Formative Assessment vs. Summative Assessment: Key Differences

Teachers use different types of assessments to understand what students know and how well they are learning. Some activities help teachers check understanding during a lesson, while others measure what students have learned after completing a unit or course. Two common approaches are formative and summative assessment.

Understanding formative vs. summative assessment helps teachers choose the right way to check student progress. Formative assessment provides information that can guide instruction while learning is happening. Summative assessment measures student achievement after a period of learning, such as at the end of a unit, semester, or school year.

Both types have a place in the classroom. Teachers use formative assessments to identify learning gaps and adjust lessons. They use summative assessments to evaluate achievement, report progress, and determine whether students have met learning goals.

This guide explains the differences between formative and summative assessment, gives classroom examples for different grade levels and subjects, and shows how teachers can use both approaches together.

What Is Formative Assessment?

Formative assessment is an ongoing process teachers use to check student understanding during instruction. It provides information about what students know, where they are having difficulty, and what they need to learn next.

The main purpose is to improve learning while there is still time to respond. Teachers review student answers, observe classroom activities, ask questions, and provide feedback. They then use the evidence to adjust instruction or help students improve their work.

For example, a teacher teaching fractions might ask students to draw a model of one-half and explain why the two parts must be equal. If several students divide the shape into unequal sections, the teacher knows that the concept needs another explanation.

Formative assessment can happen at different points in a lesson. It does not have to be a formal quiz or written test. A classroom discussion, quick poll, student explanation, or observation can provide useful evidence.

The Oregon Department of Education describes formative assessment as an ongoing process in which teachers and students use evidence of learning to improve understanding and support progress toward learning goals.

Examples of Formative Assessment

• Exit tickets completed at the end of a lesson.
• Short quizzes used to check understanding before moving forward.
• Questions asked during classroom instruction.
• Mini whiteboard responses from all students.
• Teacher observations during group or independent work.
• Student self-assessments and reflection activities.
• Drafts of essays or projects submitted for feedback.
• Practice problems that help teachers identify misconceptions.
• Think-Pair-Share discussions.
• One-to-one conversations about student work.

For more classroom ideas, see these 20 formative assessment activities for elementary school teachers.

What Is Summative Assessment?

Summative assessment measures what students have learned after a defined period of instruction. Teachers usually give it at the end of a unit, course, semester, or school year.

Its purpose is to evaluate student achievement against learning objectives, standards, or other expectations. Results may be used for grades, progress reports, placement decisions, or school and district reporting.

For example, after teaching a unit on fractions, a teacher might give students a unit test that includes equivalent fractions, comparisons, and word problems. The results help show how well students have met the unit's learning goals.

Summative assessments can take several forms. They include traditional exams, final projects, research papers, presentations, performances, and end-of-unit assignments.

The Iowa Department of Education describes summative assessment as assessment of learning. It is used at a point in time to measure student learning and may support grading, reporting, placement, and instructional program decisions.

Examples of Summative Assessment

• End-of-unit tests.
• Midterm and final exams.
• End-of-semester projects.
• Research papers and essays submitted for final evaluation.
• Science projects or completed lab reports.
• Oral presentations evaluated against a rubric.
• End-of-course examinations.
• Standardized achievement tests.
• Final performances in music, drama, or physical education.
• Portfolios submitted to demonstrate achievement at the end of a course or program.

Formative vs. Summative Assessment: Key Differences

The biggest difference between formative and summative assessment is how teachers use the information they collect. Formative assessment helps guide ongoing learning, while summative assessment evaluates what students have learned after a period of instruction.

Feature	Formative Assessment	Summative Assessment
Main purpose	Improve learning during instruction	Evaluate learning after instruction
Common timing	During a lesson or unit	At the end of a lesson sequence, unit, course, or year
Focus	Identify progress, misunderstandings, and learning needs	Measure achievement against learning goals or standards
Feedback	Usually frequent and specific, with opportunities to improve	Often summarizes achievement or assigns a final result
Grading	Often low-stakes or ungraded	Often graded or used for reporting
Teacher's next step	Adjust instruction, provide support, or extend learning	Record achievement and use results for reporting or future planning
Student's role	Practice, reflect, respond to feedback, and improve	Demonstrate what has been learned
Common examples	Exit tickets, quick checks, discussions, practice tasks	Final exams, unit tests, final projects, standardized tests

These are common differences, not strict rules. A quiz can be formative when a teacher uses the results to adjust instruction. A project can be formative when students submit drafts for feedback, or summative when the completed project is evaluated at the end of a unit.

1. Difference in Purpose

Formative and summative assessments answer different questions.

Formative assessment asks: What do students understand right now, and what should happen next?

Summative assessment asks: What have students learned, and how well have they met the expected goals?

