Quick answer
In formative and summative assessment, the formative part checks learning during teaching so the teacher and student can adjust, for example exit tickets, quick quizzes, questioning, and feedback on drafts. Summative assessment measures learning at the end of a unit, term, or course, for example end-of-term exams and board exams. Formative assessment is for learning; summative assessment is of learning.
- Formative: low stakes, frequent, feedback-focused.
- Summative: higher stakes, periodic, grade-focused.
- The same task can be either, depending on how results are used.
- Feedback is what makes formative assessment work.
What is the difference between formative and summative assessment?
| Aspect | Formative | Summative |
|---|---|---|
| Purpose | Improve learning | Measure learning |
| When | During teaching | At the end of a unit or term |
| Stakes | Low | Higher |
| Frequency | Often, even every lesson | Periodic |
| Output | Feedback and next steps | Marks or grades |
| Examples | Exit tickets, polls, drafts, questioning | Unit tests, term exams, board exams |
What are examples of formative assessment?
- Exit tickets: one or two questions at the end of a lesson.
- Mini whiteboards: all students show an answer at once.
- Hinge questions: one question that shows whether to move on.
- Think, pair, share and listening to discussions.
- Quick online quizzes with instant results.
- Feedback on drafts before final submission.
- Self and peer assessment against a rubric.
What are examples of summative assessment?
- End-of-unit tests.
- Term and annual examinations.
- Final projects and portfolios graded against criteria.
- Practical exams.
- Board examinations.
What makes formative feedback effective?
- Be specific. Say what was good and what to improve, linked to the objective.
- Be timely. Give feedback while students can still act on it.
- Focus on next steps. One or two actions, not a long list.
- Make students act. Give time to use the feedback, such as a redraft.
- Adjust teaching. Use class-wide patterns to reteach.
Research on assessment for learning, including the widely cited work of Paul Black and Dylan Wiliam, emphasises feedback and student involvement as the drivers of improvement.
How should schools balance the two?
Too many summative tests turn every lesson into exam practice and raise anxiety. Too little summative assessment leaves students and parents unsure of standards. A practical balance is frequent formative checks in every lesson, short unit assessments, and a small number of summative exams each year, with clear rules about which results count towards the report card. NEP 2020 encourages a shift towards regular, formative, competency-based assessment.
How should assessment results be recorded?
- Record summative marks in the gradebook under your assessment scheme.
- Record formative results lightly, often by learning outcome.
- Tag questions to outcomes so patterns are visible.
- Share feedback, not only scores, with students and parents.
In Hudace SchoolOS, quizzes and grade management in the LMS and result processing in Student Information keep both kinds of assessment on one record. See online exam software.
Frequently asked questions
What is formative assessment?
Assessment during teaching that checks understanding and guides next steps, usually low stakes.
What is summative assessment?
Assessment at the end of a unit, term, or course that measures what students learned.
Can a test be both formative and summative?
Yes. It depends on how results are used. A unit test used to plan reteaching is serving a formative purpose too.
What is assessment for learning?
Another name for formative assessment, emphasising its role in improving learning.
What is assessment of learning?
Another name for summative assessment.
What is assessment as learning?
Students assessing their own learning, such as self-assessment and reflection.
How often should formative assessment happen?
Ideally in most lessons, in short, quick forms.