Formative vs Summative Assessment: Complete Guide for Australian Teachers
What each type of assessment is for, how to tell them apart, and practical examples for the classroom.
Quick Answer: Formative assessment happens during learning and is used to adjust teaching in real time — assessment FOR learning. Summative assessment happens at the end of a unit or term and measures what students have learned — assessment OF learning. Formative assessment is usually low-stakes and ungraded; summative assessment usually contributes to a mark or report grade.
In This Guide:
What Each Type Actually Means
Formative assessment is assessment FOR learning. It happens during the learning process and its purpose is to give both teacher and student information they can act on immediately — what to reteach, what to move on from, and where a student needs support right now.
Summative assessment is assessment OF learning. It happens after learning has taken place, usually at the end of a unit, term, or year, and its purpose is to measure and report on what a student has achieved against curriculum outcomes.
The distinction is about purpose and timing, not the format of the task — a quiz, a piece of writing, or a project can serve either purpose depending on when and why it's used.
Side-by-Side Comparison
| Formative Assessment | Summative Assessment | |
|---|---|---|
| Purpose | Inform teaching and learning in progress | Measure and report achievement |
| Timing | During a lesson or unit | End of a unit, term, or year |
| Stakes | Usually low-stakes, often ungraded | Usually graded and reported |
| Who acts on it first | The teacher, immediately (next lesson) | The school, at reporting time |
| Example | Exit ticket at the end of a lesson | End-of-unit test |
Formative Assessment Examples
- Questioning and discussion — targeted questions during a lesson to check understanding in real time
- Exit tickets — a quick task or question students answer before leaving the lesson
- Mini whiteboards — every student shows an answer at once, making gaps visible immediately
- Thumbs up/down or traffic lights — a fast, low-pressure confidence check
- Peer and self-assessment — students check their own or a partner's work against success criteria
- Observation and anecdotal notes — watching students work and recording what you notice
Summative Assessment Examples
- End-of-unit tests and quizzes — formal checks of what was covered in a unit
- Projects and portfolios — a body of work assembled over time and assessed as a whole
- Presentations — students demonstrate learning orally or visually
- Written assignments — extended writing tasks assessed against a rubric
- Standardised tests — external or system-wide assessments
Can the Same Task Be Both?
Yes — the same task type can serve either purpose depending on how it's used. A quiz given mid-unit to check understanding and inform the next lesson is formative. The same quiz given at the end of the unit and recorded as a grade is summative.
This is why the format of a task (quiz, essay, project) doesn't tell you whether it's formative or summative — only its purpose and timing do.
Choosing the Right Type for Your Lesson
| If you need to... | Use... |
|---|---|
| Decide whether to reteach a concept tomorrow | Formative — exit ticket or quick check |
| Group students for differentiated instruction | Formative — observation or mini whiteboard check |
| Report student achievement to parents | Summative — test, project, or assignment |
| Confirm a student has met a curriculum outcome | Summative — task aligned to the achievement standard |
Pro tip: MyCurriculumMate's quiz generator and worksheet tools can produce both low-stakes formative checks and formal summative assessments from the same curriculum outcomes.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the difference between formative and summative assessment?
Formative assessment happens during learning and informs teaching in real time. Summative assessment happens at the end of a unit or term and measures what students have learned, usually for a grade or report.
What are examples of formative assessment?
Questioning and discussion, exit tickets, mini whiteboards, thumbs up/down checks, peer and self-assessment, and observation with anecdotal notes.
What are examples of summative assessment?
End-of-unit tests, projects and portfolios, formal presentations, written assignments, and standardised tests — typically graded and reported against achievement standards.
Can the same task be both formative and summative?
Yes. The same task type can serve either purpose depending on when and why it's used — what matters is the purpose and timing, not the format.
How often should teachers use formative assessment?
Ideally within every lesson, not just at set checkpoints — formative assessment loses much of its value if it only happens periodically.
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