Formative assessment versus summative assessment: which statement accurately describes their roles?

• A. Formative assesses ongoing learning during instruction; summative evaluates outcomes at the end
• B. Formative and summative are interchangeable
• C. Summative assesses ongoing learning; formative evaluates outcomes
• D. Formative is only for certification

Answer: (A)

Formative assessment tracks learning as instruction happens, giving timely feedback that helps students improve and lets teachers adjust teaching to address misunderstandings. Summative assessment measures what students have learned after instruction, at the end of a unit or course, to determine overall outcomes or mastery. The statement is best because it correctly assigns ongoing, instructional feedback to formative and end-of-learning evaluation to summative. Interchangeability ignores the distinct timing and purpose of each type. Saying formative is only for certification misstates its goal, which is to support learning, not merely certify it.