Formative Assessment: A How-to Guide for Teachers

Formative assessment is checking how learners are doing while the lesson is still going on, so you can guide their learning before the unit ends. This guide explains what formative assessment is and how it differs from summative assessment. It also covers its benefits for learners and teachers, common types you can use in class, best practices, and ways to handle common challenges.

On this page 8 sections

Formative vs. summative assessment

Both kinds of assessment matter, but they do different jobs.

	Formative assessment	Summative assessment
When it happens	Throughout the learning process	At the end of a unit or course
Main purpose	Find learners’ strengths and weaknesses and give feedback that guides learning	Evaluate learners’ performance
What happens next	Learners and teachers adjust while learning continues	The result is a final evaluation

The same tool can serve either purpose. A quiz is formative when you use it to give feedback and guide learning. It is summative when it is a final evaluation.

Benefits of formative assessment

For learners

• Ongoing feedback. Learners hear how they are doing while there is still time to improve.
• Clearer view of strengths and weaknesses. With feedback, learners can see what they understand and what they still need to work on.
• Better learning strategies. Knowing where they stand helps learners change how they study.

For teachers

• Insight into learning. You see what learners understand and where they struggle.
• Better teaching decisions. You can adjust your teaching strategies based on that insight to improve learning outcomes.

Types of formative assessment

Here are four common types you can use in the classroom.

1. Exit tickets. Short assessments given at the end of a lesson or class period. They show how well learners understood the lesson and which learners may need more support.
2. Quizzes and tests. These count as formative when you use them to give feedback and guide learning, not as a final grade on performance.
3. Peer review. Learners give feedback on each other’s work. This deepens their understanding of the material and builds critical thinking and communication skills.
4. Observations. You watch learners as they work to check their understanding and spot who needs help. This works especially well for younger learners, who may find it hard to express themselves in writing.

Best practices

To get the most out of formative assessment, follow these practices.

1. Align assessments with learning objectives. Each check should measure what learners are supposed to learn in that lesson or unit.
2. Give timely, actionable feedback. Give feedback soon, and make it specific. Tell learners exactly how they can improve their understanding.
3. Use more than one form of assessment. Combining quizzes, tests, observations, and peer review gives a fuller picture of learning.
4. Involve learners in the process. Ask learners to assess their own understanding or give feedback on classmates’ work. Taking part raises their engagement and motivation.

Common challenges and how to address them

Teachers may run into some difficulties when they start using formative assessment:

• Not enough time
• Not enough resources
• Resistance to change
• Difficulty fitting formative assessment into existing teaching practice

Two steps can help:

• Work with colleagues. Build a shared understanding of what formative assessment is for and why it helps.
• Streamline your assessment practices. Look for ways to make your checks simpler, so they take less time and still give useful information.

Looking ahead

Technology

There is growing interest in using technology for formative assessment. Online quizzes, adaptive learning software, and data analytics platforms can give teachers real-time feedback on learner progress. That feedback supports data-driven decisions about instruction.

Research on how learners learn

Research in cognitive psychology points to newer approaches such as metacognitive scaffolding and self-regulated learning strategies. These approaches teach learners to monitor their own learning and adjust their strategies as needed, which helps them understand the material more deeply.

Key takeaways

• Formative assessment happens during learning and gives feedback that guides it.
• It helps learners see their strengths and weaknesses and helps teachers adjust their teaching.
• Exit tickets, quizzes used for feedback, peer review, and observation are common types.
• Align checks with objectives, give timely and specific feedback, use several forms, and involve learners.
• Working with colleagues and simplifying your methods can help you overcome time and resource limits.

Frequently asked questions