Suppose students are learning how to write persuasive paragraphs. During the unit, the teacher reviews their opening sentences and supporting arguments. The teacher gives feedback and asks students to revise their drafts. This is formative assessment because the information is being used to improve their writing.

At the end of the unit, students submit a completed persuasive essay. The teacher evaluates it against a rubric and records the result. This is summative assessment because it measures the achievement students demonstrate after instruction.

2. Difference in Timing

Formative assessment usually takes place while students are learning. Teachers may use it at the beginning, middle, or end of a lesson, depending on what they need to find out.

Summative assessment usually takes place after a planned period of learning. It might come after a chapter, unit, semester, or course.

For example, a teacher might give students three short checks while teaching a science unit. These checks help identify misunderstandings before the final assessment. At the end of the unit, students complete a test or project that measures their overall understanding.

Timing is a useful guide, but it does not determine the assessment type by itself. The purpose and use of the results matter too.

3. Difference in Feedback

Feedback is central to formative assessment. Teachers use it to explain what students are doing well, identify errors, and suggest a next step.

For example, instead of writing "Try again" on a math problem, a teacher might say, "Your first step is correct. Review how you regrouped the tens before adding the ones."

Summative assessment feedback usually communicates the final level of achievement. It may include a grade, score, rubric, or written comments. Students and families can use the result to understand performance, while teachers can use it to plan future instruction.

Summative feedback can still be useful for learning. A final exam may reveal a topic that needs review in the next unit. The difference is that the assessment's main purpose is to evaluate completed learning rather than guide the current lesson.

4. Difference in Grading

Formative assessments are often ungraded or carry little weight in a final grade. This gives students room to practice, make mistakes, and use feedback before their learning is evaluated.

Summative assessments are more commonly graded. Teachers may use percentages, letter grades, performance levels, or rubric scores to report achievement.

However, grading alone does not define the assessment type. A teacher might record a short quiz score but use the answers to decide what to reteach. In that situation, the quiz is serving a formative purpose.

Similarly, an ungraded final project can still be summative if its purpose is to evaluate what students have learned at the end of a unit.

5. Difference in How Results Are Used

Formative assessment results help teachers make immediate instructional decisions. They may change the pace of a lesson, explain a concept again, organize students into flexible groups, or provide individual feedback.

Summative assessment results help teachers evaluate achievement and communicate progress. Schools may use them for report cards, course grades, placement, program evaluation, and other reporting needs.

Both types can inform future planning. A teacher might use a final exam to identify topics that need more attention in the next course. That later planning use does not change the exam's original summative purpose.

Formative and Summative Assessment Examples in the Classroom

The following examples show how the two approaches can work together during an ordinary unit of instruction.

Example 1: Mathematics

Imagine a fourth-grade class learning how to multiply two-digit numbers.

Formative assessment: During instruction, the teacher asks students to solve a multiplication problem on mini whiteboards. The teacher reviews their work and notices that several students are placing partial products incorrectly.

The teacher pauses the lesson and demonstrates the process again using a place-value model. Students then solve another problem to check their understanding.

Summative assessment: At the end of the unit, students complete a test with multiplication problems and word problems. The teacher evaluates their work to determine whether they have met the unit's learning objectives.

Example 2: English Language Arts

A fifth-grade class is learning how to identify the main idea and supporting details in informational texts.

Formative assessment: Students read a short passage and write one sentence stating its main idea. The teacher reviews the responses and finds that some students are choosing a minor detail instead of the central idea.

The teacher models how to separate the main idea from supporting information. Students practice with another paragraph and receive feedback.

Summative assessment: At the end of the unit, students read an unfamiliar passage, identify its main idea, and support their answers with relevant details. The teacher scores the responses using a rubric.

Example 3: Science

Students are learning about the water cycle.

Formative assessment: The teacher asks students to draw what they think happens when water evaporates. By reviewing the diagrams, the teacher identifies confusion between evaporation and condensation.

The teacher uses a short demonstration and a labeled diagram to explain the two processes.

Summative assessment: At the end of the unit, students label a water cycle diagram and write an explanation of how water moves through the cycle.

Example 4: Social Studies

A middle school class is studying the causes and effects of a historical event.

Formative assessment: Students discuss a short primary source and identify what it suggests about the period. The teacher listens to their explanations and asks follow-up questions to check whether they can connect evidence with historical context.

Summative assessment: Students complete a written response explaining the event's major causes and effects, using evidence from the unit's materials.

Formative vs. Summative Assessment by Grade Level

Both types of assessment can be used from elementary through high school. The format should match students' ages, subjects, and learning goals.

Elementary School

Elementary teachers often use short, accessible activities to check understanding. Younger students may show what they know through drawings, oral answers, physical materials, or simple written responses.

