On MTLE pedagogy material, what is the difference between formative and summative assessment?

• A. Formative assessments are only used for grading.
• B. Summative assessments occur during instruction to guide day-to-day activities.
• C. Formative assessments are ongoing checks that inform instruction; summative assessments evaluate learning at the end of a unit or course.
• D. Formative and summative assessments are identical.

Answer: (C)

Formative assessment is an ongoing process used during instruction to check understanding and guide teaching. It’s about gathering quick information on what students know or struggle with and using that feedback to adjust pacing, reteach, or modify activities. Think of exit tickets, quick polls, think-pair-share, or teacher observations—these help shape the lesson in real time.

Summative assessment, by contrast, happens after instruction is complete and is used to evaluate what students have learned. It provides a final measure against standards, often for grading or reporting mastery, such as unit tests, final projects, or end-of-unit exams.

The key difference is timing and purpose: formative informs day-to-day instruction and supports learning as it happens, while summative assesses learning after instruction has concluded.