testing
• Special program learning, such as Advanced Placement or International Baccalaureate

Performance is often shown both in percentage of questions answered right, and by comparing performance with the rest of the class, state, or nation. A student scoring in the 90th percentile, for example, completed more questions correctly than 90 percent of other test-takers. This sort of competition indicates benchmark performances and helps admissions officers make informed decisions, but it can also cause undue anxiety for students who struggle more than their peers in certain areas.

Unique adaptations

There are non-traditional ways to use summative assessments to enhance the learning process. Many teachers find it useful to:

• Create the test after the learning plan. Though it may seem obvious, the best evaluation covers the material the instructor and curriculum meant to emphasize. If, for instance, a teacher holds a final exam in literature to the constant standard of “Does this student read deeper into the text?” he or she will have crafted a summative assessment that stays on point with learning goals.
• Offer different options. Standardized state and national tests have very little room for re-imagining. A classroom final, however, could be given as a visual/audio presentation, a long-form test, or an individual essay. By allowing students to explain the material in a medium they feel comfortable with, teachers get an accurate picture of their understanding.
• Move it out of the classroom. Unfortunately, many students decide early on that they are not strong in academics. By making the final resemble a real-world application, much of the pressure and stigma is removed, along with the temptation to plagiarize. Have biology students identify animals in nature or at a preserve, or have business students create job descriptions and resumes. This style of assessment can cover a broad range of material, and more closely emulates performance reviews and projects in a career field.

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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 .

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Summative Assessment And Student Success: A Comprehensive Review

Zoe Benjamin

Are you looking to design summative assessments that accurately measure how much your students have learned and how well they have mastered the content and skills? It may seem like creating a test is a straightforward task – just jot down some questions and select the answers. But if you aspire to create assessments that genuinely reflect your learners’ abilities and enhance their academic achievements, you need to adopt a more considerate approach. 

In this article, we’ll delve into the benefits and limitations of summative assessments on student achievement and provide recommendations for teachers to improve the effectiveness of summative assessments for their learners.

What is summative assessment?

Examples of summative assessment, formative vs summative assessments, benefits of summative assessment practices , how can summative assessment impact student achievement, limitations of summative assessment, summative assessment tips for teachers.

An evaluation of students’ current understanding and achievement. It allows teachers to track learners’ progress over a period of time. These types of assessments are typically used to assign grades and determine how well students have mastered the learning objectives at a particular point in time. The findings can be utilized to determine their academic growth and make informed decisions about how to support each student in succeeding.

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They can take many forms, including standarized tests, exams, projects, or essays, and are often scored to provide a quantifiable measure of students’ performance.

Some examples include:

• Portfolios of work created by students to include samples of their work and projects from different subjects, showcasing their growth and learning over time.
• A final project following a period of group work.
• Midterm exams or classroom assessments at the end of a unit of study.
• Performance assessments that showcase students’ development of new skills.
• Standardized tests that are typically administered at the state or national level and help assess students’ overall proficiency in these subjects.

The difference between formative assessment and summative assessment is their purpose, design, frequency, and outcomes. While summative assessment is an assessment of learning, formative assessment is an assessment for learning . Formative and summative assessments are the two types of assessment that are most prevalent in education literature. The table below shows their main characteristics:

The benefits of summative assessments may not be as apparent as those of formative assessment, as they are often less immediate and direct than the advantages gained from ongoing assessment strategies that promote learning.

But summative assessments bring many benefits that enhance teaching and learning.

Tracking student progress

Summative assessments offer assessment data that is typically used to track student progress over time. This data indicates whether students are making the expected level of progress based on their age and abilities.

Accountability

The results of summative assessments provide an objective measure of accountability for teachers and students. 

Summative assessments provide high-stake conditions for students to showcase their capabilities to themselves and others. These assessments motivate students to prepare and revise more thoroughly than they might for other types of evaluations. 

Teachers can use students’ end-of-year or external assessment results in their appraisal meetings to evaluate their teaching approaches. Additionally, students can be held accountable if their results indicate a decrease in effort or underperformance in one or more subjects.

Motivating students 

However, lower-ability students and those with exam anxiety may be less motivated by summative assessments, which can lead to a decrease in their effort and motivation as the assessment date approaches.

Preparation for external exams

End-of-year state assessments are external exams that act as summative assessments at the end of a school year. High stakes classroom assessments, such as midterm exams, offer valuable exam practice for time management, meeting assessment objectives, and managing exam anxiety. 

Retrieving information from long-term memory during summative assessments strengthens memory for that information and related concepts, which can be beneficial for students during external exams.

Standardization 

Summative assessments can provide schools and education systems with objective data to create standardized scores for each learner. This enables individuals and small cohorts to be compared to other students and larger cohorts. 

Standardization is often used to determine the grade boundaries in external exams, which are then used by universities to set their entry requirements. 

The manner in which summative assessment is carried out can have a considerable impact on the academic progress of students.

Summative assessment helps:

• track student knowledge and progress and identify underachievement, allowing for interventions to be put in place.
• reveal issues with exam technique, which may not be identified through formative assessments.
• hold students and teachers accountable and increase motivation to improve results.
• prepare students for external exams, improving long-term memory retrieval and adjusting revision and exam strategies accordingly.

In all cases above, increased achievement is defined as achieving a higher result in a future summative assessment. 

This may not be a reliable or valid measure of achievement, but until education institutions move away from standardized testing and entry requirements that depend on the results of summative assessments, it is an important measure to consider.

Summative assessments are widely used in education to measure student achievement, but they also have limitations every teacher should be aware of:

Provides a limited snapshot of student achievement

Summative assessment is limited in that it provides a snapshot of student achievement at one point in time and uses a limited range of assessment strategies.

Comparing students based on summative grades might be unfair

Using summative grades to compare students to each other or to gain entry into a high school or university, seems unfair when final grades are so dependent on factors outside of students’ control.

Summative assessments emphasize memorization

Summative assessments often require students to memorize material, which is becoming an increasingly redundant skill given how readily information is available online.

Time spent memorizing material ahead of a summative assessment could be better spent deepening students’ understanding or improving their ability to critically interact with new material.

As a teacher, designing and administering effective summative assessments can be challenging. Here are some tips to help you create successful summative assessments for your students.

1. Design a summative assessment based on its purpose

Consider the purpose of the assessment and allow this to determine the most appropriate design for the summative assessment. 

If the purpose of the assessment is preparation for an external exam, mimic the format, length, and question style of the external exam paper.

If the purpose of the assessment is to track progress, include questions that relate to knowledge tested on a previous assessment and questions to gain benchmark data for a future assessment.

2. Offer clear instructions throughout the assessment

Ensure the instructions throughout the assessment clearly convey what is required from the student (e.g. show each step of your calculation).

Create a mark scheme or rubric before the assessment is set so that you are clear about what is required from each question and check that the exam instructions accurately explain this to the students. 

3. Ensure consistency in summative assessments from year to year

Use the same summative assessments each year so that each cohort of students can be compared to cohorts from previous years. This allows departments to evaluate their own performance and to make adjustments if a cohort’s performance differs significantly from previous years. 

Utilize the benefits of retrieval practice and spacing by including a mixture of recent and past topics on each summative assessment.

4. Prepare students in advance

Prepare students for summative assessments and reduce exam anxiety by producing practice papers that match the summative assessment in terms of style and content. 

Summative assessment is designed to produce a measure of achievement. It is important because it helps teachers to track their students’ progress and gives students an opportunity to demonstrate their knowledge to external organizations such as employers or universities.

An assessment that has a clear purpose and allows comparisons to be made with the results or past or future assessments.

External exams like end-of-year state assessments End of year or end of topic exams Benchmark or aptitude tests that measure transferable skills and academic potential

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The content in this article was originally written by secondary maths teacher Zoe Benjamin and has since been revised and adapted for US schools by math curriculum specialist and former elementary math teacher Katie Keeton.

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Below are some types of assessments that are commonly used to gauge learning at the end of a unit or course. While the focus here is primarily on the use of these assessments for summative purposes, these can also be utilized as formative assessments , to track student learning during a course. For each, we make suggestions for ways to design these assessments to be equity-minded and recommend further readings and resources. 

