Which statement correctly distinguishes formative from summative assessment?

Which statement correctly distinguishes formative from summative assessment?

• A. Formative assessment occurs during the process; summative occurs at the end
• B. Formative assessment is always graded; summative is always ungraded
• C. Formative assessment provides ongoing feedback to improve learning, while summative assessment evaluates learning at the end of a unit or program
• D. Formative assessment has no place in curriculum design; summative assessment is the only measure used

Answer: (C)

The distinction hinges on purpose and timing: formative assessment is used during learning to uncover understanding and guide next steps, providing ongoing feedback to help students improve and teachers adjust instruction. Summative assessment happens after instruction to evaluate what has been learned, often for final grades or program decisions. The statement that best captures this is that formative provides ongoing feedback to improve learning, while summative evaluates learning at the end of a unit or program. This framing shows both the ongoing, feedback-focused role of formative assessment and the end-point evaluation role of summative assessment. Other options either focus only on when it happens, misstate that formative must be graded, or claim formative has no place in curriculum design.

The distinction hinges on purpose and timing: formative assessment is used during learning to uncover understanding and guide next steps, providing ongoing feedback to help students improve and teachers adjust instruction. Summative assessment happens after instruction to evaluate what has been learned, often for final grades or program decisions. The statement that best captures this is that formative provides ongoing feedback to improve learning, while summative evaluates learning at the end of a unit or program. This framing shows both the ongoing, feedback-focused role of formative assessment and the end-point evaluation role of summative assessment. Other options either focus only on when it happens, misstate that formative must be graded, or claim formative has no place in curriculum design.