Formative assessment examples:

• Asking students to show an answer on a mini whiteboard.
• Using picture cards to check vocabulary knowledge.
• Observing students while they solve math problems with counters.
• Asking students to explain a reading passage in their own words.
• Using exit tickets to check one learning objective.

Summative assessment examples:

• An end-of-unit math test.
• A completed book report scored with a rubric.
• A science project submitted after a unit.
• An end-of-term reading comprehension assessment.
• A final presentation about a social studies topic.

Elementary teachers can find more ideas in these formative assessment activities for elementary school.

Middle School

Middle school students can explain their reasoning in more detail and apply skills to different situations. Teachers can use short written responses, discussions, practice tasks, and project drafts to monitor progress.

Formative assessment examples:

• Short reading responses that require evidence from a text.
• Quick quizzes on recently taught science concepts.
• Peer review of essay drafts.
• Practice problems with written mathematical reasoning.
• Short classroom polls during a lesson.

Summative assessment examples:

• End-of-unit exams.
• Research projects and presentations.
• Completed essays evaluated with a rubric.
• Final science investigations or lab reports.
• End-of-semester assessments.

High School

High school students work with more complex ideas and are often expected to support their answers with evidence, explain processes, and complete longer assignments.

Formative assessment examples:

• Draft thesis statements reviewed before an essay is completed.
• Practice questions for an upcoming exam.
• Short written explanations of scientific concepts.
• Class discussions that check understanding of assigned readings.
• Feedback on early versions of lab reports or research projects.

Summative assessment examples:

• Final exams at the end of a course.
• Research papers submitted for final evaluation.
• Completed lab reports.
• Final presentations or performances.
• End-of-course assessments.

Can the Same Assessment Be Both Formative and Summative?

Yes. The same assessment method can serve either purpose, depending on how the teacher uses it.

For example, a quiz can be formative when students complete it during a unit and the teacher uses the answers to decide what needs to be reviewed. A quiz can be summative when it is given at the end of the unit to evaluate how well students have met the learning objectives.

A project can work in the same way. Students may submit an early draft to receive feedback and improve their work. That draft serves a formative purpose. The completed project may then be evaluated at the end of the unit as a summative assessment.

Portfolios can also serve either purpose. A portfolio that students update throughout a course and use to reflect on their progress can support formative learning. A portfolio evaluated at the end of a program to demonstrate achievement can serve a summative purpose.

The important question is not simply what format the teacher uses. It is what the assessment is intended to measure and how the results will be used.

How to Use Formative and Summative Assessments Together

Teachers do not have to choose one type of assessment over the other. A balanced assessment approach uses formative checks throughout instruction and summative assessments to evaluate achievement after a period of learning.

Here is a practical way to combine them.

Step 1: Set Clear Learning Goals

Decide what students should know or be able to do by the end of the lesson or unit. Write goals that can be checked through student work or performance.

For example, instead of using a broad goal such as "understand persuasive writing," identify specific skills:

• Write a clear claim or position.
• Support the claim with relevant reasons and evidence.
• Organize ideas into logical paragraphs.
• Use language appropriate for the intended audience.

Step 2: Use Formative Checks During Instruction

Choose short activities that show whether students are developing the required skills. These might include discussions, quick writes, practice questions, classroom polls, or draft submissions.

Review the evidence and provide feedback while students still have time to improve.

Step 3: Adjust Teaching When Needed

If students share the same misunderstanding, address it before moving forward. You may need another example, a visual explanation, guided practice, or a small-group lesson.

If only a few students need help, provide targeted support while other students continue with suitable work.

Step 4: Give Students Time to Apply Feedback

Formative assessment is most useful when students can act on the information. Let them revise a paragraph, correct a calculation, explain an answer again, or practice a skill they have not mastered.

Step 5: Use a Summative Assessment at the End

After instruction and practice, give students an opportunity to demonstrate what they have learned. The assessment should match the learning goals and give students a fair way to show their achievement.

Step 6: Review the Results for Future Planning

Use summative results to understand which learning goals students met and which areas may need attention in future lessons or units. Combine this information with classroom observations and other evidence when planning next steps.

For more guidance, read how to use formative assessment data to improve student learning.

How to Choose the Right Type of Assessment

Before choosing an assessment, think about what you need to learn from the results. The purpose should guide the format.

Choose Formative Assessment When You Need To:

• Check whether students understand a concept during a lesson.
• Identify misconceptions before moving to a new topic.
• Find out which students need additional practice.
• Give students feedback while they can still improve their work.
• Adjust lesson activities, pacing, or explanations.
• Monitor progress toward a learning objective.

Choose Summative Assessment When You Need To:

• Evaluate learning after completing a unit or course.
• Measure achievement against stated learning goals.
• Assign a final grade or performance level.
• Report student progress to families or school leaders.
• Determine whether students have met course expectations.
• Evaluate the overall quality of a completed project or performance.