Exams typically consist of a set of questions that are aimed at eliciting a specific response. They can include a range of question formats, such as multiple choice questions, fill-in-the-blank questions, labeling diagrams, or providing short answer questions. When designing exam questions, it is important to consider the principles of equity-minded assessment. This involves making exam questions that are:

• Relevant : Test concepts are aligned with the course learning objectives. Additionally, questions involve applying course concepts to problems and situations that are relevant to students’ interests and skills. 
• Authentic: Require students to apply skills that may be utilized in their professional and personal lives (e.g., critical thinking and collaboration). Questions also test a range of learning outcomes from those requiring lower-order cognitive skills such as recollection or understanding to those requiring higher-order cognitive skills such as evaluation and application of concepts (e.g., case studies that allow application of concepts to real-world problems).
• Rigorous: Focus on application of skills or creation of new knowledge to novel or complex situations, rather than recollection of facts. Can involve multi-step problem solving or require students to justify a given answer through reasoning. 
• Transparent: Explicit about the knowledge and skills being tested in the exam. The scoring system for each question is known to students while taking the exam (e.g., each question specifies if answers are marked for both accuracy and process or if there is negative marking for writing the wrong answer). Providing students with practice questions that illustrate the types of questions they may encounter on the exam can especially help international and first-generation students who may be unfamiliar with predominant assessment strategies.  
• Inclusive: Describe scenarios, names, or contexts that reflect the lived experiences of diverse students, without assuming specific cultural knowledge. Questions do not rely on knowledge of concepts that are not already taught in the course. Characterized by use of clear, concise, and unambiguous language (e.g., avoid double negative statements, jargon, complex words). This is particularly important when instructors are unavailable to clarify what the particular question is testing, for example in online exams and in large classes. 

Open-book or group-based exams that require critical thinking, collaboration, and analytical skills to arrive at an answer may be one way to implement exams that follow the above principles (Johanns et al., 2016; Martin et al., 2014). Incorporating exam wrappers as a follow-up is known to promote good learning strategies by helping students self-assess and engage in metacognition (Lovett, 2013). Explore some additional resources on writing good multiple choice exam questions (Brame 2013), incorporating group-exams (Chen 2018) or exam wrappers (Carnegie Mellon University). Also consider our guidelines on best practices for designing summative assessments and effective online exam design and administration .

References:

Brame, C. (2013) Writing good multiple choice test questions . Vanderbilt University. 

Chen, Y. (2018). Collaborative learning through group testing . Center for Teaching and Learning, Kent State University.

Division of Learning and Teaching. (2022, March 30). Exams . Charles Sturt University.

Lovett, M. C. (2013). Make exams worth more than the grade: Using exam wrappers to promote metacognition . In Kaplan, M., Silver, N, Lavaque-Manty, D., & Meizlish, D. Using reflection and metacognition to improve student learning . Stylus Publishing: Sterling, VA., pp. 18-52.

Johanns, A., Dinkens, J., & Moore, J. (2017). A systematic review comparing open-book and closed-book examinations: Evaluating effects on development of critical thinking skills . Nursing Education in Practice , 27, 89-94.

Martin, D., Friesen, E., & De Pau, A. (2014). Three heads are better than one: A mixed methods study examining collaborative versus traditional test-taking with nursing students . Nurse Education Today , 34 (6), 971–977.

Projects are a powerful way to assess student learning in a relevant, authentic, rigorous, transparent, and inclusive manner. Projects typically involve a sequence of steps that must be completed within a defined timeline to create a novel product. Examples of common products include: 

1. Presentations: 

These usually involve a slide deck (e.g., PowerPoint) or poster designed to support an oral exposition describing the motivation and outcome of a project. Compared to written papers or portfolios, presentations can be efficient forms of assessment to test higher-order thinking, application, and communication skills since grading can take place in real-time. However, presentations can be time consuming to execute, particularly in classes with high student enrollment ( > 150 students). Presentations conducted in small groups and, when possible, during lab or recitation sections may be one of the ways to incorporate presentations in large classes. Group presentations are also good avenues to promote peer-based learning along with skills in collaboration, communication, and time management. Learn more about designing oral presentations (McCaroll, 2016), best practices to design group projects (Carnegie Mellon University) and evaluate group projects (Cornell University) 

2. Research Papers: 

Typically assigned in upper-level classes, research papers tend to involve a structured written report describing the motivation, methods, results, and conclusions of a project (research-based or literature syntheses) following the IMRaD format with a reference list. These assessments help students demonstrate their organizational, critical thinking, and writing skills in a manner relevant and authentic to research-based disciplines in which such papers are the dominant mode of communication.

For students, structuring and organizing thoughts in a research paper tends to be difficult without adequate practice and support. Additionally, for instructors,  research papers can be difficult to grade and provide feedback in a timely manner, given the volume of content produced by each student. Scaffolding student work and incorporating opportunities for peer feedback are some ways in which these problems can be mitigated. Scaffolding may involve providing adequate guidance to students on conducting literature searches and training them on the use of tools such as citation managers or AI search engines . Providing appropriate rubrics in advance for students to evaluate their own work or engage in peer-assessments are other ways in which students can receive timely feedback before submitting their work. Use Ohio State University’s guiding questions to effectively design research or inquiry-based assessments . 

3. Essays or Commentaries:

Essays are longer written papers that ask students to respond to a prompt by explaining a point of view in response to a prompt along with supporting evidence. Since essays are open-ended, they allow students to demonstrate their understanding and interpretation in a creative and individualistic style. Essays are helpful in assessing student understanding and skill across various dimensions, particularly their literary, creative or critical thinking skills. However, similar to research papers, essays can be difficult for students to write and can be difficult for instructors to grade in a timely manner. Scaffolding, providing a clear rubric, writing samples and incorporating peer feedback are few ways in which essays can be implemented in a rigorous, transparent and inclusive manner, without being burdensome for students and instructors. It is also important to consider and comply with norms set by FERPA , when sharing work of students from past classes. More examples can be found on WAC Clearinghouse’s resource on designing writing assignments (Kiefer, 2018).

With the increased accessibility and ease of AI writing tools, however, instructors must take care to be explicit about the appropriate use of AI in writing given the potential for plagiarism. This may include having a syllabus statement on the use of AI in grading policies and assessments, discussing the ethics of plagiarism, training students on using AI as a writing assistant (e.g., to provide structure, check for grammar or spelling), and being transparent about the benefit for students to fully engage in the writing process (Matthews, 2023). Learn more about teaching & learning in the age of AI on our website.

4. Digital Storyboards: 

With the ease and accessibility of digital media, some final projects can involve more creative depictions of a project from conception to outcome in the form of artwork, films, photographs or audio-based storyboards. Storyboards can be a powerful medium of communication since it helps an audience visualize the main message of a written text in an easy and digestible manner. Storyboards can involve a variety of elements, e,g., original artwork, curation of images, background music, a narrative script or dialogue, all of which are laid out in an intentional order that together tell a story. As such storyboards are rigorous and authentic forms of assessments, since they require students to employ multiple, higher order thinking skills and learn to collaborate with peers to present their point of view. Thus, storyboards can particularly benefit from scaffolding. 

One way to scaffold may be to provide prompts that draw student attention to varied elements of a sample storyboard, in a sequential manner and help students  evaluate how the elements support the narrative. Following this, instructors may have students complete parts of an existing sample storyboard to master each element. Finally, instructors should attempt to provide a clear rubric that is transparent about the skills being evaluated and the level of performance expected of students. In order to be inclusive and just, instructors should also consider student access to material needed to produce a high-quality storyboard since such material tends to be fairly expensive. This may include providing access to a repository of art material, videography equipment etc. through a library or local repository and/or arranging for funds that allow students to procure necessary equipment or software. Explore Macalaster University’s compilation of resources to design digital storyboard projects and evaluate storyboards . More examples can also be found on University of Houston’s repository of digital stories (Dogan, 2021).

Projects are equity-minded assessments if they are:

• Relevant: Include tasks such as application of knowledge, presentation skills, critical thinking or collaboration skills, each of which should correspond to learning goals of a course.
• Authentic: Engage students to apply knowledge and skills to address a novel problem. Ideally, the problem addressed is at the intersection of real-world application of knowledge or skills, needs of a discipline, and students' own interests.
• Rigorous: Require application of higher-order cognitive skills such as critical thinking, synthesis, and application of knowledge to a new context over multiple steps. For example, to produce a research paper, students need to identify a gap in the field, read primary literature, conduct analyses/experiments, verify findings using multiple sources, and write findings in a logical and cohesive manner. However, it is important for these projects to be well-structured and potentially be scaffolded wherein instructors provide more guidance on components of a project early on, and gradually have students independently complete the work as they gain more competency. Scaffolding provides students with adequate support to achieve the high standards set by rigorous assessments. 
• Transparent: Explicit about the learning objectives and the metrics by which performance will be assessed. Provide students with a detailed rubric listing the criteria for evaluation and standards of performance expected in advance. Providing samples of successful projects completed by students in the past can also help make projects more transparent. 
• Inclusive: Allows for diverse student interests, voices, and forms of creative expression in how the project is designed and presented.

Explore Champlain University’s guidelines on designing project assignments and Boston University’s suggestions for implementing project-based learning .

Center for Teaching and Learning. (2021, May 06). Project-Based Learning: Teaching Guide . Boston University

Division of Learning and Teaching (2022, March 30). Essay . Charles Sturt University.

Dogan, B. (2021). Example stories . The Educational Uses of Digital Storytelling Website. University of Houston College of Education.

Matthews, D. (2023, March 14). If you’re not using CHATGPT for your writing, you’re probably making a mistake . Vox. 

Portfolios refer to a collection of work curated by students to provide evidence for the quality of work they have done and have the potential to do in the future (Vitale & Romance, 2005). Portfolios can include all or a selection of work done in a course and usually also include a component of reflective writing (Dibrell, n.d.). Although more common in performance-based disciplines such as humanities and art, portfolios can also be used in science and engineering to similarly evaluate demonstrated proficiency and potential (e.g., CV , research statements , ePortfolios/websites ). Alternately, portfolios may be composed of research papers, presentations, or concept maps . Portfolios align with equity-minded assessments when they are: 

• Relevant: Include a wide repertoire of student work that is related to the course content and objectives, as well as student interests and goals. 
• Authentic: Evaluate learning that simultaneously draws on multiple levels of cognitive demand, including synthesis, application and creation of new knowledge. Further, the work is typically aligned directly with future professional career paths that students will pursue.
• Rigorous: Consists of a sample of work drawn from a larger body of work that students complete throughout the course. The work typically requires students to employ a range of higher order thinking skills including analytical reasoning, collaboration, problem solving etc.
• Transparent: Co-creating rubrics with students in the class allows making expectations for the assessment explicit and inclusive of student voice. This is important because students and instructors may differ in their aesthetic sensibilities, making portfolios difficult to evaluate in a consistent manner. Utilizing a checklist or single-point rubric when grading student portfolios is recommended since such rubrics help provide a more uniform application of standards (meets/does not yet meet expectations), while leaving scope for subjective feedback on what students have done well and what they could improve on.
• Inclusive: Enables diverse student voice and expression since students curate their own collection. In some cases, allow students to include early pieces of work to evaluate the extent to which students have grown and expanded their skillset. Consider securing funds to reimburse students for materials, tools or other resources needed to complete the portfolio, making such assessments inclusive for students from marginalized backgrounds. 

Explore tools such as digication to learn more about systematic ways to evaluate and assign portfolios in a transparent manner. Click on the respective links to view examples of CU undergraduate student portfolios in art , engineering and English . You can also find more examples on ASSETT’s BuffsCreate , a service providing all CU learners access to a subdomain and support to create an ePortfolio.  

Dibrell, D. (n.d.). Designing reflective writing assignments . The University of Texas, Rio Grande Valley.

Vitale, M. R. & Romance, N. R. (2005). Portfolios in science assessment: A knowledge-based model for classroom practice . In J. J. Mintzes, J. H. Wandersee, & J. D. Novak (Eds.), Assessing Science Understanding: A Human Constructivist View, Educational Psychology. Burlington: Academic Press. (pp. 167–196). Burlington, VT: Academic Press.

Further readings and resources:

You can find additional resources and references below to learn more about incorporating different types of summative assessments and feedback in your class. Particularly notable is the NILOA Assignment Library , which provides a detailed description of best practices in incorporating the above assessments in each discipline in an equity-minded manner. Charles Sturt University also has a substantive overview of assessment types and best practices in designing them . For individualized support, you may also schedule a consultation with our team .

Division of Learning and Teaching. (2022, March 30). Assessment types . Charles Sturt University.

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).

Chan, J. C. K. & Ahn, D. (2023). Unproctored online exams provide meaningful assessment of student learning . Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences . 120 (31): e230202012

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Summative Assessment

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Summative assessment evaluates student learning at the end of an instructional unit by comparing it against a standard or benchmark. Teachers use it to measure students’ understanding and mastery of the material. Summative assessments, such as final exams, end-of-term projects, and standardized tests, provide a snapshot of students’ academic performance. These assessments play a crucial role in determining grades, informing instruction, and guiding future educational decisions. They help educators identify areas where students excel and where they need improvement, ensuring that educational goals are met.

What is Summative Assessment?

Summative assessments are essential for assessing learning objectives . Learning outcomes describe what students should learn and be able to do after taking a course or program. The summative assessment determines a course’s final grade. Summative assessment helps instructors determine whether students have learned enough to pass a course or program. statistics reports  like this are essential for determining effective classroom management plan  success and planning.

Summative Assessment Examples

• Final Exams : Comprehensive tests at the end of a course covering all material taught.
• Standardized Tests : Assessments like SAT, ACT, or state exams that measure student performance against a standard.
• End-of-Term Projects : Large projects completed at the end of a term, such as research papers or science fair projects.
• Capstone Projects : Multi-semester projects in higher education that demonstrate a student’s learning and skills.
• Portfolios : Collections of student work over time, demonstrating progress and mastery of subject matter.
• Performance Tasks : Assessments where students demonstrate their knowledge and skills through a practical task, such as a lab experiment or a history presentation.
• Final Presentations : Oral presentations summarizing the key learnings and findings from a course or project.
• Cumulative Quizzes : Quizzes that cover all the material learned over a certain period.
• Written Essays : In-depth essays written at the end of a course to assess understanding and analysis of the material.
• Oral Exams : Verbal examinations where students answer questions or explain concepts to demonstrate their knowledge.
• Art Exhibitions : For art courses, a display of students’ artworks created during the term.
• Practical Exams : Hands-on tests in subjects like nursing, engineering, or culinary arts to assess practical skills.
• Final Reports : Detailed reports in subjects like business, science, or social studies summarizing research and findings.
• Certification Exams : Professional certification tests that students must pass to demonstrate their competence in a specific field.
• Comprehensive Skill Assessments : Evaluations of skills in areas like music, dance, or sports through performance and technique demonstration.

Summative Assessment Examples for Kindergarten

• Collecting a range of students’ work over time, such as drawings, writing samples, and projects.
• Teachers can assess growth in various skills, including fine motor skills, literacy, and numeracy.
• Story Retelling : Have students listen to a story and then retell it in their own words, assessing comprehension and narrative skills.
• Show and Tell : Students bring an item from home and explain it to the class, evaluating speaking and presentation skills.
• Teachers can use checklists to record students’ mastery of specific skills, such as recognizing letters, counting objects, or following instructions.
• Rubrics provide clear criteria for evaluating the quality of students’ work, such as artwork or writing.
• Class Book : Create a class book where each student contributes a page, showing their understanding of a theme, like “All About Me” or “Animals”.
• Thematic Displays : Students create displays or posters on topics they’ve learned about, such as seasons, community helpers, or plants.
• Structured observations during play or specific activities can provide insights into social skills, problem-solving abilities, and other developmental milestones.
• Worksheets : Simple worksheets can be used to assess skills like letter recognition, counting, matching, and basic writing.
• Drawing and Labeling : Students draw pictures and label parts, such as drawing a family and labeling members, assessing both artistic expression and literacy.
• Interviews : One-on-one interviews where teachers ask questions related to a topic, assessing verbal communication and understanding.
• Group Discussions : Facilitated discussions where students share what they’ve learned about a topic, assessing their ability to recall and articulate information.
• Games : Educational games that reinforce learning objectives, such as matching games for letter sounds or number recognition.
• Technology-Based Assessments : Interactive activities on tablets or computers that evaluate skills through engaging tasks.
• Role-Playing : Students act out scenarios related to what they have learned, such as being a doctor, a shopkeeper, or a weather reporter.
• Songs and Rhymes : Singing songs or reciting rhymes learned during the unit, assessing memory and rhythmic skills.
• Home Projects : Assigning simple projects that students complete with their parents, such as creating a family tree or a “Me Box” with items that represent the child.