Some classroom tasks can support both purposes. Be clear about the intended use before students begin so that they understand whether they are practicing, receiving feedback, or demonstrating final achievement.

Common Mistakes Teachers Should Avoid

1. Treating Every Quiz as a Summative Assessment

A quiz is a format, not a purpose. A short quiz can be formative when its results help the teacher adjust instruction. It becomes summative when it is used to evaluate achievement after a period of learning.

2. Waiting Until the End of a Unit to Check Understanding

If teachers only assess students after completing a unit, they may miss misunderstandings that developed earlier. Regular formative checks provide opportunities to address problems before they affect later learning.

3. Using Formative Assessment Without Giving Feedback

Collecting student answers is not enough. Teachers should use the information to guide instruction and provide students with feedback they can act on.

4. Using Summative Results as the Only Measure of Learning

A final test or project provides important evidence, but it does not show everything a student has learned. Consider classwork, progress over time, performance, and other relevant evidence when making broader judgments.

5. Making Every Formative Activity Count Toward a Major Grade

Frequent graded activities can make it harder for students to take risks and learn from mistakes. Keep practice and feedback opportunities low-stakes when possible, and make the purpose of graded assessments clear.

6. Using an Assessment That Does Not Match the Learning Goal

A test question should measure the skill it is intended to measure. For example, if the goal is to assess scientific reasoning, a task that only asks students to memorize vocabulary may not provide enough evidence.

7. Confusing Assessment Timing With Assessment Purpose

An activity does not automatically become formative because it happens during a lesson, or summative because it happens at the end. Consider what information the teacher needs and how the results will be used.

Frequently Asked Questions

What is the main difference between formative and summative assessment?

Formative assessment is used during learning to check understanding and guide instruction. Summative assessment is used after a period of learning to evaluate student achievement. Formative assessment helps teachers decide what to do next, while summative assessment provides an overall picture of what students have learned.

Is a quiz formative or summative?

A quiz can be either. If the teacher uses the answers to identify misunderstandings and adjust instruction, it serves a formative purpose. If the quiz evaluates what students have learned at the end of a unit and contributes to a final grade, it serves a summative purpose.

Are formative assessments graded?

Formative assessments are often ungraded or low-stakes because their purpose is to support learning and improvement. However, some teachers record formative results for progress monitoring. The assessment is considered formative when the evidence is used to guide ongoing teaching and learning.

What are five examples of formative assessment?

Five common examples are exit tickets, mini whiteboard responses, short quizzes, classroom discussions, and teacher observations. These activities help teachers check understanding while students are learning.

What are five examples of summative assessment?

Five common examples are end-of-unit tests, final exams, completed research papers, final projects, and end-of-course presentations. These activities evaluate student achievement after a period of instruction.

Can teachers use formative and summative assessments in the same lesson?

Yes. A teacher might use a short question or classroom poll during a lesson to check understanding, then use a completed task at the end of a unit to evaluate achievement. The two approaches can be part of the same learning sequence.

Which type of assessment is better for student learning?

Neither type replaces the other. Formative assessment helps teachers and students respond to learning needs while instruction is happening. Summative assessment measures achievement and helps communicate what students have learned. Using both gives teachers different kinds of information.

Is homework formative or summative assessment?

Homework can serve either purpose. Practice homework that a teacher reviews to identify misunderstandings can be formative. A final assignment evaluated to measure achievement can be summative. Its purpose and use determine the assessment type.

Is a final project formative or summative?

A completed final project is usually summative when it evaluates student achievement at the end of a unit or course. Earlier drafts, project check-ins, and feedback sessions can be formative because they help students improve the final work.

Conclusion

Formative and summative assessments help teachers understand student learning in different ways. Formative assessment provides information during instruction so teachers can identify learning gaps, give feedback, and adjust their lessons. Summative assessment evaluates student achievement after a defined period of learning.

Teachers get a clearer picture of student progress when they use both approaches. Regular formative checks help students improve before a final assessment, while summative assessments show how well they have met the learning goals.

Start with a clear learning objective, choose an assessment that matches it, and decide how you will use the results. When assessment has a clear purpose, it becomes easier to support student learning and make informed classroom decisions.

Additional Resources for Teachers

• Iowa Department of Education: Student Assessment — explains formative and summative assessment and how schools use assessment results.
• Oregon Department of Education: Formative Assessment — describes the ongoing formative assessment process and its role in improving student learning.
• Indiana University: Summative and Formative Assessment — compares the two assessment approaches and gives examples of how they can work together.
• OECD: Integrating Formative and Summative Assessment — discusses the purposes of both approaches and how they can be combined in education systems.