Summative Assessment Examples for Early Childhood

• Collection of a child’s work over time, such as drawings, writing samples, and project work.
• Includes teacher observations and notes on the child’s progress.
• Age-appropriate standardized tests to assess basic skills in areas like literacy and numeracy.
• Examples include the Woodcock-Johnson Tests of Achievement or the Peabody Picture Vocabulary Test.
• Comprehensive reports that summarize a child’s development and learning across various domains.
• Include teacher comments, checklists, and ratings on skills and behaviors.
• Activities where children demonstrate their knowledge and skills through hands-on tasks.
• Examples include storytelling, solving puzzles, or participating in group projects.
• Tools used by teachers to rate a child’s performance against specific criteria.
• Include developmental milestones and learning standards.
• Structured observations of children during different activities and routines.
• Focus on specific skills such as social interaction, problem-solving, and physical coordination.
• Meetings between parents and teachers to discuss the child’s progress and share assessment results.
• Provide a comprehensive view of the child’s development from both school and home perspectives.
• Narrative assessments where teachers document and interpret significant moments of learning.
• Include photos, quotes from the child, and reflections on their development.
• Tools used to identify children who may need further evaluation or support.
• Examples include the Ages and Stages Questionnaires (ASQ) and the Denver Developmental Screening Test.

High School Summative Assessment Examples

• Description : Comprehensive tests covering all material taught during the course.
• Purpose : To evaluate overall understanding and retention of course content.
• Description : Tests like SATs, ACTs, or state-specific exams.
• Purpose : To assess student readiness for college and adherence to state standards.
• Description : In-depth essays requiring research, analysis, and synthesis of information on a given topic.
• Purpose : To evaluate critical thinking, writing skills, and subject mastery.
• Description : Long-term projects such as science fair projects, history day presentations, or engineering designs.
• Purpose : To assess practical application of knowledge, creativity, and problem-solving skills.
• Description : Presentations on topics studied in class, often accompanied by visual aids or multimedia.
• Purpose : To evaluate public speaking skills, comprehension, and the ability to convey information clearly.
• Description : Collection of a student’s best work over the course of a semester or year.
• Purpose : To demonstrate growth, learning progress, and skill development in various subjects.
• Description : Comprehensive projects completed in the final year of high school, often interdisciplinary.
• Purpose : To synthesize learning from multiple areas and prepare for post-secondary education or careers.

Types of Summative Assessment

• Standardized Tests : National or state exams designed to measure students against a common standard.
• Final Exams : Comprehensive tests given at the end of a course covering all material taught.
• Midterm Exams : Exams given halfway through a course to assess knowledge up to that point.
• Research Projects : In-depth studies on a particular topic requiring investigation, analysis, and presentation.
• Capstone Projects : Cumulative projects typically completed at the end of a program, integrating knowledge from various courses.
• Research Papers : Detailed written reports on a specific topic, involving critical analysis and synthesis of information.
• Essays : Written responses to prompts that assess students’ ability to articulate and defend a position or analyze a concept.
• Academic Portfolios : Collections of student work that demonstrate learning and progress over time.
• Art Portfolios : Compilations of artistic works showcasing skills and creativity.
• Oral Presentations : Students present their knowledge or research findings verbally, often with visual aids.
• Poster Presentations : Visual displays summarizing research or projects, typically presented at academic fairs or conferences.
• Performances : Students demonstrate their skills through performances, such as in music, drama, or dance.
• Practical Exams : Hands-on tests in fields like medicine or engineering, where students perform specific tasks or procedures.
• Though often formative, quizzes can also be summative if they contribute significantly to a final grade or evaluate cumulative knowledge.
• ACT/SAT : Standardized tests used for college admissions in the United States.
• GRE/GMAT : Exams used for admission to graduate programs.
• Comprehensive Reviews : Assessments that require students to review and synthesize information from an entire course or program.

Formative assessment

Formative assessment refers to a range of formal and informal evaluation procedures conducted by teachers during the learning process. These assessments help modify teaching and learning activities to improve student attainment. The primary 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.

Examples of Formative Assessment

• Quizzes and Polls : Short, ungraded quizzes or polls to gauge understanding of the material.
• Observations : Teachers observe students during class activities and discussions to assess their engagement and comprehension.
• Questioning : Asking open-ended questions during a lesson to check for understanding and stimulate critical thinking.
• Peer Assessment : Students assess each other’s work, providing feedback and learning from their peers.
• Self-Assessment : Students reflect on their own learning, identify areas for improvement, and set goals.
• Exit Tickets : Brief prompts or questions given at the end of a lesson to assess what students have learned and identify any remaining questions or concerns.
• Journals and Learning Logs : Students keep records of their learning experiences, progress, and reflections.
• Concept Maps : Students create visual representations of their understanding of a topic, helping teachers identify gaps in knowledge.

Formative vs Summative Assessment

What is the Primary Goal of Summative Assessment?

The primary goal of summative assessment is to evaluate student learning, skill acquisition, and academic achievement at the end of an instructional period, such as a unit, course, semester, or school year. It aims to determine the extent to which students have met the learning objectives, inform final grades, and provide data on the effectiveness of the curriculum and teaching methods. Summative assessments also serve as tools for accountability, ensuring that educational standards are met, and for credentialing, certifying that students have acquired the necessary competencies for progression or graduation. Examples include final exams, standardized tests, and end-of-term projects.

When to use Summative Assessment

• End of a Unit or Course : Summative assessments are typically administered at the end of a specific unit, course, semester, or academic year to determine whether students have mastered the material.
• Certification and Qualification : When a certification or qualification is required, summative assessments are used to certify that the student has the necessary knowledge and skills. Examples include final exams, standardized tests, and professional certification exams.
• Grading and Reporting : These assessments provide a way to assign grades or scores that can be used for report cards, transcripts, and other forms of academic record keeping.
• Curriculum Effectiveness : Summative assessments can help educators and administrators evaluate the effectiveness of the curriculum and make decisions about future instructional strategies and curriculum development.
• Accountability : Schools and educational programs often use summative assessments to demonstrate accountability to stakeholders such as parents, school boards, and government bodies. They show that students are meeting established learning standards and benchmarks.
• Program Evaluation : These assessments can be used to evaluate the effectiveness of educational programs and initiatives, guiding decisions about program continuation, modification, or discontinuation.
• Placement Decisions : Summative assessments can be used to make decisions about student placement in advanced courses, special programs, or remediation.

Characteristics of Summative Assessments

• Evaluative : They are used to measure the level of learning or achievement after instruction has been completed.
• Finality : These assessments are usually administered at the end of a learning period, unit, semester, or academic year.
• Comprehensive : They cover a broad range of material that was taught during the instructional period.
• High Stakes : The results of summative assessments often have significant consequences, such as determining final grades, advancement to the next grade level, or graduation.
• Standardized : Many summative assessments are standardized to ensure consistency and comparability across different student groups.
• Formal : These assessments are usually more formal and structured than formative assessments, often taking the form of tests, exams, or final projects.
• Performance-Based : They evaluate the overall performance and understanding of students on the subject matter.
• Feedback and Reporting : Summative assessments provide feedback that can be used to inform stakeholders, such as students, parents, teachers, and administrators, about the student’s academic progress.
• Benchmarking : They are used to benchmark student performance against standards or expectations, such as state or national standards.
• Criterion-Referenced : They often compare student performance against a predetermined standard or criteria rather than against other students’ performances.

Benefits for Students

• Summative assessments provide a clear measure of what students have learned and how well they have mastered the course material. This helps students understand their level of knowledge and skills in the subject.
• These assessments offer valuable feedback to students about their strengths and areas for improvement. Knowing their performance can motivate students to put in more effort and improve in areas where they are weak.
• Summative assessments encourage students to set learning goals and hold themselves accountable for meeting them. The need to perform well in these assessments can drive students to stay focused and disciplined throughout the course.
• Performing well in summative assessments can build students’ confidence and prepare them for future academic challenges, including higher education entrance exams and professional certification tests.
• These assessments often require students to demonstrate critical thinking, problem-solving, and effective communication skills. Preparing for and taking these exams can enhance these important skills.

Can summative assessments be used for grading purposes?

Yes, summative assessments often contribute to students’ final grades and academic transcripts.

How can educators ensure the validity and reliability of summative assessments?

By aligning assessments with learning objectives, using clear and fair evaluation criteria, and minimizing bias in scoring.

How do students prepare for summative assessments?

Students prepare by reviewing course materials, studying key concepts, practicing problem-solving skills, and seeking clarification on unclear topics.

Are summative assessments used in all educational levels?

Yes, summative assessments are used in K-12 education, higher education, and professional training programs.

Can summative assessments be used to assess skills other than academic knowledge?

Yes, they can assess skills such as critical thinking, problem-solving, communication, and creativity.

How do summative assessments contribute to educational accountability?

They provide data on student achievement, which is used to evaluate the effectiveness of educational programs and inform decision-making.

What is the role of feedback in summative assessments?

While summative assessments primarily focus on measuring outcomes, feedback can still be provided to help students understand their strengths and areas for improvement.

How can technology be integrated into summative assessments?

Technology can be used for online testing, digital portfolios, automated grading, and data analysis to enhance the efficiency and effectiveness of summative assessments.

Can summative assessments be customized for different student needs?

Yes, accommodations and modifications can be made to accommodate diverse learning styles, abilities, and special needs.

How do educators use summative assessment data to inform instruction?

Educators analyze assessment data to identify trends, strengths, weaknesses, and areas for instructional improvement in future courses.

What are some considerations for designing effective summative assessments?

Considerations include clear learning objectives, appropriate assessment methods, fair and reliable grading practices, and alignment with curriculum standards.

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15 Summative Assessment Examples for Elementary Students

by Chloe Campbell Leave a Comment

Every teacher knows the end-of-the-unit drill: TESTS. And just like that, the groans echo around the room. Let’s face it, traditional testing isn’t always the most engaging or accurate way to see what our students have absorbed. That’s where our superhero, Summative Assessment Ideas, comes in, swooping down to save us all from the monotonous and often dreaded routine of standard exams!

What are Summative Assessments?

Summative assessments are like those candid shots photographers love to capture – they give us a geniune glimpse into what our students have learned throughout a unit or term. Imagine how much more we could understand about our students’ learning if we took time to capture a range of these candid shots, rather than relying on the formal, posed (and often stressed) portraits of standard tests.

In essence, summative assessments are a method of evaluation used to measure a student’s understanding, knowledge, or skills at the end of a unit, term, or academic year.

Summative assessments are employed at strategically planned points during the academic year. They are used to determine whether the objectives of the educational program have been met, and if the learning outcomes align with the set of curriculum standards. These assessments not only allow us to review and grade student performance, but they also help us refine and adjust our teaching strategies. They are essential to ensure that learning is taking place and that it’s effective and impactful.

Gone are the days when assessments were merely limited to standardized tests or weekly quizzes. With creativity and innovation, we can make this process exciting and comprehensive. Here are 15 creative summative assessment examples that you can implement in your elementary classroom.

15 Summative Assessment Ideas for Elementary Students

1. Create a Trailer or Video Students will create an orginal video or movie trailer explaining the topic.

2. Create an Anchor Chart or Poster Board Students will create an anchor chart or poster that integrates graphics and texts to teach the topic.

3. Create a Comic Strip Students will create a 10-frame comic strip. The focus should be on teaching the topic throughout the comic strip.

4. Create a Podcast Students can create a radio-style podcast report that highlights details about your topic.

5. Build a Model or Diorama Students can create a model or diorama to show what you’ve learned about the topic. Include index cards or sticky notes to explain extra facts or information.

6. Write a Song, Skit, Poem, or Play. Students will write (and peform, if they want!) a song, poem, skit, or play that teaches the topic at hand.

7. Create your Own Board Game. Design your own board game or use one of these templates to help you. Students will create question cards and answers to show what they’ve learned. Bonus tip: Give students time in class to play their created games with other students!

8. Create an Art Collage Students can create a collage using a variety of images and words to visually show what they’ve learned about the topic.

9. Become a News Reporter Allow students to write out their news report, record it, and/or present it to their classmates to show what they’ve learned.

10. Create Your Own Kahoot! Or Jeopardy Game Allow students to create a game online and play it with classmates. My students have loved Kahoot! and JeopardyLabs .

Want other engaging ideas? Grab the Math Engagement Cheat Sheet!👇

11. Make a Google Slides or PowerPoint Show Students can create a presentation that includes text and images to teach key points about the topic.

12. Write Your Own Test Questions & Answer Key Instead of taking a traditional test, students can actually write their own test questions. The important part here is that they also include an answer key!

13. Write an Essay I know this one can seem boring, but some students who enjoy writing will excel with this. Students will write a 4- or 5- paragraph essay about the topic.

14. Design an Advertisement Students can create a radio ad, magazine ad, or a TV commercial to share key points about the topic.

15. Create a Google Site Studetns can create a website that teaches about the topic in a creative way.

Yes, these projects can often be more time-consuming to grade. Yes, it often takes up valuable class time. But I have discovered that it is worth it every.single.time.

BONUS TIP! Create a rubric so you and your students will know exactly how to get a good grade and show what they’ve learned. It may help to also create a checklist for students to know exactly what topics they need to cover in their project tohow that they’ve accomplished the task.

Story time: I’ve had several students like this throughout my career, but let’s name this one Carlos. Carlos was disengaged during traditional tests. He always knew he wasn’t a great preformer on tests, so why try? I turned a traditional paper-pencil test into a project-based assessment, and Carlos blossomed! His creativity showed as he designed an eco-friendly city model for a social studies project. He detailed the reasoning behind every element and showed deep understanding far better than any multiple-choice test could . That’s when I realized creative summative assessments need to happen in my classroom.

Let’s treat summative assessments like a blank canvas and let our students paint a comprehensive picture of their knowledge and understanding. It’s our job to step away from the “same old, same old” and explore how we can best engage our young learners. Sure, it might be new, and it might be a bit daunting, but remember the transformation of your students when they are given the opportunity to shine. So let’s dive in, get creative, and allow our students to surprise us with what they can truly achieve. After all, we’re all here to discover and nurture their potential, one engaging assessment at a time!

Read about 15 Formative Assessment Ideas For Elementary Students HERE !

👇SAVE THESE IDEAS ON PINTEREST 👇

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What are examples of summative assessments?

What are summative assessments in education.

Summative Assessments are—in simple words—the way educators determine what a student has learned. They are typically tests or cumulative assignments that provide teachers with insights into the overall success of their instructional methods. Summative assessments also reveal if students have or have not mastered the learning targets or standards. Additionally, summative assessments provide school administrators, districts, and other key decision makers with actionable data and insight into how successfully a curriculum or teacher performs.

Summative assessments must be created following specific guidelines, which are outlined in detail below. In brief, summative assessments must provide valid, reliable data points that can be compared across classrooms, across time, and across graders in order to measure student growth and teacher, district, or curriculum efficacy.

What does a summative assessment measure?

Summative assessments measure student learning along with teacher and curriculum effectiveness. Unlike formative assessments , which are often low-stake check-ins, summative assessments are typically high stakes, serving not only as the cumulation of a unit, semester, or school year, but also frequently serving as the key factor in a student’s grade or an administrator’s decision about a teacher or curriculum.

Teachers who incorporate mastery learning into their instructional process rely heavily on summative assessments to measure whether or not a student has mastered the content taught. When they have finished their units, teachers offer a summative—or cumulative—test, project, or essay to determine if students have reached the key learning targets. If a student does not reach a predetermined score (80%, according to most mastery learning models), teachers adjust what content comes next and often provide strategic interventions to provide students with the time needed to truly master the content. In this way, summative assessments can be thought of as formative, in that teachers inform next steps based on summative results.

Why are summative assessments used in education?

Summative assessments are highly valued in education due to the valuable data they provide. Unlike formative assessments, which are typically more subjective and rarely designed to be used across classrooms or schools for comparative purposes, summative assessments are created for validity and reliability.

Validity in summative assessments—or the ability of an assessment to actually measure what it is supposed to measure—ensures that teachers can be confident that students have or have not mastered the key learning objective. Additionally, valid summative assessments mean that educators and administrators are able to trust the summative assessment’s data about whether or not a teacher or curriculum performed as expected. A summative assessment’s validity ensures that decisions are made according to the true learning targets and not some side topic that may have unintentionally found its way into the assessment.

Reliability in summative assessments—or the ability of an assessment to reproduce consistent outcomes across time and setting regardless of grader—ensures that teachers and administrators are making decisions using accurate data, not outlying data. This is especially important in situations where a teacher’s salary or a controversial curriculum hangs in the balance.

Many educators have found that online tools allow them to more effectively gather and analyze data for validity and reliability, and to measure trends over time. Additionally, online tools allow teachers to quickly spot anomalies so they know which students need enrichment or intervention.

How do you write a summative assessment?

Summative assessments must be written according to a few specific guidelines.

First, in order to ensure a summative assessment is valid, teachers must:

• Determine the key learning objectives or standards that they will teach.
• Decide on what format will best showcase whether or not that objective or standard has been met. In some cases, a multiple choice test might work best; in others, teachers may need to choose something more along the lines of an essay or project.
• Ensure that students understand the learning objectives, the method of the summative assessment, and the grading scale or rubric. Students are far more likely to not only perform better on summative assessments but also to engage and take ownership in their learning when they clearly understand what they are being asked to do and why.
• Plan and teach curriculum that closely aligns with the learning objectives and parallels the summative assessment.

Second, in order to ensure a summative assessment is reliable, teachers must:

• Create a comprehensive grading plan—or rubric—to ensure data is consistently and correctly gathered.
• Ensure classroom instruction and curriculum follows the same plan across classrooms or year over year, depending on how the teacher is planning to use the data from the summative assessments.
• Decide on how the summative assessment will be given in order to ensure consistent results across classrooms or time. Does it always need to be given at a specific time of day or of year? Does the classroom need to be set up a certain way? Does the teacher provide specific prompts or help during the assessment?
• Create and execute the summative assessment according to the predetermined guidelines. Many teachers find it helpful to bring their summative assessments to their Professional Learning Communities (PLCs) for help in spotting questions that could take away from the test’s validity or reliability.
• Grade the summative assessment according to the predetermined guidelines. Many teachers find it helpful to bring in “blind graders”—fellow staff or other experts to grade the assessments without any background knowledge of students or classroom instruction.

Third, teachers should take time to analyze the results of their summative assessment. Did students master the learning targets or standards ? Did this unit drive their understanding and comprehension forward? Or will they need intervention and help before moving on to the next unit or goal? Teachers should then make decisions about how to proceed.

Fourth, teachers should report findings to the stakeholders—students, parents, administrators, and the like. Students are far more likely to improve their learning when they receive descriptive feedback—clear, exact descriptions of what a student got right or wrong, and more importantly, why they made certain mistakes and how to correct them.

Finally, many teachers find it valuable to bring the results of their summative assessments back to their PLCs. While there, teachers find support in analyzing data, understanding results, and creating intervention plans .

How do summative assessments fit in with the 5 types of assessment?

There are five foundational types of assessments:

• Diagnostic assessments , or pre-assessment, which teachers use to gauge students’ pre-knowledge and zone of proximal development. These typically occur once at the beginning of a unit.
• Formative assessments , which teachers use to determine where student knowledge is at mid-unit. These typically occur frequently throughout the unit.
• Summative assessments , which teachers use to determine student growth at the end of a unit. These typically occur once at the end of a unit.
• Interim assessments , which districts use to measure specific grades across schools. These typically occur once a year.
• Benchmark assessments , which bigger bodies (e.g. states) use to measure overarching student growth and school effectiveness. These typically occur once a year.

Typically, teachers create their diagnostic assessments to mirror their summative assessments in order to easily compare the results of a summative assessment to its unit’s diagnostic assessment. This allows teachers to quickly and easily see if students grew in the desired knowledge during the unit.

Additionally, many teachers work to align the majority of their formative assessments with their summative assessments. For example, teachers may use questions similar to the questions found on the summative assessments as exit tickets throughout the unit. They do this to tap into the “testing effect” of formative assessments: by allowing students to “test” themselves in a low-stakes environment, they are enabling students to recall up to 67% more of what they’ve learned on the final summative assessment than students would have via other study methods.

While summative assessments are not always interim and benchmark assessments, these two categories would fall under the same umbrella as summative assessments, as both teachers and administrators use interim and benchmark assessments to not only determine what students have learned, but to make decisions about staffing, curriculum, or school success.

While there is no one right summative assessment, it is important that teachers use or create summative assessments that will provide valid, reliable data across classrooms or year over year. For example, many teachers use:

• Curriculum Tests : Although a teacher may tweak the test created by the curriculum here or there to align with their state or district’s learning targets, using the curriculum test provides a large degree of validity and reliability, and teachers can easily use the same test (with the same tweaks) in every class for as long as they use that curriculum.
• Rubrics : It is essential that teachers create strong, detailed rubrics when they choose to use writing assignments or final projects. Although it may take the teacher a few rounds with their Professional Learning Communities (PLCs) and iterations in classrooms, eventually teachers should land on a rubric that they can use year over year for reliable data.
• Multiple Choice Tests : These are perhaps the easiest summative assessments to use in terms of gathering and comparing data. However, it can be easy to create multiple-choice questions that don’t align well with the learning objectives, which compromises the validity of the test. Teachers do well to bring their multiple-choice tests to PLCs to get peer feedback on their summative assessments before bringing them to their class.

Again, it’s important to note that regardless of what type of assessments teachers choose to use, these assessments should be used to gauge student learning and make critical decisions about how to enhance the learning process so students receive the best learning opportunities possible.

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Home » Blog » Formative and Summative Assessments: Examples and Differences

Formative and Summative Assessments: Examples and Differences

One of the primary benefits of using formative and summative assessments is that you aren’t forced to choose between them. They work exceptionally well when used in combination.

In this article, we’ll be breaking down precisely what formative and summative assessments are, the key differences between them, the benefits of their use, and providing a range of examples to help illustrate how they can be implemented in the classroom.

If you’re looking for an effective way to assess student learning and measure progress, read on to find out how formative and summative assessments can help.

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Formative assessments: definition and purpose.

Before we get into examples of their use, it’s essential that we first define precisely what both formative and summative assessments are and how they differ.

Formative assessments are employed regularly throughout a set learning period, be that a chapter, unit, or term, and help track progress and identify areas where students may struggle or need more support.

They also give the teacher and course designer the data they need to improve the learning experience and make any necessary changes that may be required throughout a system.

Rather than strict exams, formative assessments are usually relatively low-stakes, meaning they do not always need to be graded or even marked. This helps to create a non-threatening atmosphere and encourages students to take risks in their learning without fear of failure.

Formative assessment tasks usually rely on feedback from both students and the teacher, with learners receiving feedback on performance as soon as possible.

Uses of Formative Assessments

As mentioned, one of the primary uses of a formative assessment is to gauge student understanding and identify knowledge gaps that may need extra work.

Formative assessments can also be used to help inform curricular decisions, provide valuable data on the effectiveness of a course or lesson, and allow students to monitor their progress over time.

In addition, formative assessments are valuable in helping teachers gain real-time insight into a group’s collective understanding, allowing them to rapidly adapt their training or lessons accordingly.

Benefits of Using Formative Assessments

There are a range of benefits to employing formative assessments as part of your teaching strategy, including the following:

• Improved student or employee engagement and motivation – By allowing students to track their learning journey, you can help them take ownership of their learning experience. This can be highly motivating for students, as it encourages a sense of progress and accomplishment.
• Better assessment of real-world understanding – By using formative assessments that involve practical skills or application, you can better understand how well your students understand the real-world implications of the content they are studying.
• Enables rapid identification of areas of difficulty for learners – Through formative assessments, you can quickly identify areas that students may be struggling with. This helps to ensure that these areas are addressed rapidly and effectively.
• Allows teachers to tailor their lessons to the needs of the group – Teachers and course designers can use the data from formative assessments to tailor their studies according to the group’s needs and ensure that they meet all learning objectives.

Examples of Formative Assessments

To clarify how formative assessments can be used, below are a few examples of tasks that could be used both in the classroom and in a digital learning environment.

Classroom-Based Examples

The following examples can be valuable to employ in a classroom setting:

1. Quizzes and polls

Simple and easy to execute, quizzes and polls are a low-effort way of gauging student understanding at regular intervals throughout a lesson.

2. Peer feedback and self-assessment

Peer-based feedback sessions and self-assessment questionnaires can help identify areas where students may need extra support or guidance while giving vital insight into how students perceive their progress.

3. Class discussions and debates

Encouraging students to discuss their different perspectives on a given topic or concept allows teachers to better understand how well they comprehend the material. It also gives students the opportunity to have their ideas heard and helps create a sense of solidarity within the classroom.

Online and Digital Examples

With the rise in the use of digital learning tools and technologies , there is also a range of online-based practices that can be used as formative assessments, including:

1. Interactive quizzes and games

The gamification of quizzes or other learning activities can provide an engaging way to assess student understanding and offer real-time feedback.

2. Virtual simulations and case studies

Where more vocational skills are being taught, virtual simulations and case studies can test students’ problem-solving capabilities in a low-stakes environment.

3. Online discussion forums and feedback platforms

One of the benefits of using an online learning platform is the wide range of features available to assess student understanding. Discussion forums, peer feedback platforms, and automated feedback systems can all be used as formative assessment tools.

Summative Assessments: Definition and Purpose

Compared to formative assessments, summative assessments are conducted at the end of a defined learning period and often represent the final grade for the course.

To provide a comprehensive assessment grade, summative assessments evaluate a student’s overall understanding and performance of the skill or concept studied.

They can also be used to track educational progress over time, such as in standardised testing, as well as help to inform curricular decisions and the effectiveness of teaching methods.

Uses of Summative Assessments

Summative assessments test student mastery of content, assess their overall understanding of a subject or topic area and generally give them a final mark.

For teachers and course designers, a summative assessment allows them to measure the effectiveness of their teaching and make any necessary changes or improvements.

Summative assessments can also be used to compare student performance across different classes, courses, and programs.

Benefits of Summative Assessments

As with formative assessments, there is a range of benefits associated with the use of summative assessments, including:

• Provides an overall assessment score – Summative assessments can provide a more accurate assessment of student understanding and performance, offering an overall grade or score.
• Helps track educational progress over time – Educators can track student progress to identify improvement areas through standardised testing or other summative assessments.
• Helps inform curricular decisions – Summative assessments can assess the effectiveness of a particular course or program and help inform future curricular choices.
• Offers an efficient way to measure learning outcomes – By providing an overall assessment grade, summative assessments offer a convenient way to measure the success of a teaching strategy in one go.

Examples of Summative Assessments

To clarify how summative assessments can be implemented, here are a few examples of traditional assessment methods, such as essays and exams, and performance-based assessments, such as presentations and projects.

Traditional Assessment Methods

Below are some examples of traditional assessment methods:

1. Examinations and final tests

Examinations are widely used to assess student knowledge and understanding at the end of a course or program. They are easy to implement and provide a quick and efficient way to evaluate student performance.

2. Term papers and essays

Essays and term papers are another traditional assessment method used alongside examinations. Essays test students’ ability to analyse a given topic or concept in detail, providing insight into their understanding of the subject matter.

3. Projects and presentations

Where skill-based or vocational courses are being taught, projects and presentations can test a student’s performance in class. These assessments allow students to demonstrate their understanding of the subject matter and show their ability to apply and transfer the knowledge in a practical context.

Performance-Based Assessments

Performance-based assessments are best employed when assessing practical skills or processes. Examples of performance-based summative assessments include:

1. Practical exams and demonstrations

Practical tests and demonstrations are often used to assess students’ physical abilities, such as in sports or vocational courses. These assessments test a student’s understanding of a particular skill or concept by having them demonstrate it in a real-world setting.

2. Portfolios and showcases

Where creative or design-based courses are being taught, portfolios and showcases allow students to demonstrate their understanding of the concepts in a practical way. These assessments require students to use their creative skills to produce a tangible output, such as an artwork or multimedia presentation.

3. Capstone projects and dissertations

Dissertations and capstone projects are often used to assess students’ understanding of complex topics or skills. These assessments require students to demonstrate their knowledge of the subject matter by producing an in-depth research or project that meets specific criteria.

Critical Differences Between Formative and Summative Assessments

Now that you have a fuller understanding of what both formative and summative assessments represent and how they can be employed, here’s a summary outlining the key differences between the two:

Timing and Frequency

One of the most essential distinctions between the two types of assessment is when they are conducted. Formative assessments occur throughout the course and act as checkpoints to monitor student progress.

In contrast, summative assessments are shown at the end of a defined learning period and only count towards an overall grade or score.

Purpose and Focus

Formative assessments are designed to provide feedback on understanding and inform instruction in real-time. In contrast, summative assessments evaluate student performance of a skill or concept and can help inform curriculum decisions.

Feedback and Evaluation Process

The feedback and evaluation process for formative and summative assessments differs significantly. Formative assessments are designed to offer real-time feedback on performance.

In contrast, summative assessments provide an overall assessment score or grade that reflects the student’s understanding of the subject matter at the end of a course or program.

Which is the Right Assessment Approach to Utilise?

Choosing the correct assessment approach for your students ultimately depends on the goals you are trying to achieve, the type of course or program being taught and the knowledge and skills that need to be assessed.

To help you decide, consider the following:

Considerations for Selecting Formative Assessments

Some of the critical considerations for making use of formative assessments include:

• Regular feedback – Formative assessments should be implemented regularly to ensure students receive regular feedback on their understanding and performance.
• Low-stakes testing – As formative tests don’t count towards an overall grade, they should be designed as low-stakes tests to help encourage participation.
• Inform instruction – Formative assessment results can inform instruction in real-time, allowing educators to tailor their teaching approach to student needs.

Considerations for Selecting Summative Assessments

When making use of summative assessments, it’s essential to consider the following points:

• Assessment goals – Before designing a summative assessment, clearly define the purposes of the evaluation and how it will be used to evaluate student performance.
• Assessment criteria – When creating a summative assessment, ensure that you set clear and concise evaluation criteria that allow students to demonstrate their understanding fully.
• Inter-rater reliability – To ensure fairness and accuracy, consider having multiple assessors score each student’s work when creating a summative assessment.

Using Both Formative and Summative Assessments in Learning and Development

As mentioned, one of the primary benefits of using formative and summative assessments in learning and development is that they can provide a more comprehensive evaluation of student performance.

By implementing both assessment forms, educators can better understand their student’s progress and tailor their instruction for maximum impact.

Formative assessments can measure progress and inform instruction in real-time, while summative assessments provide an overall score or grade that indicates learning success.

Final Thoughts

While formative and summative assessments have apparent differences, such as in their purpose, timing and feedback mechanisms, there are significant benefits to using both assessment types in learning and development.

Educators can better assess student performance and tailor instruction by implementing formative and summative assessments. Additionally, the use of both reviews provides a comprehensive view of understanding that can be used to inform curriculum decisions.

If you are looking for more guidance and resources on creating and implementing formative and summative assessments, check out the other articles on the Skillshub blog .

As an eLearning company , we are committed to creating efficient and impactful learning experiences. Our team are experts in developing eLearning content , so skillshub can help create customised learning materials tailored to your organisation’s needs. To learn more about our services, get in touch with us today.

Sean McPheat

Sean is the CEO of Skillshub. He’s a published author and has been featured on CNN, BBC and ITV as a leading authority in the learning and development industry. Sean is responsible for the vision and strategy at Skillshub, helping to ensure innovation within the company.

Updated on: 20 September, 2023

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Formative and summative assessments.

Assessment allows both instructor and student to monitor progress towards achieving learning objectives, and can be approached in a variety of ways. Formative assessment refers to tools that identify misconceptions, struggles, and learning gaps along the way and assess how to close those gaps. It includes effective tools for helping to shape learning, and can even bolster students’ abilities to take ownership of their learning when they understand that the goal is to improve learning, not apply final marks (Trumbull and Lash, 2013). It can include students assessing themselves, peers, or even the instructor, through writing, quizzes, conversation, and more. In short, formative assessment occurs throughout a class or course, and seeks to improve student achievement of learning objectives through approaches that can support specific student needs (Theal and Franklin, 2010, p. 151). 

In contrast, summative assessments evaluate student learning, knowledge, proficiency, or success at the conclusion of an instructional period, like a unit, course, or program. Summative assessments are almost always formally graded and often heavily weighted (though they do not need to be). Summative assessment can be used to great effect in conjunction and alignment with formative assessment, and instructors can consider a variety of ways to combine these approaches. 

Examples of Formative and Summative Assessments

Both forms of assessment can vary across several dimensions (Trumbull and Lash, 2013): 

• Informal / formal
• Immediate / delayed feedback
• Embedded in lesson plan / stand-alone
• Spontaneous / planned
• Individual / group
• Verbal / nonverbal
• Oral / written
• Graded / ungraded
• Open-ended response / closed/constrained response
• Teacher initiated/controlled / student initiated/controlled
• Teacher and student(s) / peers
• Process-oriented / product-oriented
• Brief / extended
• Scaffolded (teacher supported) / independently performed 

Recommendations

Formative Assessment   Ideally, formative assessment strategies improve teaching and learning simultaneously. Instructors can help students grow as learners by actively encouraging them to self-assess their own skills and knowledge retention, and by giving clear instructions and feedback. Seven principles (adapted from Nicol and Macfarlane-Dick, 2007 with additions) can guide instructor strategies:

• Keep clear criteria for what defines good performance - Instructors can explain criteria for A-F graded papers, and encourage student discussion and reflection about these criteria (this can be accomplished though office hours, rubrics, post-grade peer review, or exam / assignment wrappers ). Instructors may also hold class-wide conversations on performance criteria at strategic moments throughout a term.
• Encourage students’ self-reflection - Instructors can ask students to utilize course criteria to evaluate their own or a peer’s work, and to share what kinds of feedback they find most valuable. In addition, instructors can ask students to describe the qualities of their best work, either through writing or group discussion.
• Give students detailed, actionable feedback - Instructors can consistently provide specific feedback tied to predefined criteria, with opportunities to revise or apply feedback before final submission. Feedback may be corrective and forward-looking, rather than just evaluative. Examples include comments on multiple paper drafts, criterion discussions during 1-on-1 conferences, and regular online quizzes.
• Encourage teacher and peer dialogue around learning - Instructors can invite students to discuss the formative learning process together. This practice primarily revolves around mid-semester feedback and small group feedback sessions , where students reflect on the course and instructors respond to student concerns. Students can also identify examples of feedback comments they found useful and explain how they helped. A particularly useful strategy, instructors can invite students to discuss learning goals and assignment criteria, and weave student hopes into the syllabus.
• Promote positive motivational beliefs and self-esteem - Students will be more motivated and engaged when they are assured that an instructor cares for their development. Instructors can allow for rewrites/resubmissions to signal that an assignment is designed to promote development of learning. These rewrites might utilize low-stakes assessments, or even automated online testing that is anonymous, and (if appropriate) allows for unlimited resubmissions.
• Provide opportunities to close the gap between current and desired performance - Related to the above, instructors can improve student motivation and engagement by making visible any opportunities to close gaps between current and desired performance. Examples include opportunities for resubmission, specific action points for writing or task-based assignments, and sharing study or process strategies that an instructor would use in order to succeed.  
• Collect information which can be used to help shape teaching - Instructors can feel free to collect useful information from students in order to provide targeted feedback and instruction. Students can identify where they are having difficulties, either on an assignment or test, or in written submissions. This approach also promotes metacognition , as students are asked to think about their own learning. Poorvu Center staff can also perform a classroom observation or conduct a small group feedback session that can provide instructors with potential student struggles. 

Instructors can find a variety of other formative assessment techniques through Angelo and Cross (1993), Classroom Assessment Techniques (list of techniques available here ).

Summative Assessment   Because summative assessments are usually higher-stakes than formative assessments, it is especially important to ensure that the assessment aligns with the goals and expected outcomes of the instruction.  

• Use a Rubric or Table of Specifications - Instructors can use a rubric to lay out expected performance criteria for a range of grades. Rubrics will describe what an ideal assignment looks like, and “summarize” expected performance at the beginning of term, providing students with a trajectory and sense of completion. 
• Design Clear, Effective Questions - If designing essay questions, instructors can ensure that questions meet criteria while allowing students freedom to express their knowledge creatively and in ways that honor how they digested, constructed, or mastered meaning. Instructors can read about ways to design effective multiple choice questions .
• Assess Comprehensiveness - Effective summative assessments provide an opportunity for students to consider the totality of a course’s content, making broad connections, demonstrating synthesized skills, and exploring deeper concepts that drive or found a course’s ideas and content. 
• Make Parameters Clear - When approaching a final assessment, instructors can ensure that parameters are well defined (length of assessment, depth of response, time and date, grading standards); knowledge assessed relates clearly to content covered in course; and students with disabilities are provided required space and support.
• Consider Blind Grading - Instructors may wish to know whose work they grade, in order to provide feedback that speaks to a student’s term-long trajectory. If instructors wish to provide truly unbiased summative assessment, they can also consider a variety of blind grading techniques .

Considerations for Online Assessments

Effectively implementing assessments in an online teaching environment can be particularly challenging. The Poorvu Center shares these  recommendations .

Nicol, D.J. and Macfarlane-Dick, D. (2006) Formative assessment and self‐regulated learning: a model and seven principles of good feedback practice. Studies in Higher Education 31(2): 2-19.

Theall, M. and Franklin J.L. (2010). Assessing Teaching Practices and Effectiveness for Formative Purposes. In: A Guide to Faculty Development. KJ Gillespie and DL Robertson (Eds). Jossey Bass: San Francisco, CA.

Trumbull, E., & Lash, A. (2013). Understanding formative assessment: Insights from learning theory and measurement theory. San Francisco: WestEd.

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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.

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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.

RSOM Faculty Development Guide: Start a Teaching Renaissance

• Backward Design
• Formative and Summative Assessment
• Assessment Rigor
• Assessment Validity and Reliability
• Measuring Success on Assessments
• Backward Design Stage 1: Desired Results (A.K.A. Learning Outcomes)
• Backward Design Stage 2: Evidence
• Backward Design Stage 3: Learning Experiences and Instruction
• Responsibilities of the Facilitator
• Responsibilities of the Student
• Effective Use of Questions
• Aligning Classroom Assessment Techniques (CATs) with Student Learning Objectives (SLOs)
• Active Learning Strategies in the Classroom
• IPE Pedagogy
• Using VLOOKUP in Excel to Transfer Grades to CBase
• CBase Audience Response System

Definitions

Two of the most frequently used modalities of assessment are formative assessment and summative assessment.  

Formative and Summative Assessment When, Why, How

The table below compares the why, when, and how of formative and summative assessment.

Examples of Formative and Summative Assessments

The table below give some examples of formative and summative assessments.

Resources on Summative and Formative Assessment

Below is a book that the Stony Brook University Libraries carries about formative assessment.

Below are links to websites on formative and summative assessment.

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